I love digging into horror films from around the world, seeing how different directors and cultures dole out their scares, what is frightening to them, and how some things are scary across the board, seemingly tapping into some primal fear.

Thailand delivers Death Whisperer, which according to the film’s intro is based loosely on a true story that occurred in the early 70s. Adapted from a novel, the film is set in Kanchanaburi province, on a remote farm where a family lives and thrives.

The three sisters of the family, Yad (Denise Jelilcha Kapaun), Yam (Rattanawadee Wongtong) and little Yee (Nutthatcha Padovan) are central to the story, and things get very unnerving for middle child Yam, and Yee when they both see something/someone near a towering tree, and someone else stalking them through a local fair.

Soon the household is plagued by seemingly supernatural incidents, and when their older brother, Yod (Peerakit Patcharabunyakiat) returns from his army service and he begins to worry about his sister’s strange behaviour.

As the incidents escalate, everyone begins to believe that Yam is possessed, and they may need help to get the young woman back from whatever has taken control of her.

There are some of the usual tropes, and consequently, there are not a lot of narrative surprises but the film is put together really well, leaning into its scares which include a nice sequence as they race to get Yam to a hospital, and there’s also some fun gore that works really well in the context of the film.

The characters are first in the story, the narrative is important, the mood, the atmosphere and then the scares. So if you invest in it the film pays off it’s a lot of fun, has some great moments, and hints at the possibility of a sequel to come.

Everything just gets amped up further and further, and you are left gasping at the end as things don’t let up until the final shot. I got a lot out of this one, I really enjoyed the cast, the way the characters interact, the hint of some strained family dynamics, and of course, the mythology created within the film.

I quite enjoyed this one, I like how it was crafted. I like that it took it’s time, building the tension, and heightening the impact of the scares. This is the kind of film that keeps me coming back to investigate horror movies from other countries.