In the landscape of 1980s Hong Kong Ghost-Fu movies, Wu Ma’s Picture of a Nymph stands as a beautifully rendered companion piece to the genre’s heavyweights. The story kicks off when Shih Erh (the acrobatic powerhouse Yuen Biao), a dedicated Taoist disciple, takes a hapless scholar, Tsui Hung-Chuen (Lawrence Ng), under his wing. The catalyst? A demon battle gone wrong that leaves the scholar’s house in literal ashes.

While Shih Erh and his master, Wu Men-Chu (played by director Wu Ma), attempt to shield the scholar from the literal legions of hell, the plot thickens with a classic supernatural romance. Tsui falls for Mo Chiu (the ethereal Joey Wang), a ghost enslaved by the terrifying King Ghost (Elizabeth Lee).

Picture of a Nymph features Sammo Hung’s Stuntmen Team, which means it has more action than any demon movie America will ever make. Because Joey Wang famously portrayed the lead in A Chinese Ghost Story, critics often dismiss this as a quick cash-in. However, Picture of a Nymph feels more like a spiritual sequel or a remix of the same melancholic themes.

I love the idea that Mo Chiu’s spirit hides in a painting that Tsui makes of her. I’m also a sucker for the doomed romance between those who have died and those who are still alive. 

Extras on the 88 Films release of this movie include two commentaries, one by Frank Djeng and another by David West. It comes in a breathtaking rigid slipcase with art by Sean Longmore, and includes a 40-page book and a collectible postcard. You can get it from MVD.