Gods Skin (2026) Fantasia 2026

The film is looks nowhere near as cool as this poster

A young man gets pulled into fighting matches in order to win the money he needs. He fightsin a tournament  using God's Skin, a nano device that gives him and the other fighters, superpowers.

This a perfectly okay martial arts action film. I say that because the film doesn't do anything special nor does it try to spice things up out side of the nano technology. If you've seen any number of action films you are going to write the story in your head.

The big problem with the film is that fight scenes, while perfectly fine, are anemic.  Most are set in the arena whoch is just and empty room with a pacing that seems like a half a beat too slow. They aren't bad but at the same time they aren't anything to write home about.

Worth  look on a rainy night on the couch, but not something to see at festival prices.

Human Resources (2025) NYAFF 2026

Fren, a young woman working at a large company in Thailand, has just found she is several weeks pregnant. As she drifts through life seemingly discoinnected, she has to try and and decide whether to bring a child in to a cold cruel world.

This very much a self important art house film. Much isn't said. The characters either say too much or nothing at all. We are supposed to sort it out for ourselves since we either have no words or too many meaningless ones. 

I know that the film is supposed to mean something but I never connected to the humanity of anyone in it. From the opening moments the world is portrayed as bad. There is no hope. All the news we hear is bad. There are no real human connections since everyone is too insular or self absorbed. That Fren is pregnant is kind of a shock since we really can't figure out how she is with her boyfriend.

Yes its clinically a well made film but its so icy as to be lifeless.

Tha Rae-TheExorcist (2026) NYAFF 2026

Catholic priest teams up with spritual healer to take on a demon that has taken over a former priest. Of course there are complications.

This is one wild film. The opening scene has something that I never would see in a Catholic exorcism, namely a Catholic priest killing the possessed because if they go longer than three days they can't be turned back. That was a new twist I never expected.

To be honest I'm mixed on this film.  It's not the plot  or the sequences (there are some great things here) rather it's the two leads. The two young men don't have and gravitas. They have no weight what so ever. I never believed that they were on screen for any reason to look good. I would love to see them in a comedy, but in a drama or a horror film they seemed in over their head. They were never a match for the evil despite that it was written that way.

While not bad, this isn't what it should have been.

A disappointment.

4 Tigers(2025) NYAFF 2026

 

Three men and a woman with special talents try to get their hands on Japanese gold.

If you like off Hollywood films then buy a ticket and take a ride because this is as off Hollywood as you can get. A mix of action, war time intrigue, comedy, Thai Nationalism, musical, spaghetti western, a behind the scenes of the making of a movie tale and like 15 other genres. This is a film that just does whatever it thinks will work at that moment. The result is a film that will leave you staring and slack jawed at the insanity on the screen.

Is it perfect?

Probably not. It is however unlike anything you’re likely to see anywhere outside of Thailand.

This film is most definitely a blast – and a throw back to the early days of the New York Asian Film Festival.

As I said above- buy a ticket and take a ride.

Brief thoughts on Undertaker 2 (2025)

When a grandmother is struck by lightning, dies and then returns from the dead,  it forces everyone is a small town to ponder existence.

This film did not work for me. Yes, I know this and the previous films were mega hits, but this film didn't do anything for me.  I was told that I didn't need to have seen the first film to have this make sense but at the same time I kept feeling I was missing something.

Yes the meditation on life and death and everything in between is interesting but there was something about the tone of the film that never clicked so I never fully pondered what the film was trying to say.

No, it isn't bad, but it never grabbed me.

9 TEMPLES TO HEAVEN (2026) Cannes 2026

After a man is told his elderly mother doesn't have long to live, he takes his mom and several family members on a journey to nine temples in an effort to break the "curse" and keep her alive.

This is a mannered art film that is going to play better with those who like long takes, silences and things unfolding slowly.

I mentioned the pacing at the top because it made it so I really didn't click with the film. While I liked the familial battles and discussions, the pacing of the film had me wondering why things were playing out  so slowly. I know it was to reflect the grind of moving from temple to temple over the course of the cinematic day, but at the same time too much is left unsaid. I kept feeling that  there should be more in the silences or especially in the dialog.

