Director: Nonzee Nimibutur
Year: 1999
Country: Thailand
Alternate Titles: N/A
Genre: Supernatural
Plot:
Called off to fight in a war, a man forced to leave his beloved wife behind returns years later to live with her and his son in their village, but as he begins realizing that strange incidents are occurring in the village around them he is forced to accept a dark secret that threatens them all.
Review:
This here was quite an impressive effort overall. Among the many positives here is the fact that this one really sells the idea of making a classy feature of a simple ghost story. Although the subject matter is somewhat traditional in terms of how it tells the effects of the ghost story, instead this one stays in a far more composed manner that almost reaches respectability. Focusing on their relationship for the main part of the film, their attempts at reconnecting with each other and exploring those scenes together is where this one really works well. This section of the film is presented with grave seriousness, utilizing his return and cluelessness over the situation to add a fine dramatic layer on top of the established relationship they share being as devoted to each other as they are. The sweetness and obvious care they share comes across nicely and really grounds so much of the later half here by really making it clear what the two mean to each other.
With this early relationship setup established, the ghostly exploits are handled with incredibly strong skill. The nightmarish visions of ghosts appearing to him in his dreams warning of the impending dangers has a nice flourish to it, while the later dream of visiting his fallen friend features plenty of great effects work on the melting body turning into dust in his hands. A fine action scene of the villagers attempting to burn down their house is also rather fun with the fire turned on the group in a rather brutal fashion burning all the group members in intense fire-stunts. The spiritualism that is brought to bear on the finale, with several spiritualists trying to calm the spirit down through various means and failing to do so until the final monk arrives and is able to not only bring this to a somber and heartfelt conclusion but gives the film a strong resonance that carries over incredibly well from the setup established earlier. It’s a fine twist on these type of films with a different take than expected and really helps to end this on a fine note.
However, the film does present a few minor issues. While it’s important to separate them at the beginning when he gets called off to war, the in-depth nature of showing him being treated for war wounds is overdone and drags the film’s opening out needlessly. From being carried off the battlefield by the soldiers to the treatment in the war-time hospital, to the services by the monks and the final recovery scenes in the shack out in the wilderness, this is all way too long and could’ve been simplified into a more streamlined retelling that gets the idea across in a shorter span of time. Likewise, because the film has to spend so much time convincing Mak him that Nak she’s not actually actually dead, he comes across as way too blind and oblivious to the truth. Not being able to realize what’s going on is one thing, but missing out on clear and irrefutable pieces that trusted friends are rightfully bringing up to convince him makes him look foolish more than anything. Granted, it’s supposed to be that way for the reveal but does distract for this one slightly.
Overview: ****.5/5
With plenty of strong technical aspects and equally impressive supernatural action, this one still holds up to this day as an impressive effort not only in the genre but from the country as a whole. This version is highly recommended to fans of Asian horror or classy ghost stories while only ardent non-aficionados of Asian horror won't be fans of the film.
This review was originally published on Asian Movie Pulse and is gratefully reprinted with their cooperation.
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