One of the most famous Thai ghosts is getting yet another modern interpretation. The legend of krasue now sees a new life in cinema in the form of the fantasy thriller Krasue Siam (Sisters), though the results aren't as thrilling as they've been cooked up to be.
Directed by Prachya Pinkaew, who has helmed the likes of Ong Bak and Tom Yum Goong, his name promised a lot of action, though, again, that wasn't quite delivered to us as we'd been promised. Prachya's latest film sees two sisters being condemned to the fate passed down from their parentage. One is a krasue hunter; the other is fated as the demonic krasue itself. And we can't really tell who deserves more pity from us.
The film opened with a long monologue by Veena (Ploiyukhon Rojanakatanyoo from #BKKY) explaining how the story came to be, a witch doctor battling the flying demon. Krasue, portrayed here as a gorgeous femme fatale, has the ability to remove its head from its body and fly around with its glowing internal organs dangling down.
From the past mishap in a rural home, we soon continue into the present, with Veena and her sister Mora (Nannaphas Loetnamchoetsakun, one of the idols from BNK48) now teenagers living and studying in Bangkok. The older Veena has been trained in the art of witchcraft and combat by her uncle, with the sole purpose of protecting the younger Mora, particularly from the family's nemesis, Ratree (actress and singer Rhatha "Yaya Ying" Phongam), who is the leader of a krasue coven hiding in a shady beauty clinic in Siam Square (which may seem even less plausible than the existence of krasue itself).
It was quite disappointing to watch Krasue Siam. The plot goes all over the place in its attempt to incorporate too much while delivering so little. There seem to be different aspects in the story that could manifest into a true conflict. A lot of threads were initially addressed. A lot of conditions came with being a modern krasue. But, in the end, not much of it was developed, explained or even made sense enough to hit a chord with the audience.
Ploiyukhon, as the repressed Veena, seems a little stiff and doesn't exactly look the part of someone who's been trained in combat. The one who actually surprised me was Nannaphas. She is quite charming in her role and carried herself pretty well as Mora. As for other veteran cast members, it's a waste to have someone like Rhatha in a script that doesn't allow her to do much more than look pretty and menacing.
I think we can agree that krasue is a difficult character to pull off visually. With just a bobbing head and dangling bits, it's a given that CGI work has to be top-notch in order to make krasue appear realistic and not stick out to the point that it distracts viewers' attention from the story. For Krasue Siam, the CGI was all right, though it could've been much better in several scenes.
What bad timing, really, coming within weeks of a well-received turn in Saeng Krasue (Inhuman Kiss), another krasue tale that had quite a good run in cinemas. The differences are pronounced, and the comparison inevitably harsh. The previous krasue tale really surpassed this one in plot and production. I would applaud Krasue Siam for trying to be innovative, but sadly it just doesn't offer much else.
