Coming to theaters in the summer, Ta Chu Ban (English title: Home for Rent) is not afraid to compete with a series of Hollywood blockbusters. The work attracts attention by exploiting mysterious heretical themes, stories of charms and superstitions in the land of golden pagodas.
According to ScreenDaily, the film led the Thai box office for 3 consecutive weeks, surpassing blockbusters such as The Super Mario Bros, John Wick: Chapter 4, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves,…
Mysterious cults in Thailand
The content of the forbidden spell revolves around the fate of a family of 3 members. Due to lack of money, Kwin (Sukollawat Kanarot) decides to rent out the house he is living in. He led his wife Ning (Nittha Jirayungyurn) and 7-year-old daughter to move to a cheap apartment to live.
The story revolves around the events of a family of 3 members.
Here, Ning saw her husband gradually change, constantly showing signs of confusion. Kwin often disappears at 4am. On his chest suddenly appeared a strange tattoo, reminding her of the symbol of a certain cult.
Out of curiosity, Ning silently followed her husband to find the answer. The character who does not know the truth behind is very scary, can threaten the life of her whole family.
The story is simple, following the familiar motif of the horror genre. The family tragedy and the gloomy house background are reminiscent of many famous films in the same series such as Insidious (2010), Annabelle: Creation (2017), Hereditary (2018)…
However, Thai filmmakers also know how to surprise, “steer” the story right at the beginning. Ning’s journey is built in the direction of a detective movie. The detective-like character collects clues, thereby uncovering the truth about her husband and the mysterious cult.
In charge of the work is Sophon Sakdaphisit – who has molded many famous horror films from the Golden Temple such as Shutter, Alone (screenwriter), Laddaland (director)… This time, he continues to take on the role of director, cum director. co-screenwriter.
The screenplay is curious as it is inspired by real events in Thailand. In fact, the land of golden pagodas is famous for many shocking cases, associated with odd cults, often committing crimes.
Many images in the film easily make viewers chill.
In 2022, Thai media simultaneously reported on a sect that specializes in using feces and urine to treat diseases. The leader, a 75-year-old man, was arrested when police discovered 11 bodies in the house, believed to be those of believers.
In April, Thailand also arrested a Taiwanese group, specializing in preparing medicines, but the origin is unclear. The leader of this group claims to be a god, able to communicate with people in the “upper realm”.
Before that, a series of other sects associated with crimes such as murder, fraud, etc. were also exposed in turn, causing a stir in public opinion. This shows that the evil spell forbids choosing the right topic, and the crew hit the audience’s psychology.
Asian horror “spice”
In the past, Asian horror films have always held a special place in the hearts of movie geeks, with many impressive works from Korea, Japan, Taiwan (China) and especially Thailand. The filmmakers of the Golden Temple country always know how to insert an Asian identity into their work, from how to build the scene to set up a spooky atmosphere.
Similarly, the evil spell forbids not to abuse scenes of gore and violence to cause fear. On the contrary, the work integrates many spiritual elements, “stretching” the viewer with very small details. From dolls with monstrous shapes, ghosts floating in the mirror to soul books, all exude mystery and horror.
The director deliberately chose dark tones, making the work exude a gloomy, cold feeling. He also constantly changes the camera angle, combining sound and noise appropriately, helping to increase the suspense for viewers.
The film exploits psychological factors more than gore and horror scenes.
Besides the content, acting is also a plus point, making the film more attractive. The work gathers powerful faces such as Nittha Jirayungyurn, Sukollawat Kanaros, Penpak Sirikul… Each actor is dedicated to the role, contributing to the attraction of the story.
However, The Forbidden Talisman still has some limitations that reduce the quality of the film. For example, the characters have not been well exploited. They have unclear personality and psychological development, sometimes confusing.
Towards the end, the work loses its appeal. The long duration, more than 120 minutes, is also somewhat difficult for viewers.
Released nearly 2 months later than Thailand, but the forbidden evil is still warmly received by the Vietnamese audience. According to Box Office Vietnam (an independent box office observer), the film reached more than 10 billion dong after only 3 days of release, topping the daily revenue chart, beating many films such as Land of the Elements, blockbusters. Transformers 7, The Flash, …
Overall, the forbidden evil spell is still an attractive work from Thai cinema. This is really a reasonable choice for those who love horror movies.
