Review | Krasue: Inhuman Kiss film review – Thai horror romance merges folklore with adolescent love triangle
- There are not many laughs in this earnest feature, which occasionally works against it, but it’s an ambitious effort from director Sitisiri Mongkolsiri
- By the time flying man-sized bat creatures and shotgun-wielding monks appear though, less-committed viewers may have lost interest
3/5 stars
Like the lank-haired spirit of Hideo Nakata’s J-horror classic Ring, “krasue” are similarly malevolent female demons, prolific throughout southeast Asian folklore. Manifesting as a floating head that trails its internal organs behind it, krasue are believed to be the restless souls of wronged women. They roam the countryside feeding on babies and livestock, as they search for vengeance and closure.
Sitisiri Mongkolsiri’s Krasue: Inhuman Kiss positions one such demon at the centre of an adolescent love triangle in 1940s rural Thailand. Sai (Phantira Pipityakorn) is the young nurse and unwitting host to a ghoul that is wreaking havoc in her village. She is also fending off the good-natured but incessant romantic advances of the sweet yet simple Jerd (Sapol Assawamunkong).
Sai is holding out for the return of their childhood friend, Noi (Oabnithi Wiwattanawarang), who has been studying medicine in Bangkok. But when he does reappear, Noi brings with him a band of rebels, who vow to kill the murderous krasue at any cost.
Banjong Pisanthanakun’s 2013 blockbuster Pee Mak was a similar blend of romance and horror, which injected a playful comedic element to lighten the mood. Krasue: Inhuman Kiss features precious little to laugh about, and its measured, earnest tone can occasionally work against it.
Considering how far Sitisiri and his co-writer Chookiat Sakveerakul take their film – as both a love story and a ghost story – the first half really needs to pick up the pace. Things certainly get crazy in the final act, but less committed viewers may have lost interest by the time flying man-sized bat creatures and shotgun-wielding monks make their entrance.
While its subject matter is firmly rooted in traditional Thai mythology, the film does play with the rules, introducing new elements – such as a possible floral antidote – that keep the story fresh and interesting.
Sitisiri has clearly been influenced by western horror films as much as those at home, with such diverse works as The Exorcist, The Thing, and recent Swedish vampire hit Let the Right One In making their presence felt.
The pay-off is the welcome acknowledgement that cinema, and horror cinema in particular, and what scares audiences in one part of the world is just as likely to unsettle viewers elsewhere too. Inevitably, in its efforts to be so many things at once, Krasue: Inhuman Kiss falls a little short, but the filmmakers’ ambition cannot be denied.
