While other parts of Asia have been making horror movies for decades, Vietnam had a late start. Tales of non-war horror didn’t really begin to crop up until after the 20th century. Since then, Vietnam has been trying to catch up. There is indeed a learning curve to consider when watching V-horror; it’s a fairly new genre for many filmmakers. But as someone watches SCREAMBOX‘s latest acquisition, the aptly titled and now streaming Vietnamese Horror Story, it’s evident that Vietnam has a lot to offer in terms of unique cultural frights and thrills. Vietnamese Horror Story (Chuyện Ma Gần Nhà) uses not only a familiar format, but also a digestible one; Trần Hữu Tấn‘s movie is an anthology. The first of its kind in Vietnam.
In Vietnamese Horror Story, a group of friends shares ghost stories when the power goes out during a rainy night. These three distinct terror tales are based on local myths. First, a famous actor finds the trick to staying youthful-looking. Then, a street vendor’s obsession with magic takes a dark turn. Finally, a woman seeks a psychic’s help in finding the remains of her dead sister. All three sub-stories here are either inherently supernatural, or they’re thoroughly surreal. And with more relaxed censorship to thank, this movie also boasts some gruesomeness.
Anthologies are less commonly made these days, but they’re not completely gone. And Asia certainly has a long history with anthologies. From Japan’s Kwaidan to the Philippines’ Shake, Rattle and Roll franchise, the continent has always enjoyed using the portmanteau style.
In addition to Vietnamese Horror Stories, horror fans are urged to watch these six other anthology movies from Asia.
Darna Mana Hai (2003)
Anthologies were a risk in Indian cinema until Darna Mana Hai (Forbidden Fear) changed people’s perception. By no means the movie wasn’t a box-office hit, but it did go on to become a cult classic. There’s even a sequel called Darna Zaroori Hai. In the first movie, friends traveling through a dark forest tell scary anecdotes after their car breaks down.
These tales include a couple finding evil in the swamp (“On the Way”), a hotel manager who takes his anti-smoking stance much too far (“No Smoking”), a teacher who becomes fearful of his suddenly studious pupil (“Homework”), a woman brings home a curse after visiting the local bazaar (“Apples”), a taxi driver picks up a phantom passenger (“Ghostly Lift”), and a college student gains the power to “freeze” people (“Stop/Move”).
Three… Extremes (2004)
Pan-Asian anthologies were unheard of until Three came out in 2002. This trio of short and self-contained features, each one from a different region of East or Southeast Asia, was eventually eclipsed by its 2004 sequel, Three… Extremes. With better reviews at its disposal and more high-profile directors involved, the follow-up saw an international release before its predecessor, which was retroactively renamed Three… Extremes II.
In the 2004 movie, Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan are respectively represented by Fruit Chan, Park Chan-wook and Takashi Miike. Chan’s “Dumplings,” which pairs well with the first segment in Vietnamese Horror Story, spotlights a taboo recipe for juvenescence. Park’s “Cut” is a twisted psychological thriller about a famous director and a disturbed actor. And finally, Takashi’s “Box” shows the director’s phantasmagorical side.
Phobia 2 (2009)
Another set of anthologies where the sequel nearly surpasses the original is the Phobia series. This sequel to 4bia has five stories this time around.
Paween Purijitpanya kicks things off with “Novice,” a tale of a young delinquent whose crime doesn’t go unpunished, even if his mother sends him away to a remote temple. A hospitalized teen witnesses an evil entity in Visute Poolvoralaks’ “Ward.” Songyos Sugmakanan’s crowd-pleasing “Backpackers” takes a sharp but welcome turn as tourists discover the shocking cargo inside a truck. Parkpoom Wongpoom‘s vicious clip “Salvage” features a sinister car, and lastly, Banjong Pisanthanakun’s horror-comedy “In The End” centers around a haunted movie set.
Horror Stories (2012)
Taking a page out of Tales from the Darkside: The Movie, the first in the Horror Stories franchise shows a teen captive being forced to entertain her abductor. She staves off his murderous cravings with four macabre yarns. Jung Bum-sik’s “Don’t Answer the Door” is a modern take on a classic Korean folktale; here two latchkey siblings are preyed on by a home intruder. Im Dae-woong’s uncomplicated offering “Endless Flight” pits a flight attendant against a serial killer.
Another Korean folktale is used for inspiration in the third segment, “Secret Recipe,” which plays like an even darker version of the original “Cinderella.” The last and most exhilarating chapter is undoubtedly Kim Gok and Kim Sun’s “Ambulance on the Death Zone”; a nurse must make a difficult choice one night in a city overrun by zombies. There are two Horror Stories sequels for anyone still in the mood for more partitioned K-horror.
Kidan: Piece of Darkness (2016)
Fans of Japanese horror and anthologies are treated to ten stories in Kidan: Piece of Darkness. This uneven but mostly entertaining compilation of standalone scares is based on a book by author Fuyumi Ono. The directors include Mari Asato (Ju-on: Black Ghost), Hiroki Iwasawa, Eisuke Naitō (The Crone), Yoshihiro Nakamura (The Booth), Hajime Ōhata (ABCs of Death 2),and Kōji Shiraishi (Noroi). Everything begins with the short and sweet “Overtaking,” where a car’s passengers get a frightful surprise on the road. From there the movie goes straight into the incredibly eerie “Shadow Man.” If you see one short here, make it this one.
Quality consistency is debatable in any given anthology. Nothing in Kidan is outright unforgivable, but some segments do stand out more than others. “Looking Out Together” is darkly funny, “Let’s Keep Playing” stirs up memories of the most horrific of British safety shorts, and Shiraishi ends the movie on a good note with “Sealed.”
Vietnamese Horror Story is now streaming on SCREAMBOX!
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