Inhuman Kiss, or Sang Krasue, is a horror-romance film set in Thailand during the 1940's. While the second World War Japanese Invasion of Bangkok rages, another war rages in a rural Thai village, when a young woman starts waking up with blood on her bedsheets. At first she thinks it's her period, but as the days pass, the amount of blood grows larger and larger, until she realises that something is very wrong, and that she is possessed by a spirit.
The Krasue, for those who don't know, is the Thai name for a spirit in South East Asian folklore that takes the form of a woman's floating head with its entrails hanging from the neck. Such a horrifying concept must make for a gorey movie, right?
You would be wrong for the most part. While there have been several movies about the Krasue in the past, this one is slow, romantic and dramatic. It tells the story of childhood friends who fall in love after a long time apart, and how the good natured man will do anything to protect the woman that he loves.
It is derivative at parts, sappy at others. Like a lot of Thai cinema, it is very melodramatic both in the pacing and the music. There are certain filmmaking sensibilities that I'm not quite used to as a Western viewer, but I can appreciate the film for what it does right in my eyes.
The film is very well shot. The lighting especially is fantastic. In this film the Krasue emits a red light, and the way that the special effects blend with the practical lighting was incredible. One of the best looking films I've seen this year for sure.
Overall it is definitely worth watching. It is a bit slow at parts, and the climax is quite the tonal shift for sure, but I think overall it does a good job at what it set out to do.
The Krasue, for those who don't know, is the Thai name for a spirit in South East Asian folklore that takes the form of a woman's floating head with its entrails hanging from the neck. Such a horrifying concept must make for a gorey movie, right?
You would be wrong for the most part. While there have been several movies about the Krasue in the past, this one is slow, romantic and dramatic. It tells the story of childhood friends who fall in love after a long time apart, and how the good natured man will do anything to protect the woman that he loves.
It is derivative at parts, sappy at others. Like a lot of Thai cinema, it is very melodramatic both in the pacing and the music. There are certain filmmaking sensibilities that I'm not quite used to as a Western viewer, but I can appreciate the film for what it does right in my eyes.
The film is very well shot. The lighting especially is fantastic. In this film the Krasue emits a red light, and the way that the special effects blend with the practical lighting was incredible. One of the best looking films I've seen this year for sure.
Overall it is definitely worth watching. It is a bit slow at parts, and the climax is quite the tonal shift for sure, but I think overall it does a good job at what it set out to do.