While decidedly not my cup of tea, I fully expect this film to end up hitting a number of festivals after Cannes since this is the sort of film that art house programmers tend to love.

PANOR (2025) NYAFF 2025

 PANOR is a stand alone prequel to the Art of the Devil Series.  It’s a film full of icky goings on that both horrify and amuse.

I was not a fan of the series. To me it was like many series where the whole point is the ghoulish goings on and not the story. The lack of a meaningful story is why I tired of the Friday the 13^th, Elm Street, Saw, and Final Destination series. Yea the set pieces are great- but that’s just a small part of the film.

While PANOR has a plot, about a young girl trying to sort out the curse that leads events in the Art of The Devil Films, this film is still primarily about the gross outs. Sure what happens is gross but the over use of CGI keeps this from fully being as effective as it could have been.

I don’t dislike the film, more I’m disappointed that this wasn’t better.

Worth a look for gore fans. All others need not apply

The truly great anti-war film/ horror movie Operation Undead (2024) hits home video Tuesday

The programmers of NYAFF have buried one of their best films in the late night slot which is a shame because people other than night owls deserve to see this glorious rethink of the zombie genre.

Set during the Second World War the film has the Thai government surrendering to the Japanese after they see the effect of a new chemical weapon that turns people into zombie like beings. The turned men are faster, largely unkillable and cannibalistic. The idea is that there will be a brief show of resistance and the surrender-but the the brief skirmish releases one of the test subjects who quickly begins to turn the Thai soldiers and civilians.

What starts off as an amusing film turns by degrees darker as it becomes a bloodbath and then into a brutally sad film as some of those turned have animalistic cravings but also their morals and memories. They continue to do terrible things but can't stop themselves. It's crushing.

Brilliantly made, it is wonderful rethink of the the zombie genre that gives us much to think about even as the blood and guts are flying. It is a very serious very well thought out pondering about the cost of war and violence on ourselves and out psyches. (It's a blood relative to Ted Geoghegan's BROOKLYN 45 because of the similar themes)

While I am certain that some people are not going to like some of the more serious turns, the film stands tall because of it's refusal to play by anyone's , even the genres rules. If you can accept that you are going to end up having found one of the great anti-war films of the last few years, not to mention one hell of a horror film

Highly recommended

Salli (2023) NYAFF 2024

A woman who raises chickens wants to run off to meet her boyfriend who lives in Paris, except that she is uncertain if he is for real or not, a feeling that is made complicated because she hasn't been entirely honest with him.

Odd comedy is uniquely its own thing. Frequently charming thanks to some winning characters and solid performances, the film over comes it's problems.

The problem for me is that in a weird way the film feels like it's a couple of different films stuck together. It's not that what happens is wrong, it's that several sections feel like they are different movie. Yes I understand why that is, but at the same time it took me out of the film.

My problems aside, there is enough here to warrant a look.

SUFFOCATING LOVE (2023) NYAFF 2024

Story of a young man who meets and falls for a girl with whom he is exchanging books as part of book exchange club.  As he falls for her she begins to make more demanding requests. Should he leave her even though he loves her?

The festival material calls this a riff on the film 500 DAYS OF SUMMER and in many ways that's true. It shares a certain quirky style with that earlier film even if it ends differently.

For me this was a nice little romance. While I doubt I will be hard pressed to remember it at years end, I had a good time while it was on.

Brief thoughts on Trouble Girl (2024) NYAFF 2024

Xiao xiao is a young woman with ADHD (Attention deficit hyper activity disorder).  She is struggling to deal with what life is throwing at her including the cruelty of her schoolmates, the absence of her father, and the fact that her mother is having an affair with her teacher.

This is a good look at how ADHD effects a young kid and the people around her. It's a film that doesn't sugar coat the situation or give us easy answers. It's a film that affects us.

As good as I know the film is, I'm not sure I like it. I know the the film has won awards, in particular for  Audrey Lin as Xiao xiao, but there is something contrived about it. I can feel the hand of writer director Chia-Hua Chin moving things so that there would be some drama. I never fully connected.

Is the film worth seeing? If you are interested give it a shot.

