Phobia

4Bia, actually title PHOBIA, is a pretty predictable Asian horror anthology, I was mildly entertained but there were no surprises here; those well-versed in Asian horror will see most of the "shocking twists" coming from a mile away. Now that doesn't necessarily mean the film is bad, it just means Thailand has the same problem we do…played-out predictability sells well in theaters. If this were to have been released in the U.S., it would have ended up going straight-to-DVD. This isn't a bad flick, I actually enjoyed "Tit for Tat" and it's stylish CG and the goofy horror comedy of "In The Middle" but nothing really jumped out at me as original or different. It's all pretty average, a "been there, done this" experience indeed.

Anthology of four horror stories. Most are only ok. The first one is about a lone girl in her apartment. She's been stuck there for three months while her broken leg heals. She starts getting texts from some guy who wants to come up to her apartment but she doesn't even know him. Plus she's all alone. The second is about the kid who gets bullied to death. The third is the story of the friends who go camping and river-rafting until they lose one of the boys to the river. The last is the story of a stewardess on a plane with one passenger, a princess. They none of them are all that; mostly these are mildly entertaining stories.

Through four unsettling tales, Phobia (also known as 4bia) turns everyday situations into nerve-wracking nightmares, proving that fear can strike from any direction.

This Thai horror anthology presents four short films, each with its own distinct style and theme. Loneliness tells of a young woman whose text-message romance leads to terror; Deadly Charm explores bullying and supernatural revenge; The Man in the Middle blends horror with comedy as friends face an eerie twist while rafting; and Flight 244 closes with a tale of karmic justice aboard an airplane.

The anthology format is both its strength and its limitation. It allows for stylistic variety-ranging from psychological dread to supernatural shocks-while maintaining a brisk pace. The directors bring unique tones to their stories, with Loneliness excelling in atmosphere and suspense, while The Man in the Middle offers a rare balance of humor and horror. Some segments, however, rely too heavily on familiar tropes, making them predictable for seasoned horror fans.

Performances are solid across the board, and the production design ensures each segment feels distinct yet cohesive within the anthology. The film's most significant achievement lies in its ability to evoke multiple shades of fear-emotional, psychological, and visceral-within a compact runtime.

Rating: 7/10 - An inventive and engaging Thai horror anthology that delivers varied thrills, with standout segments that showcase both atmospheric tension and clever storytelling.

what a stupid title... this movie starts off with a surprisingly well done title sequence that uses blood as its main motif... it was elegant.

i was impressed by how great the first 'mini film' was shot. it looked great. The tension was excellent throughout and the almost-total lack of any dialog was interesting and ambitious.

the second 'mini film' is exceedingly bad... the flashy editing was distracting and seemed to be included only to cover the thin script. the "terrifying finale" of the whole thing centers around a horribly executed cgi zombie-looking character. who uses cgi to make zombies?!?! this is the worst of the 4.

the third one was a lame and mildly homo erotic attempt at a 'self-referential' horror movie (in the vein of 'scream' maybe?) not scary, not funny, totally forgettable.

the last one was great! incredibly effective thriller about a flight attendant that has to deal with one of the most terrifying scenarios that i can remember seeing in a movie. it grabs you and doesn't let you go... great acting too by the lead actress.

in closing, you gotta take the good with the bad i guess...

1 is good, 2 is god-awful 3 is bad 4 is great.

I enjoyed this film very much despite having limited expectations. Each of the four segments plays out smoothly with few cheap scares and reasonably coherent plot development. That said, none of the chapters are particularly scary and it's all stuff we've seen before. What set it apart for me was the wry ingenuity of Man in the Middle and one small detail in The Last Flight - at one stage when the stewardess is serving the Princess, sunlight reflection from the aeroplane window moves slowly across the bulkhead behind as if the plane is banking. A nice touch. I can overlook that the galley interior is of a much larger plane than the 737 portrayed externally :-).