Shutter (2004) – Thai Horror Film Review
Shutter is a Thai horror film that was released in 2004. It was so successful, it got the Hollywood treatment in 2008, However, if you get along okay with subtitles or understand Thai, the original film is easily the better option.
Set in Bangkok, Shutter begins with a group of friends enjoying a party. It’s a good vibe but it doesn’t last long. On their way home Jane (Natthaweeranuch Thongmee) and her boyfriend Tun (Ananda Everingham) are still in good form and obviously very much in love. Things take a turn for the worse when a young woman steps out in front of the car, which hits her at speed and then goes into a spin, before crashing into a sign at the side of the road.
The couple can see the body in the road behind them. Jane, who was driving, asks Tun if the girl is dead, and is about to get out of the car and go and see. Tun stops her, demanding that she drive away.
In the days that follow, Jane remains shell-shocked about the incident and asks Tun how he can behave as if nothing has happened, while she is finding it difficult to sleep. He tells her he is upset too but his actions fail to back up his words. He is getting on with his life as normal.
Things are far from being normal, though. Tun is a professional photographer, and his pictures after the accident often contain ghostly images. Meanwhile, Jane is tormented by nightmares that suggest the girl they left on the road died and is now haunting her.
However, when Jane and Tun do some checks, no accident has been reported. It’s all very strange and only gets stranger.
Despite his ability to avoid dwelling on the accident, Tun has been having neck pain since the accident. Submitting to Jane’s wishes, he visits the local hospital to get checked over but, after hearing a ghostly voice speaking through one of the nurse’s lips rushes off without his prescription.
Then, after witnessing one of his friends jump from a balcony to his death, he finds out all of his friends from the party have committed suicide.
As the film progresses, it becomes apparent Tun knew the girl who stepped in front of Jane’s car. Her name was Natre. She and Tun had a relationship, then Natre disappeared—long before he met Jane. It’s all very mysterious, Tun appears to know more than he is willing to tell and gradually becomes the focus of the spectral encounters.
Shutter has more in common with Japanese films, like The Ring and The Grudge, than it does with the films that come out of Hollywood, which seldom appear to be capable of matching their Asian counterparts for atmosphere and creepiness.
It’s a well-crafted story, with plenty of twists and turns and events that perhaps didn’t seem important earlier in the film, start to make sense towards the end causing those moments when viewers are likely to think, “Oh! So that’s what that was about.”
I actually saw the Hollywood remake first, not long after its release. I didn’t enjoy it. The original is much better and caused me to jump in my seat more than once. If you decide to watch it, there is a good chance you will do the same. Shutter is a great choice for anyone who appreciates good Asian horror films. It’s equally suitable for those who are keen to break free from all those Hollywood horror remakes and watch an original film for a change.