The Tag-Along (2015), The Tag-Along 2 (2017). Both directed by Wei-Hao Cheng. The first features Wei-Ning Hsu and River Huang, who appear in the second film, along with Ranie Yang, Francesca Kao and Shao-hua Lung. Kao and Lung make appearances in The Tag-Along-Devil Fish (2018), which is directed by David Chuang. All three films are from Taiwan. Parts one and three are available on Amazon. Part 2 can be found on Asian Drama Link on Facebook. Subtitled.
Urban Legend movies can be found everywhere, as every country has Urban Legends. “The Tag-Along” series is no exception. The story centers on a ghost in the form of a little girl in a red dress. She appears in photos, often holding the hand of someone in the picture. But she is invisible to all but that person. This creature slowly destroys the mind of the person it follows, then moves on.
The movie begins with the disappearance of Shui, the friend of Wei’s Grandma. She misses her friend terribly. Then, she hears the voice of Shui calling her name. Shortly thereafter, Grandma disappears. Wei, a busy real estate agent, begins to search for his Grandma, with the help of Chun, the woman he loves. Soon, Wei hears his name called by his Grandma. It’s his turn.
As more people, including Wei, start to disappear, Chun begins to research the legend. She finds surveillance footage of Grandma being led away from her apartment by a little girl in red. A photo of a senior citizen group doing a forest walk show the girl following them. Both Grandma and her friend, Shui, were in that group.
Grandma is found and recovers her memory. Then disappears again. The search for Wei and Grandma takes Chun to the forest, where things get interesting and scary. During the film, Chun is told that indiscriminate logging had destroyed the homes of ghosts. If they can’t have trees, they plant people. You will see how this plays out.
This movie has its share of jump scares, as well as “corner-of-the-eye” sightings. Often, the little girl is in a scene, but initially missed by the character, who retraces their steps to find nothing. But you, the viewer, saw it. The special effects for the little girl are amazing, as she takes a demonic form and springs about scenes like a flea on a hot brick. And the times that she takes the mind of a person are somewhat unsettling.
The first Tag-Along film is the top grossing horror film of all time for Taiwan. I doubt the field is large in this category, but it does earn this honor. I have left a lot out due to spoilers. Oh, and don’t stop watching when the credits roll. Stay with it.
The second film is a continuation of the first, with the focus on Chun, who is again menaced, and finds the true origin of the Little Girl in Red. We are also introduced to a young man called Lord Tiger. This man can go into a state allowing him to take on the persona of a tiger. He crawls and growls. He can even track people by their scent while in this state. This film contains many elements found in “The Grudge” series.
Although good, it’s not on the same level as the first film. And I found the Lord Tiger character and his tiger impression somewhat comedic, but not intentionally so.
Lord Tiger protects
His character can also be found in the third movie, which I have yet to see.
If you are looking for something different, give these films a try.
