S̄̂m bængkh̒ mụ̄xh̄ım̀ h̄ạd k̄hāy / One Take Only (2001) - Authentic Gangster Drama for Those Interested in Thai Culture - 7/10

One Take Only, also knows as Som and Bank: Bangkok for Sale, is a gangster drama from Thailand. Directed by renowned Oxide Chun Pang who would later on direct movies such as action films The Storm Warriors and Out of Inferno, horror films like The Eye and The Messengers and even thrillers such as The Detective and Conspirators, features Pawarith Monkolpisit as quirky lead actor and Wanatchada Siwapornchai as authentic lead actress who sadly wouldn't be featured in any other movie until today.

The story revolves around lowly drug dealer Bank who lives in a small apartment with his distant mother who is more interested in her gambling issues than her son while the father has left the family many years ago. He meets young prostitue Som who shares her salary with her mother in the country and several friends who are facing rough challenges in life. The two youngsters realize that they live in the same decrepit apartment complex and share the dream of getting rich and starting a new life. One day comes an opportunity for them to get one step closer to changing their lives as Bank gets involved into a drug deal with a dangerous but rich criminal living in the country. The first deal works as planned but a second deal involving much more drugs and money goes horribly wrong and sends the young couple on a fateful downward spiral.

This gangster drama convinces on several levels. It honestly shows the negative sides of life in Bangkok by dealing with topics such as drugs, poverty and prostitution. One scene is particularly haunting in that regard when a friend of Som becomes a prostitute due to financial issues, only to break down crying in a tiny restroom of some filthy hotel. The locations blend in perfectly as they show little children attempting to sell items to drivers on busy and dirty streets, filthy hotel rooms where young prostitues meet bored businessmen and decrepit apartments in rundown complexes in a noisy downtown area. The movie has at times the vibes of a documentary or a slice-of-life that portrays the lives of disillusioned young adults in Bangkok. The two lead characters are quite interesting as well. Som actually cares for her mother who doesn't know about her job and tries to help her friends and even her boyfriend as much as she can. Bank on the other side is an arrogant, naive and perverted outsider who constantly drags his lover into dangerous situations while oddly criticizing her life choices. The acting performances are authentic and grounded as the two leads manage to carry the movie almost on their own.

The movie is however not without its flaws. Its pace is quite slow and for two thirds of the film, viewers might wonder where this is going as it simply follows the everyday life of a young couple. Only the final third quickens up the pace and evolves from a romance into a gangster drama. The story itself is quite predictable and plods on without much interest for prolonged periods of time. This film is missing some courageous, exciting and surprising turns that could make it more memorable.

At the end of the day, One Take Only, also knows as Som and Bank: Bangkok for Sale, is certainly interesting for anyone who is fascinated with Thai cinema and culture. Other than that, it's a decent to good gangster drama that convinces mostly with its authentic documentary style, fitting locations and interesting characters portrayed by two gifted leads. However, the film's pace is slow and the story is thin as the movie fails to leave a mark and doesn't offer much replay value.

Sorum (2001) - Profound Characters, Creepy Locations and Mysterious Vibes - 8/10

Sorum is a South Korean movie that walks off the beaten path as it combines drama, mystery and thriller elements in a profoundly atmospheric way. This is the first feature film of director Yun Jong-chan and features renowned actor Kim Myung-min in his very first movie as well as lead actress Jang Jin-young who had already received critical acclaim for her performances in sports comedy The Foul King and firefighters drama Siren.

The film revolves around a mysterious taxi driver in his early thirties who moves into a decrepit apartment complex. He is only visited once in a while by a friend obsessed with sexual innuendo who brings back negative memories. The lonesome man however gets to know the only remaining residents of the creepy complex. There is an unsuccessful author who has lost his business and dreams of becoming relevant again with a script he has stolen from a former resident of the complex. The former resident's former girlfriend is a piano teacher who gradually isolates herself and doesn't trust anyone around her. Finally, there is a young woman who is in a terrible relationship with an abusive husband who has gambling debts and alcohol problems. One fateful night, the young woman kills her husband in self-defense and asks the lonesome taxi driver for help. They decide to bury the corpse of the deceased in a nearby forest and get involved into an extreme and volatile relationship from there on. Things gradually spiral out of control as the couple faces its past decisions, current issues and strange supernatural events in the creepy complex.

