Mannequin Wedding

I have watched this movie with no expectations, but it is more than having it. It is very good, the storytelling, the screenplay, the plot, the character development. The directing is the best as I can say. As I researched this movie, it was based on a real accident that happened in Cambodia in late 2021. What I'm so freaked out about is, that this is a real haunting event with real people and an actual location. For real, I never heard of or got a chance to see a Cambodian movie, but this movie is so good more than I can say. Would like to see this in the cinema for the second time. Might be the best Khmer film lately. Congratulations to this movie, because I had heard that this hit the top of the box office in Cambodia on the first day.

This movie is an ambitious attempt to blend multiple genres, combining elements of horror, documentary, slasher, and tragedy. While this mix is intriguing, it sometimes feels like the film lacks a clear sense of direction. Instead of following a conventional storytelling structure, it jumps between different styles, which can be either refreshing or disorienting, depending on the viewer's perspective. However, one thing is certain-the movie breaks away from the typical Khmer horror formula.

For years, many Khmer horror films have relied heavily on predictable jump scares, exaggerated ghostly makeup, and recycled folklore. While these elements can be effective in certain contexts, they have become overused to the point of feeling cliché. This film, however, takes a different approach. Rather than relying solely on cheap thrills, it builds tension through atmosphere, storytelling, and psychological horror. The fear in this movie does not come just from sudden loud noises but from a lingering sense of unease that stays with the audience long after the credits roll.

One of the film's strongest aspects is its acting. The performances feel raw and authentic, bringing an emotional depth that is often missing in standard horror films. The antagonist, in particular, delivers a standout performance. She doesn't just act-she fully embodies her character, making her presence chilling yet captivating. Every movement, every expression, and every word she utters feels deliberate and powerful. Her performance alone elevates the film to another level, making it a must-watch for those who appreciate strong character work.

In addition to the acting, the film's cinematography deserves praise. The camera work adds to the unsettling atmosphere, using clever angles and lighting to enhance the sense of dread. There are moments where the film adopts a documentary-style approach, making the horror feel even more real, as if we are watching events unfold in real life rather than a scripted narrative. This technique effectively draws viewers into the story, making them feel like they are part of the terrifying experience.

Despite these strengths, the film is not without its flaws. The blending of different genres, while ambitious, sometimes leads to an inconsistent tone. At times, it feels like the movie is unsure of what it wants to be-a horror film, a psychological thriller, or a tragic drama. This lack of focus may be frustrating for viewers who prefer a more straightforward narrative. Additionally, certain scenes feel overly drawn out, which slows down the pacing and lessens the impact of the horror elements.

However, these issues do not take away from the film's overall impact. What makes this movie stand out is its willingness to take risks and push beyond the boundaries of conventional horror. It challenges the audience to think beyond just scares and instead engage with the deeper themes woven into the story. There is a tragic undercurrent to the film that adds emotional weight, making it more than just a series of frightening moments.

It's such a wonderful film and worth every penny of my money and time to watch it. I can't believe that they come up with this great movie in a short period of time to produce it. I didn't expect that it turned out to be good like this.

I watched this movie yesterday and I really surprised by the characters performance they give me an emotional and scare at the same time ,especially the women that toke a role as Pi Sey (the ghost) her performance is on top i love it so much.

Another character that I loved is Somnang's mother she's so real with the crying part and it makes me feel emotional and goosebumps .I almost cry along with her acting skill in the cinema .

I can clearly say that this film is ones of the best Asian film at least in 2025 and I hope it will win any awards in the future.

I love how the director hates the cuts, so he just uses pan shots instead, and a professional camera angles to tell stories, example like the low angle shot tells the character is powerful and the high angle shows the character is powerless (like Nun and Pisey scene). Ya can feel the moment, it simply because the director knows what's up.

Great choice of choosing camera moment, such as camera rolling, and each pan shots idk what else I forgot. However, I also love the director's vision, his vision is to show the audience of true storytelling from the third person, so we can't actually see the spirit plus it's a documentary film so he tries to make it as realistic as possible. Ya not gonna believe this if I say he's a best director in Cambodia, if ya don't believe just go check his filmography! I just noticed it too. Absolute peak storytelling.

True stories also need writers, not every story can be easily adapted. Unlike some true story films out there, this one is well written. The writer did a good job on turning the actual event into a film without make it feels boring, overused speech, and look like unrealistic (feel make up). The combination between the concept story with true story is strong enough to make the audience hooked by your narrative. Ya know it's based on real story is true but the plot is already planned. If you keep it 100% original then it's not a film.

Who can't act in this film? The mother absolutely puts her soul into this work, she's literally made me think she was the real mom. This is how you make the audience remember and fall deeply into the emotional depth.

The actors are crying with the connection of the story behind it, that tell audience enough why the character cry, is it worth crying?, should they cry? Is it necessary? Maybe there are a lot of crying scenes, but each crying scenes have a clear reason, not just telling the actor to cry 30 min straight in the film, and want the weak emotional audience cry, lol.

I'm not just talking about the mother, but the girls, Nun and the others too, they really take the performance another level. Especially Pisey, she really traumatized the audience until now, see the power of real acting?

We don't see no ghost here, don't be afraid, it's all just human and human. But I'm not sure if this human(possessed) is any less scaring than any ghosts. You got yourself thrilled from a character just opening the door already.

There were also something that distracted me. Like first of all, the Dub. I don't know why they don't use the actual voice for the character Somnang, but this wasn't good to be Duby, It sounds so unnatural. Another thing is just a little funny to me, it's the soundtrack. First heard of it, I thought it was Plants vs Zombie music. It just didn't match the mood and tone of the story, they better try something fits.

Someone out there said, the Preay is still there and ya can see in the movie, she's not finished yet she's just sort of vanished from the victim family.

Massive 7/10.

The slow burn documentary khmer film! This is gonna be the best khmer movie ever, at least in this 2025 i guess, there's no ghost here but it's actually scary asf, how ever it's also focus on the emotional depth, really touching.

It's a base on true story film, the director really has a good perspective to lead the entire film while the writer did a great job with screenwriting, mostly it's thrilled me so bad that i try to tell myself that there's no ghost here but can't stop myself from being scared, the whole crowd was screaming with the acting, the actor got into the film so hard that it looked like it was not acting at all.

Here again, the director knows what's he's doing, every shots every scene give us the horror vibes even though it's a slow burn but we all never get bored or skip a scene of it, great job the director and the writer for bringing this story to show the world.