Pee Mak Phrakanong

Pee mak Phrakanong was a movie that was surprisely good. The Director managed to have a nice mix of Comedy, Romance and Horror. It wasn't too much of anything.

I think you have to get adapted to the Thai humor. It is completely different compared western comedies, but I must admit that I can appreciate the Thai humor more than nowadays.

The movie didn't have way too much romance and the horror part was good. It wasn't the best horror or romance movie you'll probably have watched, but this three genre's are making it into a great movie. One of the better ones for me in 2013.

We were not disappointed. We laughed until our stomachs ached. Banjong Pisanthanakun (Shutter, Alone, 4bia, Phobia 2) is a freaking genius!  This time he used the over-used Nang Nak legend and craft out a comedy-horror fest. Yup, it's comedy first followed by horror.

If you are a fan of the best part of 4bia and Phobia 2, you will find yourself in the familiar company of the four irrelevant dudes. I thought we would be jaded since we are fans of the mentioned anthologies but we were laughing like nuts at all the ingenious situational comedy.  There are also quite a number of pop-culture references like Ang Lee, David Blaine, 300, Last Samurai thrown out at us with gusto.

It did get a bit repetitive in the middle act but the final climatic act in the monastery saved it. Pisanthanakun even brought on the indispensable melodrama then and it managed to surprise me with a nice twist on the legend I know quite well. Pisanthanakun could also balance the movie very well - shifting from comedy to horror in a heartbeat. But he had great help from the 4 actors whose comic timing is just impeccable.

I think the only other Thai movie I have seen before was the thrilling and haunting horror film "Shutter" (2004). After I watched "Pee Mak," I discovered that these two films were actually directed by the same man, Banjong Pisanthanakun. "Shutter" was his directorial debut, "Pee Mak" is his latest and biggest hit.

Mak came home from the battlefield with his four soldier friends, namely Puak (with the winged victory hairstyle), Ter (with the glasses), Shin (with the bun) and Aey (with the mustache). They were met by his beautiful wife Nak with their newborn baby boy. However, it did not take long for his four friends to notice something strange about Nak. This leads to a merry comedy of errors and terrors, Thai style.

Being in a foreign language and in set in the past, I am sure a lot of the nuances are lost in translation. However visual horror and slapstick comedy is universal. While "Pee Mak" is also a horror film, the more commercial and memorable aspect of this film is actually more of its comedy. The horror takes a back seat to the comedy here.

You just simple have to watch those hilarious sequences of the silly gang at the dinner table, playing charades, in the haunted house of the amusement park, the boat on the river and in the Buddhist temple with the monk! These scenes were laugh-out-loud funny beyond words!

A deglamorized Thai/German actor/model Mario Maurer(as Mak)and the four actors playing his friends indeed have great comic chemistry and timing together. They were such a delight playing cartoonish nincompoops and stupid idiots as they were terrorized by the ghostly presence around them.

Thai/Belgian actress/model Daveeka Hoorne also has her dramatic moments as Nak, as her character was mainly the straight man of this farce. I am sure she had a difficult time keeping a straight face in front of all that livid foolishness around her.

I am sure Filipino film fans will have a good time watching "Pee Mak". The inane comedy/horror genre is also very popular here. I am sure we can even think up of specific local comedians who can play these crazy roles. What "Pee Mak" adds is the Thai cultural setting that gives it that unique exotic and mystic feel that should not be missed. 7/10.

This is another movie that you will best enjoy if you know less of it. The more you know of the details and events in the movie, the less you will enjoy. So don't read reviews of those who gave the full story away. The comedy appears too rowdy or overdone to me, but most audience will like it. The horror part is well done too but I find the romance part the best, very touching. So it's like watching 3 nice movies of different genre for the price of one. I enjoyed those twists as the film goes along. Very intelligently done. The male lead, probably the best-looking actor today put away his good look and proved that he can act well. Don't miss the end credit parts where they show in a small screen. There are many scenes there that continues after the movie end. They may use it as a sequel since the movie was so successful in Thailand and most neighbouring countries. Don't miss it. I give it 9 because I watch the movie without knowing much.

This was a really cute, somewhat romantic, comedy horror. The story was solid and that is a big thing for me. I liked all the actors and felt they played their parts well. It had little special effects but what were used were ok. My biggest complaints were that I had to read the subtitles, which diverts my eyes from the screen, and I had a hard time getting past their teeth. I guess that is a bit petty but it just bothered me. Having said what I did about the subtitles, let me add that this is the type of movie that makes watching foreign films worth the effort. I'll recommend this to my friends. Hope others will give it a chance. It is worth the watch. (Loved the credits!!)