U.S. DVD Release
I remember a time when Asian horror absolutely terrified the shit out of me; it made me feel weak and helpless. Some of those films left me paralyzed on my couch or in my bed, unable to go to the bathroom or walk through the dark hallway leading to my bedroom. I simply wasn’t prepared for the real feelings of terror Asian cinema inspired in me because American ghost stories just really aren’t scary. Despite fantastic films like The Haunting, The Changeling, Poltergeist and The Entity I believe our predominantly Christian culture wants to desperately believe ghosts aren’t vengeful but helpful (like Casper!) and they can simply be “laid to rest” and all is well in the world. As we all know…that’s far from how Asian’s view ghosts.
While our ghosts are occasionally mischievous to get people’s attention, Asian ghosts are vengeful and violent because they passed on into the next world enveloped in violence and hatred. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you believe in, they want retribution. Finding their remains and using holy water isn’t going to keep their malevolence from spreading like a disease. The concept of the Asian ghost makes far more sense to me as a horror fan which is why I’m always so shaken when watching a really good A-horror ghost flick.
Unfortunately, all good things must eventually come to an end. Somebody give the sub-genre a dunce cap because it’s about two movies away from being sent to the back of the class with the American slasher film. Just when I feel like I’m ready to give up on Asian ghost cinema though a film comes along that reminds me there are still original films just waiting to be discovered. If you’ve been avoiding Dorm on the shelves of your local rental/retail outlet for fear that it’s no different from any other ghost flick, think again. Dorm is an emotionally-charged, incredibly tense film that had me gripping my seat in suspense and laughing out loud. I do believe I was on the verge of tears once or twice as well. It was impressive and I’m definitely glad I gave this film a shot!
Poor Chatree (nicknamed Ton), after antagonizing his Father to no end by allowing his grades to slip, the young troublemaker ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time and witnesses his father boffing the live in maid! Good old Dad makes the decision that Ton will no longer be allowed to go to his private school and he packs the boy off to a private boarding school. While his father insists it’s for the good of Ton’s education, the boy knows he’s being silenced and he doesn’t plan to enjoy his stay at this school away from his friends one bit!
Upon arrival at the school Ton attracts the attention of a few young scallywags looking to scare the shit out of him with some disturbing ghost stories. That night while alone in the dormitory bathroom he’s terrified to discover some of their stories may have had merit! As if things couldn’t get worse he urinates in his bed after refusing to go to the bathroom alone which opens him up to all sorts of ridicule. Lonely and bitter, Ton meets a helpful young man named Vichien eager to help him adjust to dorm life.
As Vichien and Chatree begin to get closer, Ton realizes Vichien may know more about the ghost haunting the dorm and the horrible tragedies that had occurred at the school. Can Ton adjust to dorm living and learn to care for somebody other than himself? What is Vichien’s connection to the stern Miss Pranee?
Dorm is everything you’d expect a touching, come-of-age ghost story to be without that Hollywood happiness feel. Yes, it does have a “happy” ending but you’ll have to see the film to understand what I mean by that. It will certainly bring tears to some people’s eyes but I never felt it was too heavy-handed when it came to the emotion. You’ll either feel it or you won’t but the film never forces you to love Chatree or Vichien, you just…do. They’re fun-loving kids and the entire film rings absolutely true. Nobody is too over-the-top and some of the spirit sequences are not only heart-stopping but also heart-wrenching. Director Songyos Sugmakanan did a great job of balancing the tension with the emotion though I sort of felt he blew his “wad” a bit too early.
If you’re a fan of films like Stand By Me and The Devil’s Backbone, you’re definitely going to find Dorm engaging. The dialogue was quite good though occasionally a bit wonky on the translation tip. We’ve seen that happy before though. While I don’t always mind dubbing, I’ll choose subs 90% of the time, even if I feel they’re goofy as hell.
Before you run out and rent this be aware that this isn’t really “scary” in the sense that you’ll need to pull your feet up onto the bed but it will raise the hair on your arms a few times. Personally, I found Chatree’s loneliness and Vichien’s acceptance far scarier than long-haired ghost girls. I highly recommend this film, just be sure you understand this isn’t your average A-horror clone; it’s original, interesting and everything we’ve grown accustomed to no longer seeing.
