Khon len khong

This is the Thai answer to all those black magic horror films made in Hong Kong during the 1970s and '80s. The plot is virtually the same, involving a jilted lover and her efforts to punish the man who abandoned her by resorting to black magic (the same plot was used in 1981's BEWITCHED). However, while those films have gone down as gruesome classics of horror cinema, ART OF THE DEVIL is a somewhat lacklustre retelling of the same story.

The problems lie in the technical details. This is a poorly edited film and the director doesn't seem to want to make the events that play out very clear. It's also overlong, with the second half of the movie introducing an unbelievable plot twist as the villainess goes after more innocent folk – this time her lover's ex-wife! It's little more than an excuse for more gruesome deaths but the novelty quickly wears off.

The cast isn't particularly good for a film of this calibre. There's plenty of overacting – especially from the villainess - and little subtlety, aside from the actor playing the investigative reporter. There ARE some good gruesome bits, one involving the old joke with a victim having an evil presence under his skin, and his efforts to cut it out. Of course there are also moments of bad taste, as is the norm for this genre of production. A guy vomits up eels in one unpleasant scene while the nastiest bit involves the rotting corpse of a baby being used in a ritual. Such moments come few and far between however, and this is a case of style over substance. In the end it's a disappointment, feeling like a half-hearted attempt to emulate the classics of old.

In ART OF THE DEVIL, a woman uses black magic to destroy her ex-lover and his family, after he abuses and humiliates her.

This is an underrated, supernatural revenge film from Thailand. It uses religion, superstition, and human frailty to tell its story of betrayal and a family curse. Some of the death sequences are unforgettable, like the vomiting of razor blades, and a hospital room floor covered in blood and eels! Very effective, but not for the fainthearted!...

Despite certain other "reviews", this movie is NOT Taiwanese, it is Thai, Thailand and Taiwan are a long way apart, certainly in distance if not in culture.

If you expect to see any Thai movies that are based on Western precepts, then you will be decidedly disappointed.

Belief in ghosts, black magic is normal in Thailand, ridiculous scenarios (to us Westerners) seem perfectly logical to Thais.

It is a movie with its faults like many movies, it is not by any means perfect.

But these sort of movies should be viewed with a bit of a different perspective to the multi million Spielberg Hollywood trash, generally, most Thai movies seem to be either slapstick ranting and screaming, whereas once in a while you will find a more reasonable stance, at least you can watch this without cringing.

If you watch these movies, you really need to expect to have all logic turned on its head regarding what you are generally used to.

Not my cup of tea, but better than so many from here.

I liked this movie. It is not as good as Art of the Devil 2 in my opinion, but, actually, the two movies don't have much to do with one another anyway. The acting was really good in this one although some of the voiceover choices in English are not effective.

The story has been done before. It is a standard movie of greed and revenge. This movie does this story well and the practical effects are really good. I liked how the director made use of angles and cut-aways to use the gore effects more effectively.

I recommend this one.

This film trilogy now known as "The Art of devil "is really like in Mexico, the first film in countries Latin America and Mexico this film is known as "The Fingers Twists of the Devil, "the second movie as" The Art of the Devil "and I must say that is my favorite! Then I read "The Art of the Devil 2" As you heard the first: 'The crooked finger of the devil " has nothing to do with the second "Art of the Devil" and the last 2: "The Art of the Devil" and "The Art of the Devil 2" if the second supplement is the first sequel for all those who have not seen the movies that invite you to visit the following Spanish page: http://joanamolko.spaces.live.com in the movies section