VITAL SIGNS (送院途中) (2025)

SYNOPSIS: After being reassigned to a new station, paramedic Wong Wai is assigned to ride with Jerry Ma. At first, Wai doesn’t agree with Jerry’s work style. But after some time, Jerry influences Wai to remember once again that the aim of paramedic work is to save every victim..

MOVIE REVIEW:

Louis Koo is not just an A-list HK star. He’s a philanthropist, owns a movie and several production companies, and also serves as the president of the Hong Kong Performing Artistes Guild. Yet despite his busy schedule, he remains a prolific presence on the big screen, clocking several starring roles every year.

His latest or not so latest (since it was first shot back in 2021) sees Koo play an ambulance paramedic, Ma. He’s a simple man who genuinely loves his job. Ma has no interest in climbing the ladder to a higher-ranking, deskbound post, but his new colleague Wong (Neo Yau Hawk-Sau) is eyeing that same promotion. As a single parent, Ma just wants a better future for his daughter, Bonnie. Emigrating to Canada seems like their next best chance.

Written and directed by Cheuk Wan-chi (Exodus, Temporary Family), Vital Signs is a modest Hong Kong-produced drama unlike co-lavish productions like The Rescue or Out of the Inferno. It’s purely a grounded human story, and Koo carries a huge part of that weight. There are no distracting action set pieces or CGI madness here to numb your senses. Instead, there is a raw reflection of a typical, average Hong Konger’s struggle.

Ma is a man with no shining credentials. He has no interest in socializing with his superiors after work, and for lack of a better word, his future looks bleak. His dedication as a frontline responder simply isn’t enough to earn him recognition abroad, and his English and professional qualifications won’t easily translate in a foreign country. It’s ironic—he has all the practical experience of an emergency worker, yet that means nothing on paper. But that’s the reality of life, and Vital Signs will likely resonate with anyone who has toiled for decades without earning the credit they deserve.

It’s clear that Vital Signs is one of Koo’s best roles to date. He is given every opportunity to shine as a superhero without a cape, and he delivers a wonderfully nuanced performance. Angela Yuen also surprises with her foul-mouthed turn as Ma’s cousin-in-law, Miffy.

If you’re here for believable human drama and conflict, Vital Signs is the movie for you. If you prefer flashy EMT rescues and mayhem, you might want to switch to a Dante Lam production instead.

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee