After a slightly odd, rude man shows interest in it he looks at the statue again and finds an ornate clockwork device hidden in the base.
This is the very thing a dying industrialist (Caludio Book) has had agents scouring the globe for and he sends his thuggish son Angel (Ron Perlman) to buy the statue hoping it is inside.
It is claimed the ancient clockwork thing can bestow eternal life, at a cost.
CW: mild body horror
Guillermo del Toro's debut has the seeds of what he'd later be known for but is more a conventional light horror with a maguffin. Essentially a vampire movie (the device turning you into something akin to one) it follows a similar path but with a interesting aesthetic and decent makeup effects.
Now almost 30 years old it stands up very well but you can see the padding used to make up for a low budget. There's a comedy scene in a morgue that feels misplaced, the camera follows Ron Perlman walking through a factory for way too long and some of the dialogue (admittedly consumed in subtitles) is a bit weak.
However for a debut of its era it's astounding. Recommended 7/10, but very much as a scene setter for GdTs later work.