Thai horror anthology Phobia (a.k.a. 4bia) was a big hit in
2008, proving that there’s plenty of life (or should that be death?) in the
tired Asian horror genre. The sequel arrived a year later, shattering Thailand's
box-office records in the process. The follow-up offers five chilling shorts,
not four. Now there’s a twist. Which means, among other things, that the
playful title is redundant this time around. Paween Purijitpanya (Body),
Parkpoom Wongpoom (Shutter) and Banjong Pisanthanakun (Alone) return to helm a
segment each, alongside Songyos Sugmakanan (Dorm) and veteran producer Wisoot
Poolvoralaks (Nang-Nak), who take charge of the remaining two chapters.
Phobia 2 opens with Novice, in which we find a young boy has
gone into hiding at a Buddhist monastery, where his attempts to evade the law
take a deadly turn when his criminal past comes back to haunt him. Paween
Purijitpanya’s second entry in the Phobia franchise proves to be a change of
pace from his first; Novice is a restrained affair, quite the opposite of Tit
For Tat in every conceivable way. With Novice, Purijitpanya makes the most of
an eerie forest setting, cranking up the tension with considerable ease. It’s a
straightforward premise, but Purijitpanya gets the ball rolling with a
well-orchestrated horror story that bodes well for the rest of the movie.
Whereas most people considered Tit For Tat to be the worst
of the original shorts, I found it to be the sprightliest. Novice on the other
hand, is one of the weaker efforts in part two, quite the compliment when all
is said and done. As manipulative as it is, I still found it less involving
than the other instalments.
In Ward, a young man spends the night in a hospital with an
old man in a coma. Poolvoralaks takes the reigns on the second chapter,
delivering not only the shortest of the five segments, but probably the most
lightweight. There is a neat development at the end, but upon reflection it
appears quite obvious. However, Ward does offer up a welcome dose of short
sharp shocks, and paves the way for my favourite chapter in the movie. Welcome
to Backpackers, in which we find a couple of Japanese teenagers hitchhiking in
Thailand. A truck driver pulls over to offer them a lift, but as with any
horror movie involving hitchhikers, events take a terrifying turn for the
worse.
We’re talking unexpected detours down the highway to hell in
this one. Songyos Sugmakanan, like Paween Purijitpanya before him, finds
himself in unfamiliar terrain with this take on the zombie sub-genre. His hit
movie Dorm was a well-orchestrated drip feed of terror, more akin to
Purijitpanya’s work on Novice. Backpackers is a more vibrant affair, fast paced
and in your face scary. The premise is a doozy, and the twists keep on coming
thick and fast. I really enjoyed this segment. Every good horror anthology
should have one.
In Salvage, a car dealer refurbishes damaged cars and sells
them on to unsuspecting bargain hunters. Parkpoom Wongpoom delivers the goods in workmanlike fashion. That’s not a
criticism, it’s just that Salvage feels more like home-grown hit Shutter than
any other entry in the series. The concept is a good one though, and there’s
plenty to recommend. Some will argue that Salvage is a little too one-note, but
if like me you’re a fan of that particular tune, Salvage hits the right key
time and time again.
Last but not least, In the End tells the quirky tale of a
film crew making a horror picture, left with the unenviable task of working out
whether the cast members are actually dead or alive. Banjong Pisanthanakun
should be praised for guiding us into lighter terrain, comedy horror is a tough
combination to crack, but In the End makes it look like child’s play. Marsha
Wattanapanich returns to her role from Thai smash Alone with tongue pressed firmly
in cheek, hard at work on the set of an inferior sequel.
The crewmembers should look familiar to you as well; they
also played a part in Phobia’s comedy interlude, In The Middle. In The End is
more than happy to rip the beating heart out of Asian horror, and there’s
something highly amusing about an actress dressing up as a ghost and chatting
to the rest of the cast as if nothing is amiss. Pisanthanakun makes the most of
every opportunity, lampooning his own work in the progress. It’s a smart move
and all the more entertaining for it. Horror is very much an afterthought with
In the End but it’s a welcome change of pace all the same.
It’s a fitting finale to a fantastic sequel, a follow-up
that improves upon the original in every way. Phobia divided audiences
worldwide. I loved the first half of the movie, meaning that my final
verdict was hampered by a weak finish. Phobia 2 is a more consistent affair,
and the film improves as it goes along, with In the End pulling the curtains
across on a rousing finale. At a time when the horror genre feels mostly stale,
Phobia 2 comes on like a welcome breath of fresh air. Not only does it serve up
creative storytelling and well times scares, it manages to squeeze in plenty of
laughs along the way.
The original movie was clearly an appetiser for the second
instalment, and as a result, Phobia 2 is one of the most enjoyable horror
anthologies you're likely to see. Anyone up for dessert? AW
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