Pee Mak

I think the only other Thai movie I have seen before was the thrilling and haunting horror film "Shutter" (2004). After I watched "Pee Mak," I discovered that these two films were actually directed by the same man, Banjong Pisanthanakun. "Shutter" was his directorial debut, "Pee Mak" is his latest and biggest hit.

Mak came home from the battlefield with his four soldier friends, namely Puak (with the winged victory hairstyle), Ter (with the glasses), Shin (with the bun) and Aey (with the mustache). They were met by his beautiful wife Nak with their newborn baby boy. However, it did not take long for his four friends to notice something strange about Nak. This leads to a merry comedy of errors and terrors, Thai style.

Being in a foreign language and in set in the past, I am sure a lot of the nuances are lost in translation. However visual horror and slapstick comedy is universal. While "Pee Mak" is also a horror film, the more commercial and memorable aspect of this film is actually more of its comedy. The horror takes a back seat to the comedy here.

You just simple have to watch those hilarious sequences of the silly gang at the dinner table, playing charades, in the haunted house of the amusement park, the boat on the river and in the Buddhist temple with the monk! These scenes were laugh-out-loud funny beyond words!

A deglamorized Thai/German actor/model Mario Maurer(as Mak)and the four actors playing his friends indeed have great comic chemistry and timing together. They were such a delight playing cartoonish nincompoops and stupid idiots as they were terrorized by the ghostly presence around them.

Thai/Belgian actress/model Daveeka Hoorne also has her dramatic moments as Nak, as her character was mainly the straight man of this farce. I am sure she had a difficult time keeping a straight face in front of all that livid foolishness around her.

I am sure Filipino film fans will have a good time watching "Pee Mak". The inane comedy/horror genre is also very popular here. I am sure we can even think up of specific local comedians who can play these crazy roles. What "Pee Mak" adds is the Thai cultural setting that gives it that unique exotic and mystic feel that should not be missed. 7/10.

This was a really cute, somewhat romantic, comedy horror. The story was solid and that is a big thing for me. I liked all the actors and felt they played their parts well. It had little special effects but what were used were ok. My biggest complaints were that I had to read the subtitles, which diverts my eyes from the screen, and I had a hard time getting past their teeth. I guess that is a bit petty but it just bothered me. Having said what I did about the subtitles, let me add that this is the type of movie that makes watching foreign films worth the effort. I'll recommend this to my friends. Hope others will give it a chance. It is worth the watch. (Loved the credits!!)

I watched this movie yesterday along with some new friends in Singapore,and this is the first Thai movie I have watched.I had watched the trailer of Pee Mak and thought I should watch it and boy,I was in for a treat as it turned out to be an amazing movie.What I liked the most about the movie is the perfect combination of horror and comedy.Its not like "scary movies" where the ghost is also funny and all.There is time where you are terrified with the horrific events but then the movie takes you to the opposite end of those emotions by putting some genuine comedy around it.I repeat,I quite liked how perfect the combination is.The stupidity of the boy characters and how well those characters are played out bring a lot of laughter (with tears in my case) is brilliant.And there is drama, some tiny plots that goes quite well with the story,and human emotions of love which does not want to let go of love even after death.This movie is highly recommended if you like to laugh a lot, and missing it just because you are not a fan of horror movies or Thai movies in common, would be a big miss.

This is another movie that you will best enjoy if you know less of it. The more you know of the details and events in the movie, the less you will enjoy. So don't read reviews of those who gave the full story away. The comedy appears too rowdy or overdone to me, but most audience will like it. The horror part is well done too but I find the romance part the best, very touching. So it's like watching 3 nice movies of different genre for the price of one. I enjoyed those twists as the film goes along. Very intelligently done. The male lead, probably the best-looking actor today put away his good look and proved that he can act well. Don't miss the end credit parts where they show in a small screen. There are many scenes there that continues after the movie end. They may use it as a sequel since the movie was so successful in Thailand and most neighbouring countries. Don't miss it. I give it 9 because I watch the movie without knowing much.

I saw this yesterday with kids in Netflix. Family friendly Thai movie. The genre is horror-comedy but it had more comedy than horror really.

Most of the ideas looks like we have copied in Tamil movies (specifically there is a scene completely copied in Darling movie- ghost gopal varma). It is stretched at places and would have done good to reduce the content.

Overall - it had some really laugh out loud comedy and I should say it used comedy very cleverly. It is a period film but makes current references - right from movies to history.

See if you have time to kill.