Dorm (2006): This is a Thai horror flick. And yes, there are subtitles. Deal with it. I knew absolutely nothing about this movie going in except that it's from Thailand, and that was enough to know it wouldn't suck. I was right.
Ton is a 12 year-old boy who's being sent to a remote boarding school for reasons that aren't terribly clear or important. All you need to know is that Ton is not at all happy about it and blames his father. His first night there, a group of boys include him in a telling of ghost stories. Supposedly, a boy drowned in the outdoor swimming pool a number of years ago, the daughter of a cook hanged herself, and the spirit of a custodian prowls the halls. Oh, and the boys tell Ton to never go to the bathroom in the middle of the night if the dogs bark in unison. Of course Ton has to have a whiz a while later, and halfway to the bathroom, the dogs start in. He runs back to his bed and winds up wetting it. Everyone points and laughs in the morning, and Ton is about as low as he can be. Shortly thereafter, Vichien, a boy who's been at the school a while and knows the ropes, befriends Ton. All seems well until Ton makes a frightening discovery.
Now, this is where the film takes a serious left turn away from horror and into...something else. Surprisingly enough, this is not a bad thing. I'd love to explain further, but I really don't want to take away from your experience.
Breakdown
Acting: Quite good considering most of the players are teenagers or younger.
Story: A neat twist on the traditional haunted house cliche.
Direction: Deftly handled when the movie fancies itself horror as well as when it goes into PG territory.
Gore: None. You won't care.
Production Values: Very high. I have yet to see a film from Thailand that didn't look every bit as well produced as those that Hollywood vomits out.
Ending: it could have gone a few different ways but I liked what they went with.
The Verdict: Should you see it? Yes. No doubt about it.
My Rating: 4 out of 5
No comments:
Post a Comment