T his sin-obsessed drama about a Hong Kong preacher occupies the same kind of self-flagellating territory as 1970s or 80s Scorsese or Paul Schrader. Shot in a downcast, emerald-toned pallor by directors Sen Lam and Antonio Tam (making their feature debut), if nothing else Valley of the Shadow of Death makes the descent into an impossible moral quandary look fabulously attractive. As Pastor Leung (Anthony Wong) broods on a recent family tragedy, each fastidiously arrayed room of his apartment looks like a reliquary.

Touted by his parishioners as a modern-day Job who preaches the importance of suffering, Leung must put his manna where his mouth is when homeless youth Ah Lok (George Au) turns up to stay at his church. Ah Lok talks about needing forgiveness, but the priest doesn’t reveal w

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