capacity for cruelty, and their justification for it. The violence in each story is beautifully crafted, almost operatic and theatrical, as it is often portrayed in the best of Asian horror. The stories themselves are very culturally relevant. There’s a macabre twist on back-alley traditional medicines, an extreme reaction to widening social gaps, and an uneasy interpretation of the burden of expectations on young performers. There is a lot that is disturbing there, but always engrossing. It is a tribute to three directors at the top of their craft, and a horror palette that viewers should look deeper into rather than only sampling through subpar Hollywood remakes. Phobia 2 (2009) One of my personal favourites due to one segment in particular. The reason you might not have seen this one is because it is, together with the entertaining but inferior Phobia 1 (or 4Bia as it is better known as), a Thai film. It is actually one of the highest grossing films in Thai cinema, and absolutely deserves wider recognition worldwide. The film consists of 5 stories which vary from good to tremendous in terms of quality and storytelling, all with the underlying theme of karma running through. They’re very short segments, clocking at around 20 minutes each and this makes them sharp and snappy… and incredibly creepy. The stories are all different in tone and scope. There’s the story of a dealer who sells cars that have been in fatal accidents, a pair of backpackers who come across a truck with an interesting cargo, a young man who ends up in hospital next to a disturbing patient, a boy who joins a monastery to atone for a terrible crime. The last segment, about a group of friends on a horror set, is one of my favourite horror shorts of all time. It manages to be hilarious and scary at the same time. The story is incredibly self-aware and goes all out satirising a lot of Asian horror conventions without spoofing them. It remains engaging and smart from the first frame and is as good a love letter to horror clichés as Scream or Cabin in the Woods. Go check it out now!
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