Film buffs can’t deny that Asian horror is in a class all on its own, but South Korea isn’t the only country responsible for cranking out some seriously high-caliber horror flicks. Although Thai horror has always had a significant cult following, Thai films are now being internationally recognized for their culture-driven, unique take on tales from beyond the grave, and fans love it.
- Horror movies have really gotten stronger over the past few years, with releases in 2022 like Barbarian and Pearl really upping the quality of scares. However, there has not been a letup in Thai horror movies, which have been consistently scary for the past few decades. This year alone saw some terrifying and disturbing Thai horror movies released, with titles like Daeng Phra Khanong, Pee Nak 3, and Cracked debuting in 2022 alone. Meanwhile, there are a lot of great options from the past to check out when it comes to this popular and beloved genre.
These include superstitious tales of woe, gruesome deaths, and psychological thrillers that make the storylines in American horror films pale in comparison.
Nang Nak (1999)
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Nang Nak is a Thai horror movie that mixes up some domestic problems with a ghostly atmosphere. In the movie, a veteran soldier named Mak returns home from war to his wife Nak and their newborn baby. However, when he gets home, his neighbors tell him there is something going on in his home that he should beware of.
This is a ghost story based on the classic folk tale about a woman who died during a difficult birth after her husband went to war. Clearly, the mysteries of this horror tale are clear. However, with the numerous movies based on this folk tale, Nang Nak stands out thanks to the great performances and the tense fear of what is to come.
Art of the Devil 2 (2005)
Art of the Devil 2 is the second movie in the franchise, but it has nothing to do with the first movie at all, and is a superior effort as a result. This is a Thai horror tale of revenge and what that means to the person seeking vengeance.
In the movie, a teacher wants to gain revenge against the students who tormented her in the past, and she turns to black magic to do so. What results is a very gory movie with intense violence that shows the dangers of tampering with black magic. This is one of the most intense Thai horror movies and is a nonstop slasher movie from start to finish.
The Unseeable (2006)
The Unseeable is a 2007 release that features a pregnant woman who is out searching for her lost husband. When she seeks shelter in a large mansion, she begins to discover unborn spirits and learns that her world is not as it seems.
What makes this movie so impressive is that it is not a gore fest nor does it rely on shocks to scare the audiences. Instead, The Unseeable is a slow-burn tale of terror that sends the lead character into a journey of finally letting go of her past. It also wasn’t a huge box office sensation, but was instead a critically acclaimed smaller horror film that deserves a bigger audience.
House of Ghosts (2004)
House of Ghosts is a movie about dealing with pain and loss, and how it can differ from person to person. The main character here is a girl who loses both of her parents in a horrific tragedy and ends up living with her aunt. This aunt also happens to be a spiritual medium.
The movie takes viewers on a trip with this girl as she tries to deal with her loss and pain, but finds herself thrown into a world where it is hard to understand what is real and what isn’t. The movie ended up as a cult favorite and remains one mentioned anytime someone wants to see a really scary Thai horror movie.
The Sisters (2004)
The Sisters starts off with a bang when a group of musicians finds a severed head in their hotel room and then end up haunted by a lost spirit. This is a basic ghost movie, where the people have to solve a crime or die trying.
As with this genre, the ghost victim can’t leave without her murder being solved. While this is a story told many times over in other movies, this one really stands out. According to the film’s synopsis, it was also based on a real murder case form Thailand that remained unsolved and everyone who found that body also died, making this movie even spookier.
Pee Mak (2013)
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Pee Mak is actually a horror-comedy film and a very entertaining one at that. It is also currently Thailand’s highest-grossing movie of all time.
It has a little something for everyone: horror, romance, and comedy. It starts when a man named Mak comes back from the war and invites his comrades to meet his wife and son. But when they arrive, Mak’s comrades start to realize that something is very off about his clan, and things only get scarier and sillier from there.
Inhuman Kiss (2019)
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Like many of the best horror films to come out of Thailand, Inhuman Kiss builds the foundation of its story on classic Thai mythology and puts an extra-scary spin on it.
The focal point of this particular tale come to life is a krasue – which is a type of nocturnal female spirit from folklore – lives a normal life, except at night. At night, her head detaches and goes on the hunt for sustenance in the form of flesh and blood. It is scary, but the film is also surprisingly moving.
Ghost Game (2006)
Imagine the deadliest reality game show in the world (something in the vein of the new classic Squid Game), and that is essentially the premise behind Ghost Game. In it, eleven contestants are sent to an abandoned military prison where terrible things happened in the past.
They are filmed and tracked as they try to make it through the game show alive while the production team sets up traps and scares. The winner will take home a $5,000,000 prize.
Art Of The Devil (2004)
The Art of the Devil trilogy is a fantastic blend of magical horror and straight-up gore. Be forewarned, these are very dark movies with horrifying subject matter. Some viewers may find the films difficult to watch, but they’re very entertaining and scary.
The story revolves around a scorned mistress who turns to the art of black magic as a means to exact revenge on the man who abandoned her while pregnant. The follow-up films also use similar themes of revenge and dark magic without being direct sequels to the original.