MANTRA WARRIOR: THE LEGEND OF THE EIGHT MOONS (2023) Fantasia 2024

Giant robots and reincarnated gods mix in a retelling of the Ramayana.

The plot has group of rebels trying to rescued a captured princess before her powers can be used for evil and gaining the powers of gods who are to protect her.

Good looking film didn’t work for me. The problem is that in trying to be too many things the film is kind of a bit of nothing. The mythological orgins get lost in the crashing robots. The drive to be family friendly resulted in the film not having any bite.

Yes the film is a visual ballet but nothing stands out and when it’s done you really won’t remember a thing.

A disappointment. 

OPERATION UNDEAD (2024) NYAFF 2024

The programmers of NYAFF have buried one of their best films in the late night slot which is a shame because people other than night owls deserve to see this glorious rethink of the zombie genre.

Set during the Second World War the film has the Thai government surrendering to the Japanese after they see the effect of a new chemical weapon that turns people into zombie like beings. The turned men are faster, largely unkillable and cannibalistic. The idea is that there will be a brief show of resistance and the surrender-but the the brief skirmish releases one of the test subjects who quickly begins to turn the Thai soldiers and civilians.

What starts off as an amusing film turns by degrees darker as it becomes a bloodbath and then into a brutally sad film as some of those turned have animalistic cravings but also their morals and memories. They continue to do terrible things but can't stop themselves. It's crushing.

Brilliantly made, it is wonderful rethink of the the zombie genre that gives us much to think about even as the blood and guts are flying. It is a very serious very well thought out pondering about the cost of war and violence on ourselves and out psyches. (It's a blood relative to Ted Geoghegan's BROOKLYN 45 because of the similar themes)

While I am certain that some people are not going to like some of the more serious turns, the film stands tall because of it's refusal to play by anyone's , even the genres rules. If you can accept that you are going to end up having found one of the great anti-war films of the last few years, not to mention one hell of a horror film

Highly recommended

Supposed (2023) NYAFF 2024

A man who only finds happiness in the women he chases via various dating apps, has has his world turned upside down when he meets a free spirit who is outside his comfort zone.

This is a good romantic drama is that is perfect for anyone who wants heavy drama with their romance. The heavy drama comes when the revelations start to come out. 

How you react to the film is going to be determined by your feelings about the twist and turns. I was interested but never fully engaged. I could see the gears being turned behind the scenes. It felt contrived.

At the same time what really worked for me was the use of music. The mix of songs and image drive the film forwards and kept me watching. 

Worth a look if you're curious.

PATTAYA HEAT(2024) NYAFF 2024

Possibly the best film at this year's New York Asian Film Fest is a grand crime caper with a smart ass attitude. The NYAFF write up called it Tarantino-esque, but quite frankly this film is operating at a so  much higher level that is totally free of the cinematic referential nonsense that Tarantino traffics in.

Told from the POV of a corrupt cop caught in a web of nonsense and surrounded by various people who are less than savory. How they all connect up is the film-and it's such a thrilling ride I'm not going to say any more.

Sitting down to watch this film I wasn't sure what I was going to get. My trip through the festival slate this year has been a very hit or miss affair.  Sure there have been some good films, but at the same time there have been some rather bland films that made me wonder if the programmers had lost their touch.  That thought disappeared moments into PATTAYA HEAT pulled me, handed me a drink and whispered in my ear "you wanna hear a great story?"

This film works because the film has a great cast operating at the top of their game, a director who tweaks things so that we are charmed by these not very nice people, and script which is perfectly modulated to keep us staring at the screen until the final fade out.

One of the best films of 2024? Oh hell yea. This is pure movie magic. This is the sort of film that will make you fall in love with the movies all over again.

Track this movie down any way you can.

Highly recommended.

Not reviewing Not Friends (2023) NYAFF 2024 Fantasia 2024

This film didn't  work for me. The story of a bunch of high school kids who make a film about their dead friend, egged on by a transfer student who didn't know him, didn't work for me. 

The reason it didn't work is that I never connected to the humor. I could see the jokes but they never made me laugh. The same thing about the touching moments, I know I was supposed to feel something but instead I felt like I was eating treacle.

