From four of Thailands hot new directors comes the horror anthology, Phobia, in which four short films explore the creepy, violent and terrifying world of the macabre.
Yongyoot Thongkongtoon Happiness kicks off the proceedings with a tale of a housebound girl and her persistent text stalker, while the next instalment, Tit For Tat (dir: Paween Purikitpanya), sees a bullied teenage schoolboy seeking revenge on his tormentors via a terrifying curse. In The Middle (dir: Paween Purikitpanya) is a terrifying tale of a camping trip gone awry, and finally, in Last Flight (dir: Parkpoom Wongpoom), a stewardess experiences a mid-air haunting by a woman from her past.
As 2008s Trick r Treat proved, theres still life left in the old horror anthology concept yet. Indeed, what we wouldnt give for a Creepshow-style anthology directed by four of horrors modern masters (say… Eli Roth, Rob Zombie, Neil Marshall and, oh, lets throw in new guy, Ti West, as well). In the meantime however, numerous Eastern delights like Three Extremes and Thailands Phobia are keen to keep the anthology fires burning until Hollywood catches on.
Phobia, like many horror collections before it, has its ups and downs. The first instalment, Happiness, is a genuinely creepy, dialogue-free stalker story that gets things off to a great start, though the follow-up film, complete with annoyingly intrusive direction and some dodgy special effects, proves to be the weakest of the bunch. In The Middle, the third instalment, is a light-hearted, self-referential piece which harks back to the wicked sense of humour of Tales From The Crypt, and is an absolute riot. The fourth and final story brings the proceedings to a close in fairly humdrum fashion, with a ghosts on a plane tale of one stewardess infidelity coming back to bite her in the ass (or at least scare her quite a lot).
A mixed bag, sure, but as In The Middle is quick to point out, at least this Eastern horror entry refrains from incorporating the already-clichéd pale-faced, lank-haired girl for cheap scares.
Overall Verdict: A mixed bag horror anthology, but it has its moments.
Special Features:
Cast And Crew Interviews
Trailer
Reviewer: Lee Griffiths