Meat Grinder (2009)
As the title suggests, this is a Thai horror film that isn’t for the faint of heart. It would probably be fitting for people who enjoy the Saw and Hostel franchises. It is very gory and had a controversial reception when it was released, but it has earned something of a cult following over the years.
The story follows a young woman who opens a noodle stall and uses human body parts as the main ingredient. As if that fact isn’t gross enough, clients begin showing up in waves to eat the delicious food, and things get increasingly twisted as the story goes along.
Shutter (2004)
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Shutter is a Thai horror film released back in 2004 that earned enough international recognition to be released as an English-language remake under the same title in 2008. The original was an instant box office success and is regarded as one of the best horror movies to ever come out of Thailand.
Following a hit-and-run, the couple responsible for a woman’s death begins to see images of her in their personal photographs. What follows is a series of lies, destruction, and apparitions that will make viewers understand why this film is considered a horror cult classic.
Siam Square (2017)
* Not available for streaming
Siam Square is a 2017 Thai horror film that revolves around an urban legend in the so-called “Shibuya” of Thailand, or the center of Bangkok. In the hopes of passing their University entrance exams, students are expected to worship a devil and tie red threads onto a specific chair for good luck.
When a group of students puts this theory to the test, their skepticism backfires and they find themselves being haunted by the evil spirit of a young girl and getting picked off one by one. It is a familiar setup executed to perfection.
Alone (2007)
Alone is a Thai horror film released back in 2007 that stars Thai-German pop singer Marsha Vadhanapanich in her first film role in 15 years. The film is about Pim, a young girl who recently moved to Korea to escape the guilt of being the only survivor following a separation surgery with her conjoined twin sister.
When she returns to Thailand to visit her dying mother, the angry spirit of her dead sister comes back to haunt her. Alone is packed full of surprises and twists that even M. Night Shyamalan wouldn’t see coming.
4bia (2008)
4bia, also known as Phobia, is a four-part Thai horror anthology series that was released in 2008. The first segment, titled “Happiness,” is about a lonely girl’s correspondence with an unusual stranger. The second segment, “Tit For Tat,” is about black magic and vengeance for a bullied school kid.
The third segment, “In The Middle,” follows a group of friends after a freak kayaking accident. The final segment “Last Fright,” is a psychological thriller involving an air stewardess flying solo in a cabin with a dead body. This movie has something for everyone and is a fantastic entry in the underappreciated horror anthology subgenre.
Long Weekend (2013)
Long Weekend is a horror film about a boy named Thongsook, an outcast at school with only one friend, Nam, whom he follows around incessantly. But unbeknownst to Nam’s other friends, Thongsook is a spirit medium who takes it personally when Nam’s friends plan a vacation getaway without him.
Following a mindless prank, the evil spirits and ghosts are released on the second night of the “long weekend,” which also happens to be Friday the 13th.
The Promise (2017)
The Promise is a 2017 Thai horror film that made quite the splash after its release, as its premise is incredibly dark, even for a horror movie.
The film follows two teenagers who decide to kill themselves together after both of their families face financial ruin in the wake of the 1997 Asian financial crisis. In the end, only one girl follows through with the suicide pact, and the survivor’s past actions return to haunt her twenty years later.
Coming Soon (2008)
Directed by the writer behind Shutter and Alone, Coming Soon is a film about a bootlegged movie that’s haunted by a vengeful spirit. Unsuspecting viewers find themselves haunted, abducted, and eventually blinded after watching it, and the potential victims scramble to avoid their oncoming fate.
The premise is eerily similar to The Ring, which also involves a vengeful spirit that surfaces only after watching a tape. Given that the Japanese version of The Ring (Ringu) was released ten years before Coming Soon, it’s not hard to figure out where their inspiration came from.
The Eyes Diary (2014)
The Eyes Diary, originally based on a comic book, is a tragic love story about a young man, Nott, who loses his girlfriend in a gruesome motorcycle accident, but that’s not where it ends. The film follows Nott as he volunteers to retrieve corpses from wrecks and keeps the souvenirs of the bodies he finds in the hopes that he will be able to converse with the dead and see his girlfriend once more.
Communicating with the dead isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, however, and the scares and the hauntings eventually rack up to create a terrifying thriller.
Ghost Of Mae Nak (2005)
* Stream now on Kanopy
The Ghost of Mae Nak is a 2005 Thai film that revolves around an ancient Thai legend that has been retold countless times in books, TV shows, and films. According to Thai folklore, a beautiful pregnant woman named Nak died in childbirth while waiting for her husband, Mak, to come home from war.
Upon his return, Mak finds his wife and child waiting for him, but every neighbor that tries to warn him that he’s living with a ghost is killed. Eventually, Mak realizes his wife is a ghost and attempts to flee. Unlike in other retellings of this horrific parenting movie, Ghost of Mae Nak has a refreshingly modern twist, but certain elements of the well-known tale remain the same.
Laddaland (2011)
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This fantastic horror film follows an affluent family as they move to Laddaland, an upscale housing development in the suburbs of Bangkok. Unfortunately for the new residents, Laddaland is nothing but a gated community of dark energy and terrifying, paranormal events that drive its residents to the brink.
The film plays on common themes of familial dysfunction and the false veneer of perfection in upscale environments and reformulates these concepts into straight-up horror.
