THAI horror loves exploring the idea of the dead looking for revenge. After a while, the stories, no matter how they are repackaged, become predictable.
Kulp Kaljareuk’s first feature film as director and writer somewhat gives a new angle on Thai horror movies although the story is based on an old belief that is being reinterpreted by him. Kulp is the third generation of a family who owns an entertainment and production company, the Katana group.
This latest horror flick, Hong Hoon, plays around with wax figures. Hong Hoon means “the wax figures room” in Thai.
One of the beliefs in Thailand is that effigies should never be created until one has passed away; people who have their effigies made when they are still alive will be struck by terminal bad luck.
The film opens with veteran archery champion Prapop Sattayapa (Sompob Benjathikul) accidentally killed by an arrow at the archery range. At his funeral, a mysterious 30-something man, Nop (Ananda Everingham) shows up and tells Prapop’s devastated daughter Ploy (Rattanarat Aurthaveekul) that her father’s untimely death is related to the effigy that Prapop ordered when he was still alive.
Nop has a remorseful past of his own — his sister committed suicide. He has a hunch that his sister’s death is related to an effigy and so he starts to investigate. Ploy disregards Nop’s warning until she sees more of her relatives who have had their effigies made die in various accidents.
Ploy also finds out that her effigy is being made through a photograph that she finds in her father’s belongings. She hurries to find the sculptor of these effigies before she herself is struck down with bad luck.
Both Ploy and Nop arrive at the sculptor’s house but the old man, the caretaker of the house, says the owner is not in. When they are invited inside, they see a lot of spooky effigies. And it is inside this house that they learn about the sculptor — and that they must find a way to break the curse.
The first 10 minutes into the movie looks very promising. The lighting really sets the mood, combined with Everingham’s acting which is commendable. The rest of the movie, however, is rather disappointing. The obtuse story is made worse by some of Nop’s confusing dreams and a series of flashbacks that do not solve conflicting ideas of the story.
The director seems to miss out details which ruin the whole film. For instance, at the beginning of the movie, in the archery range scene, Prapop, a professional archer, stands between the archers and the target boards when the arrows are being drawn.
The objects of the story, the wax figures, are under-utilised. They could make audiences jump out of their seats if played up well. In Hong Hoon, the wax figures (or effigies) are just lying there. On top of all this, there are a lot of extraneous scenes and dull dialogue which only confuses the viewers more. Till the end of the movie, there is no sign that the conflicts will be solved.
The death scenes are also not scary or memorable enough. In one scene, we hear a van’s screeching brakes and then there is a man lying dead in front of the vehicle, with blood oozing from his forehead. These scenes do not convey the seriousness of the curse.
NOW SHOWING
HONG HOON
Directed by Kulp Kaljareuk
Starring Ananda Everingham, Rattanarat Aurthaveekul, Sompob Benjathikul
Duration: 96 minutes
Rating: P13