Directed by and produced by J-horror icon Takashi Shimizu ( The Grudge ), Rigor Mortis is a stylish homage to the "hopping vampire" ( jiangshi ) movies of the 1980s, specifically the Mr. Vampire series.

First, the subject. Rigor Mortis is a Hong Kong horror film directed by Juno Mak. It is a moody, atmospheric homage to the Mr. Vampire series of the 1980s. Thematically, it deals with decay, stagnation, and the inability to let go of the past. It is a film about —both literal (corpses rising) and metaphorical (washed-up actors living in a haunted housing block).