HBO Asia’s latest original production is an eerie blend of supernatural, psychological and family drama, writes Aref Omar
THERE’S nothing more personal than a story involving family, and more moving than a mistake made by a member that has unfortunate consequences on the rest of the brood.
Channelling family angst in an intriguing horror setting is HBO Asia’s latest production, Grace. The four-part hour-long miniseries centres on the Chan family, led by Roy, who harbours a dark secret that threatens those closest to him. Featuring elements of love, vengeance and filial ties, Grace follows Roy’s journey towards redemption, which is the only way that will ensure the salvation of his loved ones.
Roy is played by Chinese American actor Russell Wong (of Joy Luck Club and Romeo Must Die fame), with Constance Song as his wife Angela and Teresa Daley, Jean Toh and Vivienne Tseng as his daughters Vivian, Lisa and Mimi respectively.
LAYERED STORYLINE
Grace is helmed by Australian director Tony Tilse. When met in Singapore, Tilse was enthusiastic about the layered storyline.
“We’re telling a complex story in four parts and the horror element is present but it’s not the essence of the show from my point of view,” he says of the script by J. David Harden (Numb3rs) and the Hong-Kong based Zach Hines and Yalun Tu.
Tilse points out that it’s a moving family drama that plays with the family dynamics and focuses on the members’ trials and tribulations. Part of the problems that the Chan family face is due to Roy’s extra marital affair with femme fatale Ya Yi, played by Pamelyn Chee.
“It’s about a flawed man and the choices he makes, which works onscreen on an emotional level as well as on a horror level,” he says, not wanting to give away too much.
HBO Asia’s head of programming and production, Erika North, who was also present, likened the miniseries to a Greek tragedy wrapped in a horror veneer.
“It’s basically the hubris of the father and his actions just lead to repercussions that spiral out of control,” she says.
Both agreed that it was a blast to create another HBO Asia production and to explore the horror genre. Grace represents its third original production, after feature film Dead Mine (2012) and the 10-part noir detective series Serangoon Road (2013), which Tilse also directed.
“The main goal is to make viewers care about the characters and we’ve worked hard to find the right balance of getting the different elements right emotionally in order to get people hooked onto watching all of the episodes,” says North.
ORIGINAL ASIAN HORROR
Grace relies on the psychology of fear and takes a western approach towards the horror conventions of Asia, blending aspects of Asian supernatural mythology and traditions in the context of modern real-life scenarios.
“The Asian horror canon is so diverse, mature and well defined, so it’s a wonderful palette to start with,” says North.
She adds that they wanted to create something that would fit into that, but also, create an interesting counterpoint.
“I don’t think there’s an Asian horror miniseries that’s come out of Asia before,” she says of its originality. Tilse adds: “That’s exactly what attracted me to this project, to work on an original concept that’s still in the genre.”
One challenge for the production team was to produce a horror movie that conforms to regional restrictions, which included censorship issues. “Some might think it was difficult but when we know exactly where the rail guards were, we were able to explore and delve deeper into the creative environment to find solutions,” says North.
Tilse adds that they attacked the problem with different ideas, which led to interesting ways to tell the story in the best way possible. “And it was also a collaborative effort from everyone involved,” he says.
The production team stayed away from scenes that were too graphic or just plain gory. “We focused more on atmosphere and suggestion, which can be very scary when the imagination takes over, as well as on finding effective ways of building tension,” he says.
After viewing the set of trailers for Grace, some have likened the miniseries to a cross between Fatal Attraction and The Shining. And while it has taken some inspiration from family horror classics such as Poltergeist or Rosemary’s Baby, Tilse assures that Grace is not “a cheap copy of some American film.”
“What’s important to us is that these are stories and concepts that can only be made in Asia,” he adds. “All the best horror comes from this region anyway, which gets remade into really bad US films,” he says with a laugh.
Tilse explains that he’s been a fan of Asian horror and was excited to learn about the culture and sensibilities that are associated with the regional myths and superstitions. While working on an episode of Serangoon Road, which was set during the Hungry Ghost month, Tilse got the chance to research on its relevant customs and traditions. “That’s where I got the initial background and it was great to talk to people in the know.
“Part of the excitement of my job is to get access to worlds that I’d never get access to otherwise,” he says.
And world-building is what the production team aims to create effectively. “We try to tread the balance between these Asian traditional aspects in horror as well as in creating a mythology that’s totally original and fictional within the show that doesn’t offend any sensibilities,” says North.
Although Grace was filmed in Singapore using the soundstages of Infinite Studios as well as exterior locations around the Island Republic, the two note that the show is set in an unspecified Asian city. “We hope that when people see the show they’ll be buying into the world of Grace, which offers a familiar enough environment that’s also unfamiliar,” she says.
“The key elements are the hotel where the wedding was and the family apartment, and that can be anywhere in the world,” says Tilse of the show, which features dialogue in English and Mandarin.
MYSTERY AND APPEAL OF HORROR
Both Tilse and North agree that they want the viewers to figure things out for themselves without being spoon-fed. “We’ve taken a little twist with our story and the four episodes each has its own unique feel and style — each episode also deals with different characters,” says Tilse.
He adds that there’s a mystery element to the story with clues laid out throughout the series and repeated viewings will be quite an enriching experience. “There’ll be a very strong emotional conclusion at the end but it’s up to the viewer to interpret what happens along the way,” he says.
From a wedding, a newborn and a creepy confinement nanny to missing family members, the chilling truth and uneasy alliances as well as the mysterious Egress Hotel — which are all present in Grace — Tilse and North are certain that viewers will be in for an exciting and entertaining ride.
So what’s the unyielding appeal of the horror genre in Asia?
“Ultimately, people like to be scared and there’s a range of belief systems that people kind of buy into that feeds the fright factor,” says North. “Viewers are transported to another place and it’s also fun,” she adds.
North says that Grace will hopefully appeal to a diverse range of HBO viewers. “The show has several different components to it, and it will entertain people who like horror as well as those who don’t normally consider themselves as horror fans,” she adds.
“Horror’s tricky and a tough genre. Since it’s all about timing and effective scares, it was a challenge and a really good experience to delve into this genre for the first time,” says Tilse.
Grace also stars Shane Mardjuki, Lim Kay Tong, Lim Yu Beng, George Young, Nora Samosir, Yoson An, Jimmy Taenaka and Sunny Pang.
The miniseries showcases the cinematography of Derrick Loo (Blood Ties), with Ian Bailie (Atonement) as production designer and Steve Evans (Underbelly) as editor.
Costumes and stunts were created and coordinated by Singapore-based designer Lai Chan and Action Horizons respectively.
Produced by HBO Asia with the award-winning production company, Infocus Asia, Grace also received support from the Media Development Authority of Singapore.
Grace
The four-part hour-long horror miniseries, premieres tonight at 10pm on HBO/HBO HD (Astro Channel 411/431), with new episodes airing weekly, culminating in a two-part finale on Halloween (Oct 31).
Non-subscribers can watch the first episode of Grace for free via streaming on HBO Asia’s website (www.hboasia.com) and YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/HBOAsia) for two weeks from tomorrow.