Soul 2013

Ah-Chuan, Joseph Chang, a young man, collapses at work and slips into unconsciousness. At his bedside, a mysterious boy offers him a room in a few days, as the boy himself will be leaving. He is soon sent to stay with his father, Mr. Wang, Jimmy Wang Yu, up in the mountains. An older sister visits but is visibly unsettled by his behavior upon waking, and before long Ah-Chuan commits a terrible act and kills her.

When confronted by his father, Ah-Chuan explains that he entered the body because the real Ah-Chuan had left it, promising to return in time. In the wake of this claim, Mr. Wang hides his daughter’s body, kills his son-in-law when he arrives, and buries the son-in-law’s car, before confining Ah-Chuan to a shed. A mysterious Messenger, King Shih-Chieh, appears and tells Ah-Chuan that the real Ah-Chuan won’t be back for a while.

At a clinic, Mr. Wang reveals that his late wife did not kill herself; depression was involved, yet the truth runs deeper. He later uncovers an old well and persuades Ah-Chuan to jump in. Ah-Chuan descends and experiences visions of himself and his mother, then awakens back at the house. He learns that his wife had asked for a mercy killing in the shed, not a suicide.

A city cop arrives to investigate the disappearances surrounding the family—specifically Mr. Wang’s daughter and son-in-law. Ah-Chuan turns violent and kills the city officer. His police friend, Wu, Vincent Liang, checks on him; Ah-Chuan injures Wu in the eye, chases him through the woods, and later saves him from drowning. As Ah-Chuan walks away, Wu shoots him in the back.

Mr. Wang then leads them down the mountain, crafting a version of events that places all blame on himself for Wu’s supposed use. A year passes, and Ah-Chuan toils in the mountains while Mr. Wang is moved to a sanatorium because of his failing health. When Ah-Chuan visits him, he recounts the moment he first met the real Ah-Chuan (in spirit), who declared that he was going home. The story remains haunted by the ties between bodies, spirits, and the guilty choices that bind them.