Stop me if you've heard this one. Black cats, Friday the
13th and horny teenagers on a remote desert island. Thunderstorms, warnings
from all-knowing locals, bikini clad beauties, music video credentials,
slow-mo, mindless pranks and things that go bump in the night. I told you to stop me. The only thing
missing is a lank haired spirit, but we'll get to that part later. Welcome to
the latest in a long line of Thai horror movies, directed by Taveewat Wantha
(SARS Wars) and starring Natpassara Adulyamethasiri, Acharanat Ariyaritwikol
and Chinawut Indracusin.
It's been a while since I got (un)comfortable with a new
Thai horror, probably because I've grown tired of the repetitive themes and
token scares. The first thing that attracted me to Long Weekend
(a.k.a. Thongsuk 13) was the choice of director. If you haven't already
seen Wantha's SARS Wars, honestly, which cushion have you been hiding behind?
Thai zombies, mutant zombie babies and flashy laser swords (not lightsabers) - it's nothing if not original. Mixing stunning animation, great special effects,
rubbish CGI, outlandish characters and a wonderful sense of humour, SARS Wars
is a hugely inventive, tongue firmly in cheek, mischievous horror comedy that
demands your full attention. It really is that good.
The trailer for Long Weekend doesn't exactly break new ground,
but production values are high and if I'm being completely honest, I was really
looking forward to seeing some gratuitous horror. Six teens head to a remote
island for a long weekend of fun and debauchery. Quite why they chose the site
of sacrificial rituals for the Devouring Ghost Festival is anyone's guess.
Wantha delivers plenty of blood and gore in a welcome teen slasher that sticks
to the trusty formula of simple story, naive friends and monstrous scares. Had
it stuck to the slasher sub-genre I would have been thrilled, but this is a Thai
horror production, so it's hardly surprising that a grudge-filled ghost gets in
on the action too, and Long Weekend delivers the vengeance in spades.
A mindless prank unearths the evil and what follows is
largely conventional, but Wantha handles the mayhem masterfully and Long
Weekend benefits from his manic visual style. The effects are impressive
throughout, even if most of the good work is hidden behind a blanket of
darkness. It's not always easy to tell what's going on in Long Weekend, such is
the desire to keep things dark and deplorable, but there's invention in the
effects work and Wantha makes the most of the stunning island backdrop.
Performances are solid and none of the characters prove particularly
detestable, which is something of an achievement in modern horror. Even if
(hardly a spoiler) Chinawut Indracusin - who plays simple-minded Thongsook -
does overdo the demonic glances from time to time.
Even though Long Weekend ticks off every horror cliché known
to man, Wantha's movie feels quite fresh. However, we could also put that down
to my resistance to Asia's lank-haired lure. Thai horror is rarely groundbreaking
but it regularly delivers the goods and Long Weekend is no exception. With
memorable dialogue like "I'm dead enough" when one of the characters
meets his extended fate, likeable characters and impressive death sequences,
Long Weekend delivers a satisfying rush of token scares and brutal set pieces.
If you still have a candle burning for Thai horror, Long Weekend
won't be the film to put it out. Wantha might not be firing on all cylinders with
this one but he's still a considerable talent. Long Weekend is a satisfying
slasher movie - brutal and occasionally brilliant - likely to frustrate only the
harshest of horror critics. There's a lot to enjoy if you're not yet tired of
this saturated sub-genre and the ending is a real corker. Recommended. AW
Kewl. Can't wait to see it! :)
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