(I won't go into the echoes of Dr Evan Hansen)

I know this worked for some people, but for me it was along 129 minutes.

Kitty The Killer (2023) NYAFF 2023

Alleged comic book logic rules the day in the battle of assassins controlled by secret organizations as a young school girl code named kitty tries to unravel a mess her boss got himself into and get revenge for his killing.

I'm sorry if that doesn't make a hell of a lot of sense, that's because this film doesn't make a hell of a lot of sense. Pulling plot points from at least three or four dozen other sources from books, comics, TV series and movies. Its a film that borrows liberally from everywhere to make stew that explodes and splash itself all over the place. Things seem to happen just to keep the movie going. The filmmakers claim it's comic book logic, but comics have logic, this just has odd turns just because.

That might have worked if the film was fast paced, but this film is slow as molasses. Everything in this movie moves at one quarter speed including the action sequences which while blood soaked  are all in slow motion. There is no spark no zip. Worse there is no suspense because there is no hurry. This is quite simply one of the dullest action films I've ever seen.

Who was this film made for?

I can not in good conscience recommend this film to anyone who even remote likes action films.

Cracked (2022) hits VOD and DVD on May 26

CRACKED shouldn’t work. It’s a tale that is similar to any number of films and it’s full of cliché turns and yet the film works and results in chills as tells it’s story of past evils invading the present.

The film is the story of a widowed mother who needs money desperately to pay for an eye operation for her daughter. With no way to get the money a friend of her father shows up in New York to say that her father had passed away and left behind a couple of paintings  that some rich guy wants to buy once a little restoration is done. If she goes back to Thailand she will be able to get the money she needs.  However once she arrives things begin to go south as weird things happen, the painting start to decay and the ghosts of the past come back.

This is a dark and moody film about how the sins of our families past come back to haunt us. The back story here is a creepy one and suitably unpleasant. I’m not going to  ruin it by going into details.

To be honest some of the ghostly happenings reminded me of other supernatural tales, however director Surapong Ploensang cleverly uses some of the cliché turns against us. We maybe expecting certain turns but Ploensang ups the ante in such away that we can’t help but remain at the edge of our seat. (remember cliches would be cliches if they didn’t work). I may have had an idea how some of the plot was going to go but I didn’t know it all and I didn’t expect somethings to be taken as far as they were.

What an absolute delight.

I loved this film and recommend the madness to anyone who wants to have a chilly night at the movies.

ARNOLD IS A MODEL STUDENT (2022) NDNF 2023

A young man returning from the US finds that is integration back into the Thai school system difficult. The schools, run with an iron fist, make it ripe for cheating because it’s an easier way to avoid the grief inflicted upon them

Dark comedy is a bracing commentary not only on the Thai school system but also the rise of authority in the world. It’s a troubling look at the way things are done in order to get the best results.

While very well made, the film is a bit too mannered in the telling for my taste and I never fully connected emotionally.

That said  this is worth a look if it interests you,

The Lake (2022)

What happens when you mash Korean monster film THE HOST with GORGO (or GAPPA or…) and films where victims connect with killers and filter it through the Thai film industry? THE LAKE is a good idea.

Wild and crazy, and at times all over the place, THE LAKE is the story of giant monsters coming out of lake and causing all sorts of problems after an egg is found by a little girl. It also raises questions about the destruction of the environment and how its coming back to haunt us...assuming you want to look for something deeper than monsters eat people.

What can I say, but the monsters come early and stay to the closing credits. As a monster fan I love that we didn't have to wait to get to the good stuff. This is a film of amazing set pieces and uneven linking material. Basically it's an old school monster film and a delight.

This is a film where over 60% was achieved with practical effects, including man in suits, making it a delightful giant monster movie. It's so well done I wasn't always sure what was done practical and what was computer generated.

Yes the film riffs on other better films, but at the same time the film is stealing from the best and coloring the mayhem in it’s own unique way. You really won't care, just smile at the nods.

I had an absolute blast. Honestly I was having such a great time I was pissed that I missed the film when it played very briefly in theaters.

High Art? Are you kidding?

Entertaining? Absolutely. This is the perfect film to keep us happy until the next Godzilla project hits.

For details on where to see THE LAKE go here