When Malaysian actress Lin Min Chen signed on to play a social media influencer in her latest horror movie Haunting Call, she had no idea that the shoot would take her to an actual haunted location in Hong Kong.
Recounting her experience filming at the location, Lin, who’s based in Hong Kong, described the eerie atmosphere as something that rattled her to the core.
“I thought it was a set that was built by the production team, but then the director said it’s a famous haunted place.
“I was only accompanied by a cameraman at the time, so whenever he was in front, my back was completely exposed, and when I was at the front, I had to walk ahead on my own.
“It was absolute darkness; the fear you see on screen is real,” the 34-year-old said at a recent press conference in Kuala Lumpur.
“I remember my mum telling me not to respond if anyone called my name at the cemetery.
“I passed the same advice on to the crew, asking them to call me by my character’s name, but they would forget sometimes.
“I wouldn’t acknowledge them if they called me by my real name as I was scared,” she recalled.
Directed by Hong Kong filmmaker Danny Pang, Haunting Call follows Xiaoya (Jessica Chan), a secondary school student whose relentless torment by other students drives her to take her own life.
She binds her soul to a mobile phone and later returns as a vengeful spirit, determined to seek revenge on her bullies.
When rising YouTuber Lily (Lin) stumbles upon the phone and uncovers Xiaoya’s tragic past, she decides to help the spirit take vengeance on the bullies.
One by one, Xiaoya’s tormentors face ghostly events, forcing them to confront the consequences of their actions.
Diving into the horror
Growing up watching horror films, Lin – who made her acting debut in 2017 – never imagined she would one day star in a Hong Kong production of the same genre.
Despite her “close connection” to horror, she stopped watching ghost movies after moving to Hong Kong.
“I avoided ghost movies during those 10 years as I was living alone. I had to stay mentally strong, so I limited myself to watching them.
“Horror films like A Quiet Place are fine because they involve creatures but those movies involving spirits? I try to avoid them,” she said.
Meanwhile, Haunting Call marks Hong Kong actress Yvette Chan’s big screen debut.
During the press conference, Chan told local media that she’s afraid of watching horror movies on her own and refuses to turn off the lights whenever she stays alone in a hotel.
“When I was younger, I watched some foreign horror films where the shower water turned into blood, and that image has stuck with me ever since.
“Whenever I stay alone in hotels, I never close both eyes when I’m in the shower,” said the 29-year-old, who rose to fame after participating in the 2021 Miss Hong Kong beauty pageant.
Despite her fear, Chan had no qualms about playing Xiaoya’s friend in the movie.
This role eventually helped her become less scared of horror movies, though she still gets a little spooked sometimes.
“Before acting in horror movies, I was really scared of the genre. But when I was filming Haunting Call, I found everything to be different from what I had imagined.
“Maybe it’s because most of my scenes didn’t involve anything too scary – I didn’t have to enter a haunted house or anything like that,” added the TVB star.
When asked if any friends suggested she explore a haunted location, Chan jokingly responded: “No, if they did, I’d unfriend them.”
Tackling every challenge
The biggest hurdle for Chan was taming her nerves as she embarked on her silver screen debut. The fact that it’s a horror movie didn’t make it any easier either.
“It was a lot to take in, but I learned so much.
“Working with such a talented team and someone like Min Chen really helped me. She was patient and gave me lots of tips that helped calm my anxiety,” she remarked.
Meanwhile, Lin faced difficulties memorising the lines for a scene where her character breaks down after discovering her boyfriend’s infidelity.
However, she nailed that sequence in one take after the director allowed her to improvise.
“The scene that actually required multiple takes was the one where I had to kick my neighbour’s trash bag – I kept kicking it too hard.
“At one point, I accidentally kicked the cameraman who was crouched on the ground… I feel so bad for doing that,” she said.
Despite these challenges, both Lin and Chan gained valuable insights into the workings of the Hong Kong film industry.
When asked if they would take on another horror movie, both stars responded “yes”.
“I always approach each role with an open mind, always ready to learn. Every character feels like a free acting lesson to me,” said Lin.
Chan added: “I don’t mind doing it again because each collaboration brings something different to the table. It’s an opportunity for me to gain new experiences.”
-TheStar