23:59

This Singaporean horror has a concept and simply doesn't make best use of it. The movie starts strong but quickly stumbles into mediocrity.

It tells a story set on a military base about a group of young recruits and the supernatural events that transpire on and around the base.

It looks fantastic, considerably better than I would have expected and the writing is well above par as well. Sadly though it manages to be creepy in places the story is a bit of an incoherent mess and by around the half way mark it quickly becomes apparent that it isn't going anywhere good.

The ideas behind it though solid were clearly in the wrong peoples hands and instead of potential being met we have this messy little feature.

Watchable but ultimately fails on most fronts.

The Good:

Couple of nice ideas

Production values

The Bad:

Plot falls apart badly

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

It's not just Japan that likes their muddled inconclusive plots

To the Western audience this may seem strange or slow or lacking in the frights. It certainly isn't big budget at all. However the basic storyline is good. I think it suffers a bit in translation culturally but on the whole it is a really good effort for a very low budget. The concept was superb and if more money had v-been utilised I think it would have improved the outcome. I don't mean doing the big Hollywood thing either as that gets done to the point where many films are just ridiculous.

The overall look of the film is good, actors are consistent and both sound and photography are better than films with such a small budget usually are. Pace and timing are its main failings but I think the local audiences were probably willing to overlook that.

To understand this show, you have to be a local and must have serve NS to know the plot driving it.

This basically deals with the things that all NS men are told or share around the bunk like in the starting scene. Tales and folklores whispered and shared about what they have been told or have overheard etc.

For myself, the suspense build up is good as I can relate to it partially but the final third bit is a bit of a let down when most of the plot is revealed. I feel it would have been better if it was kept in suspense and with glimpses instead of the director/producer trying to tie everything up.

Other reviewers have commented that there are some loose ends. For me, the most obvious is that how the heck did the Sgt and recruits manage to locate the shack.

But in the end, this movie is definitely worth a watch if nothing more then to reminisce about them good old army days!

Has a nice creepy factor to start with but quickly goes downhill. The middle and end of the movie you have trouble realizing what is happening or what is even the plot at all. Editing and pacing is definitely off after 15 minutes, almost like they ran out of budget and had to get to the finish line. Several of the main actors seemed like cardboard caricatures.