303 Fear Faith Revenge

A strange, but beautifully photographed psychotronic visit to an all-handsome-boys' school, this film gets farther out and more energetically edited as it progresses. The Roman Catholic setting seems so out of place that it would have been a marvelous surrealistic touch had we gotten just a glimpse of real Thailand for just a bit of contrast.

Nothing too sharp in the script department, 303FFR never the less features some excellent cinematography, and makes a reasonable effort to maintain the scary atmosphere. The young cast are all attractive and likeable, and the killings suitably gory. Not a deep or challenging movie, but a good looking one that will probably satisfy fans of the genre.

An unusual slasher flick, in that it's actually pretty good, and it was not made in the US.

A group of boys at a Catholic school in Thailand become obsessed with a student who committed suicide 8 years before. As they begin to investigate his death, going so far as to contact his spirit with a ouija board, someone begins murdering students on the campus. The deaths are fairly typical slasher fare (pushed out of a window, electrocuted in the shower, axe to the back), but the direction is stylish, and the acting is decent. Worth seeing if you can find it.

I first watched 303 at the theater, so I guess it's been 10 years since. Wow. Anyway, it was a good revisit as the movie still holds up.

303 isn't a scary horror movie. Instead, it's filmed well, with a retro haze, and a great wistful yet ominous ambiance is created. The story, while not altogether cohesive, is at least interesting and original. The young and fresh actors are a mix of good and okay, but at least none are exceedingly bad. The only one to go on to fame is a young Ananda Everingham.

More importantly, I liked 303 for its unintentional (I think) homoeroticism, which is much better than sleazy intentional homoeroticism (see Voodoo Academy). It's set in a high school, and features all sorts of cute guys, from twinks, to lean fit, to beefy muscular. There are even not one but two shower scenes! If only this movie were scary too, then it would've been perfect.

Despite its rather silly title, "303 Fear Faith Revenge" is a very entertaining Asian Teen-Slashermovie that gets pretty gory towards the end. What separates the movie from most other entries into the genre is its homoeroticism. When the boys arrive, you see them sharing nostalgic glances. Later, you get the feeling that the director loves shooting the boys taking a shower. And as if that wasn't enough, he shows them doing little towel-fights in the locker room. Slow motion, romantic lighting - and a voice over talks about friendship. What is this? Asian Bel Ami? Well, not quite. It's harmless & innocent, but adds a special flavor. The only girl in the movie almost seems out of place in this setting.

Horror-wise, it's nothing extraordinary. Some nice deaths and supernatural elements (mostly towards the end) and not too many holes in the plot - which is actually quite surprising for an Asian horror movie ...

Rating 7/10