Sparky Pictures, out October 11

FrightFest 2021

A young girl works as a domestic maid for a wealthy couple, but their home is haunted and  hides a terrible secret.

This Thai language horror movie defies categorisation, switching between genres across its three on-screen-signposted chapters. It’s a bold, frequently violent movie that lets you think you’ve worked things out before throwing a curve ball when you least expect it.

Joy (Ploy Sornarin), a young woman from the country, travels to the city to work as a housemaid at the house of Uma (Savika Chaiyadei) and Nirach (Teerapat Sajakul). She is the replacement for their previous maid who suddenly ‘resigned’ in mysterious circumstances, and her duties include the care of their young daughter Nid (Keetapat Pongrue) who suffers with frightening hallucinations attributed to a rare hereditary brain condition.

It’s not long before Joy starts seeing the ghostly figure of her former colleague, and little by little the truth is revealed. Initially it’s a fairly traditional ghost story, then we shift int thriller territory before going all-out slasher. I won’t reveal any more of the plot, which is teased out at just right the pace, though be warned that it fully earns its 18 certificate.

Verdict: Visually opulent, shocking and engaging, this bloody Thai horror is highly recommended. 9/10

Nick Joy