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There is plenty to like in “Thongsook 13” a Thai Horror Movie from writer/director Taweewat Wantha: Ghosts, Demons, a Cabin in the Woods, some humor, plenty of gore. ‘Thongsook 13″ looks more like a mix of western horror cliche and imagery than the traditional ghost with long hair usually seen in Thai and other Asian Horror Movies.
Nevertheless, after watching this trailer, I can’t wait to get a hand on this movie. What do you think?
Year: 2007
Origin: Thailand
Director: Paween Purikitpanya
Summary: A young man is having recurring nightmares about a dead girl. After he decides to see a psychiatrist, the people connected to the dead girl he sees in his dreams start to be murdered and the truth to be revealed.
My Quick Review: Body Sob 19 is Writer/Director Paween Purikitpanya first movie and you can already find his trademark style of camera movement and abusive use of (bad) CGI effects all throughout this film.
I first discovered Paween Purikitpanya through his segments in 4Bia and its follow-up Phobia 2. And those were my least favorite shorts of both movies. I’m definitively not a fan of his visual style (way too much style over substance) and the cheap CGI effects he prefers to use instead of more traditional visual effects.
The story in Body Sob 19, while not quite original, could have provided great moments and a few surprises but the total lack of emotion and/or attachment you get towards the characters and what is happening to them completely ruin the proceedings.
In my opinion the director is to be blamed here and no doubt that the material would have been elevated and more emotions would have been felt if Body Sob 19 had been directed by another director such as Banjong Pisanthanakun (Alone, Shutter)
My Rating: 5/10
Year: 2006
Director: Songyos Sugmakanan
Synopsis: In Thailand, the young Chatree is sent to a boarding school by his father. He immediately feels like an outcast and becomes scared with the ghost stories his new schoolmates tell him about. He quickly becomes friend with another lonely boy Vichien, who disappears everyday after class.
My Short Review: I was coming into this movie expecting another scary ghost story from Thailand. After all, Dorm is directed by Songyos Sugmakanan who made the very enjoyable segment “Backpackers” in Phobia 2.
Unfortunately, this movie is more a drama with a twist (an easy-to-see-coming one) than a scary movie. After 30mn or so, the ghost scenes are almost forgotten and the story focus more on the mystery of Vichien and the friendship the main character shares with him.
Not even the very good acting from most of the kids could make up for the very slow pace and lack of genuine scares and horror. To summarize, I was bored and quite disappointed.
My Rating: 4/10
Year: 2008
Director: Sopon Sukdapisit
Synopsis: while trying to pirate a yet to be released Horror Movie, the employees of a movie theater start to be haunted by the ghost in the movie.
My Short Review: Coming soon was the first movie directed by Sopon Sukdpisit, but he was already a successful writer with credits in movies such as Shutter, Alone and 4Bia. He then went on to direct another ghost story, Laddaland.
I watched Laddaland a few days ago and was impressed by the cinematography, the characters but not so much with the story. Sopon Sukdapisit is behing the stories of some of the most successful Thai Horror Movies of the last decade but his formula, while efficient, starts to be quite repetitive.
Indeed, if Coming Soon is an interesting take on the “movie within a movie” genre, there is absolutely nothing ground breaking in the script or in the ghost scares. I was actually quite impressed with the beginning of the movie (which shows the movie the main characters are watching). It was disturbing (there is kid’s torture involved) and very creepy. But when we are back to reality and the ghost of the movie starts chasing our heroes, it’s all back to the usual stuff (thumbs up for the ghost look though, very well made make up).
Coming soon is therefore another solid entry from Thailand and you get what you are paying for (it did great at the local box office), but a lack of originality prevents it to be a must-see.
My Rating: 5.5/10.
Year: 2011
Director: Sopon Sukdapisit
Synopsis: The title refers to a middle class subdivision in Chiang Mai, where a well-meaning man moves with his family to work for a drug supplement company. But soon this nice neighborhood will turn into a new hell.
My Short Review: I think this movie will have more impact if you’re father like myself. I could sometimes definitively identify to the main character and the struggles he has in his life. As the sole provider he has this burden of responsibility that is made even more difficult by the economy and the fact that the he is living in Thailand, which, like most countries in Asia, puts a lot of pressure on men to succeed and provide for the family.
On the plus side this ghost story is beautifully shot and the acting is top notch, especially from the main actress. The ending is fine as well and quite sad.
On the negative side, nothing is really original and the scares are really too classic to really surprise anybody.
A good effort from Thailand that stays in the middle range of asian horror movies.
My Rating: 5.5/10