Film - The Narrow Road

A film with the recent pandemic at its core, The Narrow Road focuses on life carrying on in Hong Kong. As I recall, the place had the best record of keeping the virus at bay. It’s easy when you’re an island (ahem) but that’s not to say they didn’t have the challenges. 

Chak runs a cleaning business which he is just about keeping afloat as the sole employee. His job is more dangerous than ever but at least he can still operate. At a time of being surrounded by boarded-up premises, he was needed. Living with his mum in a tiny apartment, at least he has his office to go to. This is where he keeps all of the precious cleaning products that help make an office/shop/restaurant safer again for the clients.

One day, someone who is a resident in the building knocks on his door asking for a job. Later we find Candy has a clever little daughter, Chu, in tow and they live in an even smaller - one-room apartment.

We see them suffer shortages of masks and cleaning products like the rest of us as warnings to only use a mask once are echoed. As we learn the back story of Candy and how she is far from home in Hong Kong, thoughts of regret and feelings of shame are revealed

The Narrow Road is quite a beautiful film and another that shows the underbelly of Hong Kong rather than the bright glassy towers we ordinarily see.

7½/10