Nang Nak

Nang nak had been made for many times in Thailand both for TV series and films. Therefore, most of them express the scary part of Nak but they don't mention anything about her deep true love to Mak. So I think this version is very touching and great. I love it. Though, there were many versions made but none of them gives good facts like this one. Two thumbs up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nang Nak is the first Thai film that has got Thai people back watching Thai films. It is Director Nonzee Nimibutr's second film.

Unfortunately foreigners will not understand the legend behind this film. It is a true story and the legend is very much alive in every Thai person's mind. The Temple (Wat MahaWoot) is still an active temple and even today people flock to the temple to get good luck (lucky numbers) for their lottery tickets.

The story has been told many times in film and also for television - but it still has a great impact on the Thai.

The film is well worth watching. The sound is excellent. There are a few problems with English sub titles but overall the Director did an excellent job. Small budget, good casting, excellent sound.

There is a lot more to this film than immediately meets the eye. Most Thai historicals or ghost stories are loaded with anachronistic pop culture cliches. This one wasn't; people spoke with their mouths filled with betel (maak), the lead actress didn't have lipstick, the houses were quite realistic, etc. In addition, the rural monks switched between high-level speech and country slang. The point is that this film is a serious attempt to do justice to both the original tale and the time period it is set in.

The empathy for Nak far surpassed the scariness. What stood out for me is that Nak's justification for her actions seemed quite defensible, adding to the anguished poignancy of the situation.

Asian ghost stories, when done well, have a strongly moral character. This is one of the finest examples I have seen.

Here we have something totally unique: an Asian ghost story! That's not unique at all, I hear you say? Well, it is if you bear in mind that "Nang Nak" comes from Thailand and hasn't got anything to do with the overrated and rather weak stream of Japanese horror movies, such as "Ringu", "Ju-On The Grudge" and "The Eye". The film is based on a perennial Thai legend that apparently everybody knows over there and finally received a reasonably well-budgeted and international-orientated film version now! The legend revolves on the happily married couple Mak (the man) and Nak (the wife) and is set in the second half of the 19th century. Mak is very reluctant to leave his pregnant wife to go and fight in the war, more particularly because she's expecting their first child. When he returns home, still recovering from the loss of his best friend in battle as well as a near-fatal chest wound, Mak finally hopes to find peace and quiet with his beloved family. But something changed here, too… Friends and neighbors keep telling that Nak died whilst giving birth and that Mak only lives together with the spirits of his wife and child. "Nang Nak" is one of those extremely rare films that successfully blend romance and genuine drama with horror! This film is as moving as it is frightening and, trust me, it's REALLY frightening at times! The story is pretty intense and heartbreaking, mostly thanks to powerful performances, yet the horror elements are definitely not ignored and multiple images are almost too grisly to process. For example: One minute, you observe the romance between two people and the next; you're watching eerie rats eating the corpse of a murdered woman! Near the end, the film becomes even more horrific, with exorcisms and burials all around, and STILL the story remains incredibly poignant. Not only the substance is amazing, mind you. "Nang Nak" might easily be the most stylish and beautifully photographed Asian film ever made! A giant amount of sequences, albeit unrelated to the basic story, are truly mesmerizing to behold and illustrate sunsets, animals, wildlife and agriculture. It's almost like watching an educational National Geographic documentary AND a great movie at the same time! Highly recommended!

As always, I never bothered to check any movies that would force me to READ - the subtitle that is any foreign language other than English. Nang Nak was introduced to me by my wife... It is because the publicity in the newspaper telling about how this movie has made an impact at one of the European countries movie awards - it's a horror movie but with strong love story message. (How scary, indeed!).

Infact for a moment (till the labouring scene)... I was still doing my work while my wife kept on yelling at me every five minutes to join her...

So, I was kind of surprised how good the movie was. Especially the scene when Mak took a refuge in the monastery and Nak followed him there. The most scary part is when she hung on the ceiling....

Me and my wife had a trouble for a moment to even try to glance at our own house ceiling!

Nang nak.... is GOOD! (I'll watch it from the beginning this sunday...) FROM : LELAKILAH