News

Review: HBO’s Asian Horror Series ‘Folklore’ Tells 6 Tales of Supernatural Terror

Published

5 years ago

February 1, 2019

There’s something in the way that cultural history and folklore tie into themes and tropes in the horror stories of their respective countries that’s just fascinating to me. So, naturally, I was thrilled to learn about HBO Asia’s new horror anthology series, Folklore, which offers an exploration of how myths and legends lend themselves to the horror genre so perfectly.

For Folklore, showrunner Eric Khoo has teamed up with five other filmmakers from across Asia to develop six tales of terror. Each one-hour episode is born from the deeply-rooted folklore of their respective countries and nourished by their storytelling skills.

Eric Khoo awakens a tale of the Pontianak, a vengeful ghost from Singapore; Joko Anwar teases audiences with a Wewe Gombel from Indonesia; Takumi Saitoh weaves a story about a Japanese Tatami; Pen-Ek Ratanaruang introduces Pob, a Thai ghost; Ho Yuhang shares the secrets of a Toyol from Malaysia; and Lee Sang Woo conjures a Mongdal from Korea.

Each story has a scare-filled signature crafted from each culture’s supernatural beings and occult beliefs. Tonally, they’re played with pinpoint precision — the hour-long episodes carry all the weight and drama of a feature film (not to mention the incredible production value).

One episode that stood part from the others, tonally, is Pen-Ek Ratanaruang’s Pob. In my enlightening interview with Eric Khoo and Pen-Ek Ratanaruang, I learned that – in Ratanaruang’s Pob segment – he chose to incorporate the longstanding tradition of comedic moments in Thai horror with a socially relevant feeling of inadequacy towards Westerners. This context creates a brilliant take on a ghost story that captures this cultural fingerprint in a wonderful way.

Fans of Asian horror will appreciate how the series pushes boundaries that Western cinema will typically adhere to. English-language remakes of Asian horror are rarely able to capture the same spirit and tone of their Eastern points of origin.

Ho Yuhang’s Toyol, for example, tells the story of a Malaysian Member of Parliament who turns to a shaman that gains her powers from a ritual using a dead infant. In Lee Sang Woo’s Mondal, a sorrowful spirit demands a virgin bride to join him in the afterlife. Eric Khoo’s Nobody sees a rage-filled Pontianak seeking revenge on those who left her as a brutalized, traumatized corpse.

All this is to say that the series has some wonderfully dark points of inspiration.

As a whole, Folklore wisely delves into some lesser-known mythology from under-represented countries. It’s a benefit for the audience – as we bear witness to fresh new terrors – and for the directors, who have the opportunity to shine a light on some of their favorite lore and legends that don’t often make their way to the silver screen.

Each segment is a strong offering; well written with some powerful performances and cinematography. Sparse yet effective design elements build the world of the story while keeping it as straightforward as possible.

Takumi Saitoh’s Tatami is an excellent example of the show’s conscious design choices. The set design has a dramatic start that builds a chilling atmosphere to set the audience on edge in an otherwise safe environment. But when the action begins to unfold, it does so in a very sparse, simple space that puts the whole focus on the traumatic events. It’s a stunning balance that effectively holds tension throughout the episode.

Similarly, Pen-Ek Ratanaruang’s Pob is filmed entirely in black-and-white. The segment turns the rather innocuous location of a middle-aged American man’s home into an absurdist comedy of errors, and a hospital reveals the creepiest bathroom you’ll encounter outside of Silent Hill. Nothing is quite what it seems in this episode, and it works.

Each segment is packed with frightening and horrific moments, but they’re also rich with turbulent emotion, often built on familial relationships. Push-and-pull connections take several different forms across the series. It’s a relatable concept that can easily be made grotesque.

For example, Joko Anwar’s A Mother’s Loveshows a young mother who makes a shocking discovery in the attic of a home she’s caring for. As a result, her relationship with her son takes a strange turn. Trust and sanity are constantly questioned and manipulated, testing their bond.

For anyone that has a soft spot for Asian horror and anthologies, or an interest in cultural legends and superstition, Folklore is a must-see series.

I sincerely hope that there is a second season that will continue to explore these cultural legends from across Asia. That said, it would be fantastic to see a female director join the ranks (perhaps Dearest Sister’s Mattie Do?).

It’s a phenomenal concept for a series, and an excellent opportunity to bring diverse stories and superstitions within Asian horror to a wider audience.

Folklore premieres Friday, February 1^st on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO On Demand, and partners’ streaming platforms. You can watch HBO Asia’s trailer below.

