Joan Chen Stars in Lingo Hsieh’s Twisted Psychological Thriller The Evil Inside

Joan Chen returns to the spotlight in The Evil Inside, a haunting thriller rooted in real-life horrors.

Joan Chen to Lead Sinister Psychological Thriller The Evil Inside, Directed by Lingo Hsieh

Genre cinema just got a major jolt of electricity, as legendary actress and filmmaker Joan Chen (Twin Peaks, The Last Emperor) steps into the lead role for The Evil Inside, a harrowing new psychological thriller currently in production from Taiwan-based DaSun Pictures. Marking her first collaboration with a Taiwanese film crew, the project also reunites audiences with the masterful genre mind of director Lingo Hsieh (The Bride, Green Door).

Co-written and directed by Hsieh, The Evil Inside spins a slow-burn descent into institutionalized horror rooted in real-life events that once rocked Taiwan—a twisted betting ring where terminally ill patients had their lifespans gambled away for profit. This backdrop becomes the nightmarish setting for Chen’s character, Ho Jen-Jen—formerly a tabloid-beloved actress known as “Golden Phoenix.” Drowning in debt from years of reckless gambling, she vanished from public life, abandoning her young daughter. Years later, after collapsing during a police raid, she awakens in a remote and eerie nursing home, only to find herself caught in the sinister web of “Death Bet.”

As she struggles to escape and reconnect with her daughter, she begins to uncover layers of horror that reach beyond the walls of the facility—and straight into the dark recesses of morality, motherhood, and human greed.

“This role was written with Joan in mind,” said director Lingo Hsieh, whose short film version of The Evil Inside won Best Picture at Taiwan’s Golden Harvest Awards and premiered at Cannes Short Film Corner in 2015. “She brings so much depth to a character like this—flawed, fierce, and emotionally raw. She’s the anti-hero this story needs.”

And Chen seems ready to go there: “I look forward to embracing and defending this deeply scarred and morally complex woman—an incorrigible gambler—infusing her dark, tormented soul with light and warmth, and granting her the ultimate triumph: salvation through defeat.”

Joining Chen behind the camera is producer Jackol Kao for DaSun Pictures, who sees the Mandarin-language production as a globally viable breakout in genre cinema. “With Lingo’s signature direction and Joan’s performance, we’re creating something that will hit hard both emotionally and viscerally,” Kao shared.

Production is underway, with the film being shopped to buyers at Cannes’ Marché du Film. With a story this bold and a team this sharp, The Evil Inside is poised to deliver the kind of unnerving, thought-provoking genre storytelling that lingers long after the credits roll.

Stay tuned to HMU for updates, behind-the-scenes insights, and exclusive coverage of The Evil Inside as it moves toward its anticipated global release.