Horror films from Thailand have really found their way into our cinemas. I have taken note of them since I was scared by Thai horror classics like "The Eye" and "Shutter," which really have memorably innovative scare techniques. More recently, "Pee Mak" found a lot of fans with its charismatic cast and hilarious version of an old Thai ghost story. This latest one "Long Weekend," is not as good as these first three films, however it is better than clunkers like "Second Sight" shown in theaters just last week.
"Long Weekend" is about a group of teenagers who decide to take an overnight thrill-seeking adventure at a remote island notorious for a bloody "Devouring Ghost" feast celebration mishap on a Friday the 13th years back which resulted in many deaths. When the boys play a cruel prank on a classmate who came along uninvited, sinister events begin to unravel, turning what was supposed to be a weekend of fun into a weekend of death.
It starts with an episode from the childhood of central characters which establish their relationship, the odd Thongsook (a special boy who can see ghosts) and the curious Nam (the pretty girl he loved). I liked how the director Taweewat Wantha would transition scenes from past to present. These shifts would prove important in the course of the film. The actor and actress who played Thongsook and Nam have a nice chemistry going for them.
When they reach the island, there is not really too much that is new about this horror film. You have probably seen one familiar scary bit from one previous horror film or the other all spliced into this one. You want ghosts, they got it. You want gore, they got it. It also has this juvenile sense of humor that keeps everything light without being absurdly slapstick. This is reminiscent of various local or Western smorgasbord teen horror film where we enjoy watching a cast of young good-looking young actors embark on a trip which would scare them out of their wits. 5/10.
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