Time loop stories have long fascinated audiences with their endless spirals of fate and futility. From Groundhog Day to Edge of Tomorrow, they take characters — and viewers — through a repetitive cycle of trial and error until something clicks. But when you blend this storytelling device with horror, the stakes escalate. Death is never final, but it’s always brutal. Every loop deepens the psychological toll — especially when you repeatedly see the person you love die every loop. Haunted Mountains: The Yellow Taboo takes this concept and drenches it in supernatural dread, crafting a tense, bloody mystery with a deeply personal core — at least for its first half.

The story centers on Chen Chia-ming, played with raw emotional intensity by Jasper Liu, a man trapped in a supernatural time loop in the mountains after the violent death of his girlfriend, Song Yu-hsin (Angela Yuen). Every time he tries to save her, the day resets, and the spirit that haunts the mountains finds increasingly horrific ways to stop him. What begins as a desperate love story gradually morphs into a chilling portrait of obsession, grief, and guilt. It’s layered with ghostly folklore and a growing sense that Chia-ming’s motives might not be as pure as they seem.

Haunted Mountains wastes no time in setting up its atmosphere. The first half is incredibly strong — moody, bloody, and full of sharp twists that keep the viewer guessing how, or if, Chia-ming can break the cycle. Director Tsai Chia Ying creatively stages the horror sequences, with each of Yu-hsin’s deaths shot in full view. They’re never repetitive, and the way the malevolent spirit finds new ways to reach beyond its territory adds a welcome level of unpredictability. There’s no safe zone here — not even time itself.

Jasper Liu anchors the film with a performance that evolves with each loop. As Chia-ming’s desperation curdles into something darker, Liu keeps us invested in his unraveling psyche. His character isn’t just a tortured hero — he’s also selfish, envious, and unable to let go.

Angela Yuen, meanwhile, does what she can with a role that never gives her much agency. Yu-hsin exists largely to die again and again, a narrative choice that plays into the “fridging” trope. A late revelation about her internal fears is meant to reframe her character arc. Still, it comes too late to make a meaningful emotional impact.

As the film transitions into its final act, the tight grip it once held begins to loosen. The storytelling becomes messier, the pacing more erratic, and the themes more muddled. The conclusion aims to deliver an emotional impact. Still, it’s blunted by questionable CGI and a sense that the film has too many storylines to resolve and connect. Still, even when it stumbles, Haunted Mountains remains visually engaging and thematically intriguing.

Overall, despite its flaws, Haunted Mountains: The Yellow Taboo is a solid entry in the time loop horror subgenre. It starts with a bang and offers some memorable scares. At the same time, it delivers a gripping performance from Jasper Liu. If only the second half stuck the landing as well as the film’s chilling setup, this could’ve been a new horror classic. Nevertheless, it’s still a engrossing, if uneven, ride.

Rating: 3.5/5 atoms