Sang krasue

I am IMPRESSED!

This movie checked all the boxes.

Good story line, Emotional, And the characters were well made.

Even the ones who aren't likeable, I still felt interested in knowing them.

The pacing was good too, I had no idea where it was headed but was impressed throughout.

Living in a remote Thai village, a woman who fears she may actually be the vicious creature responsible for the deadly attacks on local animals tries to hide her cursed condition from her friends who have taken up the hunt to stop it, eventually putting them both in dangerous situations.

There was quite a lot to like within the film. Part of the positives here comes from the decision to focus on a wholly undervalued aspect of the creatures' legend by incorporating the cursed lineage origin story for the creature rather than the black magic route. That so few are aware that the true nature of the creature can be spread in that manner makes the storyline feel fresh and unique, especially with the build-up here to get the revelation about her real history. This is told in vivid dreams and flashbacks that contain the agony of being such a fearsome creature yet powerless to do anything about it as she slowly comes to be aware of her situation. That all makes the ensuing love triangle between her and the two guys feel impactful as the reassuring nature they provide rekindling the romance helps to ease her mind and forget the situation as they both truly care for her best interests once the secret is finally revealed. The romantic angle that emerges from that storyline setup is heartfelt and emotional, adding plenty of deep resonance to the horror that arises later on. On top of that, the film works incredibly well with the suspenseful stalking out in the local forest. From the opening game of hide-and-seek inside the abandoned building in the middle of the forest to the Krasue hunts the villagers partake in that are illuminated only by torches, the atmosphere is incredibly impressive and chilling and providing the early reasoning for the paranoia behind the villagers' increasingly desperate need to find the creature responsible when added alongside the mounting animal corpses. The actual attack scenes themselves, with the actual separation of the head from the body being shown and following the floating head flying through the village and surrounding jungle with the red eyes glowing brightly against the darkened backdrop are especially eerie and chilling. As well, the encounter with the villagers looking to find the creature in the little girl showcases the fine mix of practical and CGI effects for the creature and adds more to like about this one. The biggest determining factor in the film will undoubtedly be the central romance. The idea of being able to love such a hideous, bloodsucking creature capable of dealing out the violence and terror on the villagers comes through rather strongly here, what with him shown feeding it dead birds and animals to keep her from attacking others or standing by each other's side despite the accusations from the other villagers to put her to death. Taking the finale into account as well, with the decision to stand up to the monstrous creature before him despite still being a simple human and then going away together to save each other from the villagers adds even more to the romantic sideplot throughout the film. Even looking at the race to cure her with the local medicine adds to the emotional impact of their relationship, bringing about an issue that might not be welcome for some who prefer more of a horror-based storyline. The sappiness from these scenes might turn viewers off as well as be seen as the reason why the film's as long as it is, especially with the constant slow-motion that drags these out to supposedly hammer home the weight behind the action. However, that is the only true flaw to be had with the film.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence and Language.

Good story, and lead actress is worthy of the role. Best thing about the film to me was the score. I found myself noticing the music over and over again. I don't know who's responsible, but the score deserves some accolades in my opinion.

The Good: Twilight meets Thai folkore, except much better. I am endlessly fascinated by foreign folklore and horror films, so maybe I'm biased, but I was taken from the start. If a film where a village is terrorized by a floating, disembodied head doesn't seem at least interesting to you, I don't know what to say. Just learning about the Krasue and the other ghoulies that emerge in this film was enough to warrant a high score for me.

But, the movie intersects this with a genuinely compelling love story, fantastic set pieces, eerie visuals and a fantastic final scene.

The relationship dynamic between Sai, Noi and Jerd is the emotional heart of the film and is genuinely heart breaking by the incredible climax. This is a depressing movie, a tragic romance that we just don't see anymore in a lot of horror films. From my brief overview of Thai horror, romance/love and horror seem to intersect A LOT, and I dig it.

The Bad: That being said, there are two big issues with this movie. One is that it's a tad too long; 2 hrs is a bit much for any horror movie and this film did not need that length for what is a pretty straightforward story. It drags quite a bit in the middle. The other thing is the melodrama; I appreciate that there are cultural differences (I've seen enough East/Southeast Asian films to notice this), but it veers into soap opera drama a bit. The ending, while fantastic, does a Return of the King style drag out that was wholly unnecessary.

The Ugly: There are variations of the Krasue in basically EVERY Southeast Asian country, except Myanmar and East Timor. That reach is pretty insane if you consider how different these countries are from each other.

I went into this movie completely without expectations - I hadn't even heard of it until I saw it on Netflix and thought "what the heck, I'll give it a spin." I don't use this word to describe horror movies much, but what a beautiful horror movie! I don't mind saying I teared up at the end. Bittersweet and wonderfully made.

It's a Thai movie, using the krasue from Thai mythology. It's essentially a woman whose head comes off at night to hunt, dragging her entrails behind. Now if that doesn't sound "beautiful", believe me, this movie will have you firmly hoping against hope for the strange, almost ethereal krasue.

I loved everything about this movie, from the haunting soundtrack to the great cinematography to our poor monstrous heroine.

Slow-burning but patient audiences will find it really pays off.