Have you ever wondered if the ghosts that you are afraid of may be a person that others yearn for day and night? Let the truth reveal itself in Hong Kong horror film The Puppet, which is set to launch on iQIYI on August 8. Surrounding the legend of puppets murdering people, it is a horror and suspense film that is guaranteed to make your hair stand. It is no wonder that many people call it the horror version of Lost In The Stars! 

Directed by Huang Yi, The Puppet co-stars talented actors including Terence Yin, Carmen Tong, Waise Lee, Billy Lau, Cheung-Yan Yuen. Known for his acting in famous zombie films, Billy Lau plays the role of Huang Dacheng while the other protagonist, the tall and handsome Terence Yin, plays the role of the college professor Wu Wei. The rest of the leading actors, Waise Lee who once acted in A Better Tomorrow plays the character named Huang Silang, Cheung-Yan Yue who previously played a beggar role in Stephen Chow’s famous movie Kung Fu Hustle plays the character Sun Haichao, alongside the young actress Carmen Tong playing as Qianqian in the film. These actors with rich experience and amazing acting skills were able to accurately reflect their fear and despair when facing puppets, making the whole horror film an exciting one when paired with the tense plot

Following the horror movies Get in the Dark and Spirit Puppet, The Puppet is another traditional mainland horror film with puppets as the highlight of the film, since puppets are a part of the traditional Chinese culture. It tells the story of a young teacher Wu Wei (played by Terence Yin) leading a group of students to Yuanyao Village to write folk songs. While everyone stayed overnight at the mansion, they found the presence of strange puppets in every room. Frequent occurrences of strange happenings in the middle of the night resulted in the bizarre deaths of several students, which are similar to the cause of death of the mute girl Xiao Man. Not believing in ghosts, Wu Wei and his student Qian Qian (played by Carmen Tong) began to dig deeper into the secret story behind the village. 

The film presents an amazing set and sound effects, with the plot twists heightening the creepy atmosphere. People could not help but get goose bumps and feel nervous, with their heart beating fast. The costumes during the Republic of China era reflect a strong sense of the period, and the combination of various elements such as puppets and operas enhanced the Chinese-style horror atmosphere, allowing the audience to feel terrified being in front of the screen.

The Puppet tells the story of the female student Xiao Man, who never returned after going back home to visit her relatives, and suffered a strange death. As a classmate and best friend of hers, Qian Qian guides the teacher and three other classmates to travel thousands of miles to Yuanyao Village using false pretext. In fact, she wanted to figure out what happened to her friend in the middle of nowhere. At the village, all of them discovered Xiao Man and her family’s involvement in strange rituals related to the local puppets. Is it a true story or only a gruesome legend that is used to cover up a crime?

iQIYI Original The Puppet premieres on August 08 on www.iq.com.