This movie convinces on many levels. The highlights are the excellent locations in form of the decrepit apartment complex, abandoned natural landscapes and dirty roads that establish a gloomy atmosphere from start to finish. Most of the scenes take place on rainy nights which enhances the film's mysterious vibes. The characters also have much depth as we discover completely new sides throughout the movie that end up changing the viewers' perspectives as the film progresses. This film rather utilizes body language and facial expressions than witty dialogues or surprising twists to convey emotions and relationships. The movie has a mysterious vibe that makes it quite tense as it's hard to predict what might be coming next. It will keep you on the edge of your seats until the final scene. The film's pace is slow but quickens up the pace in the final eventful quarter. Sorum is an intellectual exercise as it leaves several questions unanswered and expects the viewers to put the different pieces of the puzzle together or imagine what could still happen once the movie has concluded.

Several reviewers have complained about the fact that they expected Sorum to be a horror movie but that it turned out to be a psychological drama. Once you have accepted that genre categorization, you will however discover a unique movie with much depth that is worth being revisited and analyzed from different perspectives. This underrated atmospheric mystery movie develops an ominous atmosphere right from the very first scene when the lead character first enters the apartment complex and keeps this tense vibe until the very last scene when the lead characters last exits the apartment complex. Anyone who likes atmospheric dramas with an experimental touch that walk off the beaten path should certainly check out this underappreciated timeless gem.

Peiseu / Face (2004) - Dramatic Supernatural Thriller that Mixes Family Issues, Haunting Ghosts and Crime Investigation - 7/10

Face is a dramatic supernatural thriller from South Korea released by legendary Tartan Asia Extreme label.

The plot revolves around quiet forensic facial reconstructor Lee Hyun-min who had some sinister strokes of fate to endure. His wife died much too soon and his daughter had a complicated heart surgery from which she hasn't fully recovered. Lee Hyu-min decides to quit his job to spend more time with his daughter and he brings her to the countryside to stay with her grandmother in a secluded area. As he returns home to grab some things for his departure, Lee Hyu-min is met by Jung Sun-young who is a new researcher at the institute where Lee Hyun-min worked before. She asks for his help with facial reconstruction of the victim of a serial killer who melts the bodies of his victims with acid. Lee Hyu-min initially refuses to collaborate but Jung Sun-young insists and explains her desire to learn from him. He is further convinced to collaborate when he feels haunted by the spirit of the victim and starts to feel guilty for not helping investigations in an ongoing case against a brutal serial killer. Just as he decides to accept the case, his daughter's medical condition worsens once again. Lee Hyu-min asks Doctor Yoon to give him more information about the organ donor but the doctor refuses due to confidentiality issues. As the desperate Lee Hyun-min barely sleeps as he spends time by his daughter's side at the hospital and tries to complete the facial reconstruction, he starts to discover unexpected connections between the serial killer case and the organ donor issue. Lee Hyun-min starts to collaborate directly with the police and also grows fond of his resilient assistant Jung Sun-young. However, nothing is as it appears as Lee Hyu-min is about to uncover more than one surprising twist.

This dramatic supernatural thriller convinces on numerous levels. First of all, the plot is quite clever as every single scene in the movie is meaningful and leads to a whole something that is even greater than its different parts. Up next, Face oozes with atmosphere. Especially the scenes when Lee Hyun-min is haunted by the spirit of the murder victim or when the lair of the criminal is discovered are particularly memorable. The characters are also very intriguing as it's easy for viewers to empathize with the lead characters and his numerous challenges while his colleague is a fascinating, mysterious and unpredictable woman who has more than one secret to hide. The acting performances match the excellent characters and especially child actress Han Ye-rin leaves a stunning impression. The directing effort is also highly commendable as the light and sound effects increase the film's gripping atmosphere. These excellent elements will make you keep watching this film until its surprising ending.

