The 1981 film Love Massacre (Ai Sha) was a jarring shift in genre for Patrick Tam. After making his directorial debut with wuxia outing The Sword, Tam returned with a tale of drama and horror. Now, to the uninitiated, this collaboration between Tam and writer Joyce Chan — they would work together again — seems like the furthest thing from horror; the film’s first half is an attractive but somewhat aimless tune about the pangs of romance, the uncertainty of life, and the toils of obligation. Once you reach the other side of this cinematic compromise between arthouse and commercial, though, it becomes clear why Love Massacre has amassed such a cult following over the years.

In the vein of horror films where expats and tourists discover peril overseas, Love Massacre chronicles the grisly misfortune of several Chinese international students. Shot in California, the film begins with a foreshadowing sign of things...