Vampire Cleanup Department (救僵清道夫) is a 2017 Hong Kong comedy horror film directed by Yan Pak-wing and Chiu Sin-hang.
The film is a memorial for Lam Ching-ying's passing away 20 years ago.
Plot
Prologue
In the year 1840 in Oxtail Village-Hong Kong, a 20-year-old girl named Yik Siu-ha (aka Summer) was buried alive as an offering to her dead landlord into the afterlife. Both her and the landlord's bodies were placed in a casket and buried. Yik Siu-ha would spend her final mortal moments scratching her casket to escape. Unfortunately, both died from deep negative emotions and caused both to become jiangshi.
Since ancient times, there have existed the jiangshi (a type of zombie that returns from the dead and feeds on the life force of living beings). Modernly, they are viewed as hopping vampires that prey on the blood of its victims. Although the government knew the existence of the jiangshi, they have buried all public knowledge about them and society viewed the threat as a myth. Originally, they dispatched Maoshan Taoist priests to handle the problem. Eventually though, the British Hong Kong government covertly created the Vampire Cleanup Department (aka VCD) to discreetly exorcise the jiangshi. Disguised as the city's sanitation, the VCD are the first line defense against vampire threats.
About 20 years ago, Yat Lung Cheung and his wife (both part of VCD) fought against the jiangshi and lost. Both of them were bitten and infected, but Yat Lung's wife at the time was pregnant. Cheung was turning and he volunteered to cremate himself before he turns. Before his wife's death, his team members helped him deliver a baby boy. The boy would grown up to be Tim Cheung.
Main Story
Tim Cheung (Babyjohn Choi) is just an ordinary student in Hong Kong and looks after his paternal grandmother (who suffers from memory issues). Growing up, his classmates calls him 'rubbish bin' because his deceased parents worked in sanitation and his grandmother recycles cardboard for a living. One fateful night, Tim was involved in a vampire cleanup op. An old man was killed by a vampire and Tim was bitten before VCD Agent Chau (Siu-Ho Chin) arrived to neutralize the vampire. Upon waking up, Tim woke to find himself back at his grandma's apartment with VCD Agent Yeung Chung (Richard Ng) and Chau. Chung offered to explain everything the following day, leaving Tim curious and confused.
The following day, Tim made it to the sanitation building. Through a hidden door, Tim entered to meet Chung and was given a quick summary about HK's sanctioned anti-vampire operation. Chung wanted to recruit Tim into the VCD because of their aging members. However, everyone else was either against or reluctant to accept Tim due to their history with Yat Lung. Tim didn't believe in vampires and just wanted to leave. However, he quickly became a believer when he tripped over a detained vampire. Chung would reveal that Tim's parents were part of VCD and Yat Lung (Tim's father) was their leader. Chung explained his mother was bitten during her pregnancy and helped him develop an immunity towards vampire toxins, making him a great candidate to succeed their agency. Chung offered Tim a cup of "Calming Tea" (memory erasure tea) and ask him to think about things over. If Tim doesn't want to join, he can drink the tea and forget everything that ever happened or train to become a VCD agent. Tim chose to join the VCD.
Tim soon started his anti-vampire training. Each of the agents taught Tim an area of expertise. Priest Ginger (Cheung-Yan Yuen) taught him anti-vampire amulet spells, Chau taught him martial arts, and Kui (Meng Lo) taught him how to use their anti-vampire weapons. While not ready to take on a vampire, Chau decided to take Tim to Sai Kung on his first training mission. A treasure hunter had dived into the lake (that was once Oxtail Village) and found two caskets. He opened one and died from wrath of the undead landlord (aka Vampire King).