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Movies

Another Creepy Spider Movie Hits Shudder This Month

Published

4 hours ago

April 18, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Good spider films are a theme this year. First, we had Sting and then there was Infested. The former is still in theaters and the latter is coming to Shudder starting April 26.

Infested has been getting some good reviews. People are saying that it’s not only a great creature feature but also a social commentary on racism in France.

According to IMDb: Writer/director Sébastien Vanicek was looking for ideas around the discrimination faced by black and Arab-looking people in France, and that led him to spiders, which are rarely welcome in homes; whenever they’re spotted, they’re swatted. As everyone in the story (people and spiders) is treated like vermin by society, the title came to him naturally.

Shudder has become the gold standard for streaming horror content. Since 2016, the service has been offering fans an expansive library of genre movies. in 2017, they began to stream exclusive content.

Since then Shudder has become a powerhouse in the film festival circuit, buying distribution rights to movies, or just producing some of their own. Just like Netflix, they give a film a short theatrical run before adding it to their library exclusively for subscribers.

Late Night With the Devil is a great example. It was released theatrically on March 22 and will begin streaming on the platform starting April 19.

While not getting the same buzz as Late Night, Infested is a festival favorite and many have said if you suffer from arachnophobia, you might want to take heed before watching it.

^Infested

According to the synopsis, our main character, Kalib is turning 30 and dealing with some family issues. “He’s fighting with his sister over an inheritance and has cut ties with his best friend. Fascinated by exotic animals, he finds a venomous spider in a shop and brings it back to his apartment. It only takes a moment for the spider to escape and reproduce, turning the whole building into a dreadful web trap. The only option for Kaleb and his friends is to find a way out and survive.”

The film will be available to watch on Shudder starting April 26.

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Movies

Part Concert, Part Horror Movie M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Trap’ Trailer Released

Published

7 hours ago

April 18, 2024

Timothy Rawles

In true Shyamalan form, he sets his film Trap inside a social situation where we aren’t sure what is going on. Hopefully, there is a twist at the end. Furthermore, we hope it’s better than the one in his divisive 2021 movie Old.

The trailer seemingly gives away a lot, but, as in the past, you can’t rely on his trailers because they are often red herrings and you are being gaslit to think a certain way. For instance, his movie Knock at the Cabin was completely different than what the trailer implied and if you hadn’t read the book on which the film is based it was still like going in blind.

The plot for Trap is being dubbed an “experience” and we aren’t quite sure what that means. If we were to guess based on the trailer, it’s a concert movie wrapped around a horror mystery. There are original songs performed by Saleka, who plays Lady Raven, a kind of Taylor Swift/Lady Gaga hybrid. They have even set up a Lady Raven website to further the illusion.

Here is the fresh trailer:

According to the synopsis, a father takes his daughter to one of Lady Raven’s jam-packed concerts, “where they realize they’re at the center of a dark and sinister event.”

Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, Trap stars Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Shyamalan, Hayley Mills and Allison Pill. The film is produced by Ashwin Rajan, Marc Bienstock and M. Night Shyamalan. The executive producer is Steven Schneider.

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News

Woman Brings Corpse Into Bank To Sign Loan Papers

Published

9 hours ago

April 18, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Warning: This is a disturbing story.

You have to be pretty desperate for money to do what this Brazilian woman did at the bank to get a loan. She wheeled in a fresh corpse to endorse the contract and she seemingly thought the bank employees wouldn’t notice. They did.

This weird and disturbing story comes via ScreenGeek an entertainment digital publication. They write that a woman identified as Erika de Souza Vieira Nunes pushed a man she identified as her uncle into the bank pleading with him to sign loan papers for $3,400.

If you’re squeamish or easily triggered, be aware that the video captured of the situation is disturbing.

A woman in Brazil took a deceased man to the bank in an attempt to secure a loan 😳 pic.twitter.com/abiO2evgwg
— More Crazy Clips (@MoreCrazyClips) April 17, 2024

Latin America’s largest commercial network, TV Globo, reported on the crime, and according to ScreenGeek this is what Nunes says in Portuguese during the attempted transaction.

“Uncle, are you paying attention? You must sign [the loan contract]. If you don’t sign, there’s no way, as I cannot sign on your behalf!”

She then adds: “Sign so you can spare me further headaches; I can’t bear it any longer.”

At first we thought this might be a hoax, but according to Brazilian police, the uncle, 68-year-old Paulo Roberto Braga had passed away earlier that day.

“She attempted to feign his signature for the loan. He entered the bank already deceased,” Police Chief Fábio Luiz said in an interview with TV Globo. “Our priority is to continue investigating to identify other family members and gather more information regarding this loan.”

If convicted Nunes could be facing jail time on charges of fraud, embezzlement, and desecration of a corpse.

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