When I sat down to watch the 2019 Thai horror movie, I didn't actually know what I was in for here. I assumed it to be an ordinary horror movie, so when it turned out to be an anthology, it was a little bit disappointing.
And as it usually goes with anthologies, the stories were of very varied degrees of enjoyment and entertainment. Such is the thing with anthologies, I suppose.
As the anthology started, I was presented with the title looking like anything as far from horror as it could be. I mean, the title of the movie was presented on the screen like something straight out of an 1980s movie, or something from a Commodore 64 demo back in the day. Yeah, the presentation of the movie's title on the screen just didn't scream horror. Off to not such a great start.
The first story is titled "Happy New Year" and it was actually the most enjoyable of the three segments. Now, hold your horses here. I am not saying that this segment was great, no, no, no. Not at all, it was watchable, yes, but it was the best of the three segments. It wasn't particularly scary, but it was the one that had the best build-up and flow to it.
The second segment was titled "The 5th Cinema". And I will say that this segment was actually the most atmospheric of all three segments. However, the storyline was just downright laughable, and that ruined the overall enjoyment of this particular segment.
And the third and final segment was titled "Haunted House". And yeah, it definitely also had some atmospheric thing working for it, but again, the storyline was just not cutting it. It was bland and mediocre, but at least it wasn't as far out there as the second segment.
Usually anthologies have a narrative that ties the various segments together. But not "Bangkok Dark Tales". No Sir. This was just straight up three very different stories with no connection to one another presented one after another, with nothing to tie them together.
All in all, this was not an overly enjoyable anthology, nor a particular memorable one. I doubt that I will even recall it come next month. And while I did manage to sit through it all, this anthology is not one that I will ever return to watch a second time.
If you enjoy Thai horror, then do yourself a favor and skip this one, because it just simply didn't bring the goods where it mattered. There are far better and more enjoyable Thai horror movies out there. I sat down to watch this, expecting it to be horror, but trust me, there was nothing scary about this anthology.
My rating of "Bangkok Dark Tales" land on a very bland and mediocre five out of ten stars. And when the movie ended, the end credits were played with Thai rap. Yeah, Thai rap! Seriously? Does it get any more anti-horror than rap? No. No just. This was not a great movie experience.
Plot summary
If you think "Bangkok" is a great city, I beg you to think twice - Prepare yourself to "Bangkok Dark Tales" the film that made from 3 situations 3 horror stories and 3 creepy places in Bangkok that you will never forget. The first story is about "Gam" a businesswoman who has to work overnight on the new years eve and she has to sit next to her workmate table that he dies a few weeks ago. The experience that Gam have to face that night, it changes her life forever. The second story is about Bee, Net Idol wannabe, and Ann, a woman who never believe in ghost. Both of them come to Bangkok for the 1st time. They were renting a creepy house that use to be a brutal murder family place. Who gonna survive that night, let find out. And the last story is about the cinema theater that allow the only ghost come to see the movie but suddenly one couple accidentally gets into that cinema. Can they both get out of that cinema? because it closes permanently and opens for ghost only. "Bangkok Dark Tales" inspired by true events that have been shocked by Thai people. Directed by 3 directors, Anusorn Soisa-ngim, Alwa Rattanasit and Thanvimol Aonpapliw. It will hit in Thai Cinema on May 23rd, 2019.
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