At the end of the day, Face is a movie that should please fans of romantic dramas, supernatural thrillers and East Asian cinema of the early years of the new millennium. This release by Tartan Asia Extreme includes some interesting featurettes such as the one on facial modeling employed for this film. Fans of this legendary label should certainy try to get their hands on a copy of this underrated dramatic supernatural thriller.

Arpointeu / R-Point (2004) - Decent Supernatural Elements and Intriguing Locations but Thin Characters and Plot as Well as an Absence of Scary Scenes - 6/10

All the movies released by legendary label Tartan Asia Extreme are at least average and in most cases great or even brilliant. R-Point is however one of the more ordinary releases and only qualifies as plain average movie. This Korean military drama with supernatural elements is only for the most faithful fans of Asian cinema.

The story takes places in Vietnam in the early seventies. Several people among the military personnel are preparing themselves for returning home after an arduous tour in hotsile territory. However, the South Korean base then receives a mysterious radio transmission from a platoon that disappearaed without a trace half a year ago. The high-command assigns a decorated lieutenant to lead a squad with eight soldiers to search and rescue the missing soldiers whose last transmissions came from a location described as Romeo Point. Upon arriving at the isolated location, the military personnel is ambushed by a mysterious Vietnamese woman who doesn't speak a single word. Up next, they discover an old temple with mysterious warning signs. Then, they discover a dilapidated mansion in the middle of the fog where they decide to set up camp. The military personnel is then contacted by American military personnel who also warn them and tell them that this location is haunted. While the South Koreans are still unable to find members of the missing platoon, they receive strange radio transmissions by a French soldier who is looking for his twin brother. The different events become more and more mysterious and the rescue mission soon becomes a fight for sanity and survival.

This military drama with supernatural elements convinces on a few levels. First of all, there aren't too many movies about South Korean involvement in the Vietnam War, so it's interesting to discover such an unusual perspective of that dreadful conflict. Some of the locations are quite diversified, intriguing and unique. Especially the old temple and the dilapidated mansion ooze with atmosphere. The movie includes a few interesting events that keep viewers watching until the very end. Especially the mysterious Vietnamese woman who keeps appearing around the soldiers and the gloomy meeting with the American soldiers are quite memorable in that regard.

This film however also has several downsides. First of all, the plot is quite thin and especially the outcome of this movie is underwhelming and ends the movie on an unsatisfactorily low note. Up next, the different characters are barely fleshed out. Including nine characters among the rescue mission for a movie of only one hundred seven minutes is too ambitious. It would have been a much better option to focus on five strong characters and develop significant ties between one another. Another issue is that this movie has been marketed as a horror movie. However, the film might be mysterious but certainly not scary. Yelling loud menaces with foul vocabulary doesn't make for an ominous atmosphere.

At the end of the day, R-Point is an average military drama with decent supernatural elements and a few intriguing locations but weak characters and plot as well as an absence of scary scenes. The movie is only recommended to the most faithful fans of Asian cinema but can be ignored by anyone who isn't an adamant collector of Tartan Asia Extreme releases.

Vital (2004) - Artistic Expressions, Philosophical Depth and Excellent Acting Performances - 8/10

Vital is a profound Japanese psychological drama that oozes with atmosphere. Directed by veteran Tsukamoto Shinya, the man behind cult movies such as science-fiction horror movie Tetsuo: The Iron Man, dramatic action thriller Tokyo Fist and dramatic mystery movie A Snake of June, this film stars charismatic Asano Tadanobu, known for his involvement in critically acclaimed films such as Ichi the Killer and The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi, as well as two strong female lead actresses with actress, architect and model Kiki and professional ballet dancer Tsukamoto Nami.

