4bia brings together
four of the best-known directors in Thailand, including the makers of Body 19,
Shutter and Alone. Each of the four stories is connected by the notion of fear; the fear of being alone, the fear of reprisal, the fear of ghosts and the
fear of the dead. Each tale clocks in at just under 30 minutes with varying
degrees of success. It’s also worth checking out the follow up, a titillating
sequel that surpasses the original in almost every way.
First out the blocks
is Happiness, directed by Yongyoot Thongkongtoon (Iron Ladies). Happiness introduces us to a girl with a broken leg, alone in her apartment with a mobile
phone for company. A mysterious stranger sends her a random text message and,
though cautious at first, boredom gives way to curiosity and events take a turn
for the worse. One girl, one apartment, one phone, that’s pretty much all there
is to it, but it’s astonishing just how sinister an alert tone can be when
you’re alone in the dark. ‘Happiness’ is a slow, deliberate tease from start to
finish that culminates in a well-crafted pay off. One down, three to go.
Where as Happiness immersed itself in sounds of silence, Tit For Tat takes the opposite
approach, a truly bombastic affair with music video credentials. Paween
Purijitpanya (Body 19) tells the tale of a young boy out for revenge after
placing a curse on the classmates that bullied him. Dropping the drip feed of
terror of Happiness, Tit For Tat comes on like the latest entry in the
Final Destination series. Tit For Tat is relentless, bloody and loud, making
it clear that the producers of 4bia are hoping to revisit every horror cliché
in one fell swoop. Even the dodgy effects are on hand to enhance the appeal of
my favourite chapter.
In The Middle throws comedy into the mix when four friends go camping in the woods. Sly
references to modern classics like Shutter, Ringu and The Sixth Sense are a
nice touch, but they also remind you of much better movies. Take the glass half
full approach and you may welcome the change of pace. In The Middle sure
takes its time though, and when it does reach its lightweight conclusion
there’s a faint whiff of familiarity; there’s even a joke to be made at the
films expense (amusing though it is). The characters are likeable enough, but
for me the lighthearted banter and lack of true thrills merely weathered the
storm until part four.
Last Fright takes
us above the clouds and beyond the grave with a pretty air stewardess, an
eastern princess and a regretful affair. Not forgetting a vengeful corpse back
to inflict bloody retribution. Director Parkpoom Wongpoom (the other guy from
Shutter) serves up the most traditional Asian horror story of all, slow out the
blocks but well executed all the same. The big pay off may not be as memorable as it
should be, but that’s only because Last Fright is too familiar a tale in this
day and age.
So there you have
it, an entertaining mix but a mixed bag none the less. It’s a shame that the
first half of the movie promises more than the completed picture delivers,
especially considering the talent behind In The Middle and Last Fright.
Worse than that, 4bia feels like four short stories thrown together for the sake
of making a movie. It would have been so much more fulfilling had the producers
connected the films in some way. Take the ending for example; Last Fright brings the entire production to a shuddering halt with a sudden denouement. I
was hoping for a little bit more, something to tie the preceding chapters to it, to make the film seem more complete.
4bia is less than a sum of its parts but it does
deliver plenty of chills, thrills and laughter (well, the occasional snigger).
The second installment however, makes for a more satisfying whole. AW
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