Matrimony is a Chinese ghost romance horror film. Yes, you read that right. Think Ghost by way of Hitchcock. Matter of fact, elements of this movie were strongly reminiscent of Vertigo. The basic plot follows a young man who loses the woman he loves to a tragic accident, moments before he’s about to propose to her. Jump forward a few months and he’s married to a different young woman who’s been selected by his mother to keep him company (and to bring him out of his depression and possible insanity over losing his first love). 

From there, it’s a slow descent into madness and hauntings for everyone involved. The ghost of his first lover shows up, revealing herself to his wife and offering to help her get closer to her husband by showing her how to win his affections. It’s an interesting premise and one that doesn’t go over as well as his wife might have hoped.

QUALITY:
The picture quality is fairly good, though a little dull for the Blu-Ray format. There seems to be a bit of a grain and noise on the transfer. Given that this is set in the 1930s, I wonder if that’s intentional on the part of the filmmakers. Additionally, a few of the special effects are almost laughable, particularly at the beginning when the first lover dies. The overall audio track is fairly subdued, giving the whole thing a subtly eerie feel.

BONUS FEATURES:
The bonus features are limited to interviews with the cast and crew, along with an assortment of trailers (both for Matrimony and other films from the Tartan library).

Rather than being a gruesome horror film as the cover of the Blu-Ray might imply, this is a pretty moody thriller, creating chills by way of atmosphere and pacing. While it’s not a perfect film, I do appreciate it for what it is. Go into it with the right attitude and you’ll probably be pleasantly surprised.