Limbo is a masterpiece, but it’s not a masterpiece in the way, say, the Mona Lisa is a masterpiece; this grisly b&w Hong Kong noir is more a masterpiece in the way that Guernica … or Chancellorsville … or Sharpiegate is a masterpiece. It’s one you may not appreciate at the time; it’s one you may recognize as such, but your first honest reaction might be revulsion. Limbo, however, is pure art, the kind of film that gets described using words like “epitome” and “quintessential.” It is stunning to behold even as it’s difficult to watch. And it even has immigrant bashing, so you MAGA morons can enjoy it, too.
A severed hand is found in a dumpster. It was cut off with “a blunt instrument,” one generally not used for cutting. Oh, yeah, you totally want to see this film now, doncha? I knew it. Gets better. The hard-boiled detective Cham Lau (Gordon Lam) wants to sniff it. Like Toucan Sam, his nose is finding clues his eyes cannot. He’s partnered with a by-the-book noob straight from police academy, Will Yam (Mason Lee). Think Guy Pearce from L.A. Confidential and you’re close.
I’m guessing there aren’t a whole lot of severed hands at the Police Academy.
The trail leads to the garbage-piled alleys of Hong Kong. This is the kind of film tourist boards loathe. I’ve never been to Hong Kong, but if this is indicative, I never want to go. There’s trash everywhere. There are two-handed junkies and one-handed victims. There are vagrants of all shapes and sizes … and one just might be the person these guys are looking for.
I know Limbo is a tough sell. On the one hand, it’s a simple police procedural. On another level, it’s a shocking sensory overload; it’s as if director Soi Cheang had to shoot in black & white because our eyes couldn’t handle it if we recognized everything we saw. On yet another level, it’s a commentary on how investigations are handled, especially the difference between what an officer’s legal duty is 
and how reality mocks them, and on one further deepest level, Limbo is a commentary on how some people live and how they survive when a better question is: “Why are you surviving?”
On a technical level, Limbo is nothing shy of brilliant. I’ve seen silly Transformers films with fight scenes shot in daylight in color with CGI added in which I still couldn’t tell what was going on. Limbo has fights shot in black and white, at night, in the rain, in close proximity, without magic projectiles or CGI enhancement and it’s crystal clear what is going on. Part of that is the Transformers franchise sucks, but part of it is THIS IS HOW YOU SHOOT A MOVIE.
On an entertainment level, Limbo is a difficult film to dismiss or take your eyes away from. It’s the beauty of horror itself. It’s reality slapping you in the face, reminded you that sometimes a girl who grows up watching Disney and dreaming about The Little Mermaid becomes a junkie willing to sell her body for the next hit … and sometimes that girl gets her hand cut off by a maniac. Limbo isn’t an easy watch. But it’s riveting. And it’s a masterpiece.
That one-armed girl received something unplanned
Victimized by a bully’s demand
When investigating is done
And the good guys have won
Don’t expect her to give you a hand
Not Rated [read: R], 118 Minutes
Director: Soi Cheang
Writer: Kin-Yee Au
Genre: Grit
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Cinephiles. Pure cinephiles
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: Everybody else