The story revolves around a young man who has had a car accident and awakens in a hospital without remembering what has happened and who he is. His family gradually nurses him back to health when the young man decides to join a medical school. He becomes one of the very best students along with an ambitious female student who develops an obsessive love interest in him. Things however take a sinister turn when the students perform autopsies on recently deceased people as the young man recognizes his corpse as his former girlfriend. Painful memories soon come back haunting the unstable student as he realizes that the woman died in that fateful car accident. With the help of his parents, the mourning family of his former girlfriend and the female student who observes his every move, the young student will have to be strong to remember the most sinister memories of his life, grieve his lover's passing and ultimately overcome her tragic demise.

This movie has at times been advertised as a thriller or even as a horror movie but that's certainly not what it is. The only creepy elements in this film are the constantly gloomy atmosphere that however also shows that there is always hope in despair and the dissection scenes of the corpses that are slightly graphic but never exaggerated. This film convinces with difficult topics such as grief, guilt and obsession that are treated with care, empathy and intellect. This movie is essentially a wonderful romance that shows that love can even survive death. The film has several artistic and surreal scenes involving wonderful drawings and haunting dream sequences. The acting performances are absolutely stellar because they avoid lengthy dialogues and rather focus on body language, dance choreographies and facial expressions. The movie's soundtrack blends in perfectly and the title song Blue Bird by renowned Japanese pop and folk singer Cocco is a timeless masterpiece.

At the end of the day, Vital is a slow-paced drama with artistic expressions, philosophical depth and excellent acting performances. This timeless movie has aged very well and deserves more attention and recognition. The slow-paced movie entices you with its mysterious atmosphere from start to finish and won't let you go. Its unique trademarks will even make you want to revisit this brilliant movie. Anyone interested in gloomy dramas with depth should give this overlooked gem a fair try.

Phii Khon Pen / The Victim (2006) - Twisted Haunted Dimensions of Misdeeds - 8/10

The Victim is one of the best Thai horror movies that deserves more attention, recognition and respect. Released by cult label Tartan Asian Extreme, this great movie comes along with several highly intriguing featurettes offering unusual looks behind the scenes. This film deserves to be discovered in depth and to be explored over and over again.

It convinces with quite a few twists in its meandering plot that should keep viewers intrigued until the very last scene. The locations such as abandoned hospitals, cheap hotel rooms and filthy back alley operating rooms have also been chosen with care and add an ominous atmosphere to the movie. The characters are intriguing as well and the actors and especially actresses really shine in this film. The lead character is a curious but naive young actress with a heart of gold, the movie's most important victim is an enigmatic beauty pageant with a strong sense of justice and the film's nemesis is a malignant, obsessive and twisted character whose dreadful traits are gradually unfolded. Further highlights include decent light and sound effects supported by a moody score. The film also involves an interesting marketing strategy as several looks behind the scenes report that the movie crew actually recorded real ghosts while shooting the movie. That idea might sound humorous to Western cineasts but many people in Thailand actually do believe in supernatural events and might therefore think that this film is indeed haunted. This topic certainly offers some food for thought and intriguing discussions.

The movie itself revolves around young actress Ting who struggles to make ends meet. As she is describing her difficult decision to a family member, she is coincidentally discovered by a police officer who decides to hire her to impersonate different crime victims. It's actually common in Thailand to re-enact crimes and bring criminals back to the locations of their misdeeds. Ting excels at her new job and even becomes a minor celebrity. Things however take a more sinister turn when she decides to simulate the murder of former Miss Thailand Meen. While police officers believe that she was murdered by her estranged husband whom she wanted to divorce, Ting starts to feel, hear and see supernatural things and believes that the victim is trying to contact her to tell her that the husband is innocent. Ting starts to investigate the murder herself without fully realizing that she is exposing herself to significant dangers. This mysterious case is about to drastically change the lives of Ting and everyone around her.

At the end of the day, The Victim is a movie that convinces with a twisted plot, features some decent to strong acting performances and oozes with atmosphere. Anyone interested in Asian horror movies and Thai culture should give this underrated movie a fair try. Grab a copy of the Tartan Asia Extreme release and make sure to check out the quirky behind the scenes featurettes as well.