DEATH WHISPERER 2 (ธี่หยด 2) (2024)

Genre: Horror/Thriller
Director: Taweewat Wantha
Cast: Nadech Kugimiya, Denise Jelilcha Kapaun, Nutthacha Jessica Padovan, Junior Kajbhunditt Jaidee, Friend Peerakrit Phacharaboonyakiat, Mim Rattanawadee Wongthong, Phiravich Attachitsataporn, Thanatsaran Samthonglai, Todsapol Maisuk
Runtime: 1 hr 52 mins
Rating: NC16 (Violence and Horror)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 21 November 2024

Synopsis: Three years after the death of Yam, Yak (Nadech Kugimiya) still relentlessly hunts the Black Spirit that took his sister’s life. Despite his family’s efforts to convince him to stop seeking revenge on the Black Spirit, Yak is determined to track it down, fearing the ghost will return to harm his family. Yak follows the mysterious death of a newborn and finds clues leading him to a Black Spirit controlled by a powerful shaman named Puang, hiding in the ‘Dong Khomot,’ a place filled with mystical and dangerous powers. Meanwhile, Yad (Denise Jelilcha Kapaun) is about to marry Pradit (Phiravich Attachitsataporn), hoping that Yak will return to attend the wedding and reunite with everyone. Little do they know, the Black Spirit is about to return, bringing terror to Yak’s family once again.

Movie Review: 

As its name suggests, ‘Death Whisperer 2’ is a direct sequel to its predecessor, so you’d do well to refresh your memory of the events of the first film before stepping into this one. Though it has been a year since the previous movie, the sequel picks up three years after the family lost Yam to the Black Spirit, with the eldest son Yak (Nadech Kugimiya) still on the hunt for the malevolent black ghoul. Yak is accompanied on his quest by Sarge (Ongart Cheamcharoenpornkul), and as the dramatic opening scene demonstrates, the duo are now a pair of fearless exorcists going from rural village to rural village freeing the possessed from the clutches of evil spirits.

Their search leads them to the foreboding Dong Khomot, a forest deep within the mountains rumoured to be terribly haunted. While en route, Yak and Sarge are joined somewhat too fortuitously by an extended family of hunters also searching for the Black Spirit, although as you can probably guess, there is more to their intentions than meets the eye. A nail-biting chase in the middle of the night through the Dong Khomot forest once again reinforces returning director Taweewat Wantha’s gift for mixing thrills, chills and dry humour, the last of which is noticeably amped up from the first movie, which had more emphasis on character build-up and was also consequently more poignant.

Whereas the former spent more time setting up the various members of the family and their dynamics, especially that between Yak and his stern father, ‘Death Whisperer 2’ goes straight for the jugular, and the change of pace is palpable. It also is effectively a film of two parts, with the first hour largely focused on Yak and Sarge’s exploits in the vile Dong Khomot forest and the next hour rounding back to the family as the Black Spirit returns even more powerfully (we won’t give away the reason why) to claim the eldest sister Yad (Denise Jelilcha Kapaun). The latter takes place almost entirely within the confines of a secluded hotel where the family is staying at to prepare for Yad’s impending nuptials.

Besides the change in pace, what is also refreshing this time around is the greater agency that each of the family members displays in confronting the Black Spirit. Though still susceptible to her spell, there is less of that disbelief and helplessness that we saw in the first movie, which if replicated here, would probably come across tiring and even grating. Indeed, it is nice to see Yak’s brothers – Yos (Kajbhunditt Jaidee) and Yod (Peerakit Patcharabunyakiat) – stand up to defend themselves and their family against the Black Spirit, or the youngest sister Yee (Nutthatcha Padovan) allying her own fears as she comes face to face with her mother when the latter is taken over by the Black Spirit.

It is also nice to see how each of the cast has not only grown up since the last movie, but also grown into their respective roles, and it says a lot that even with less scene-setting, they do act and feel like a real family unit. That has in turn allowed Wantha to focus on the set-pieces, which he approaches with utter gusto, mixing action, horror, gore and wit into a two-hour non-stop thrill ride. Like we said, this sequel is a lot pacier than its predecessor was, and it is to Wantha’s credit that he works through the beats with proper build-up of atmosphere, suspense and tension, so that you are properly invested in each scene before the crescendo.

To be sure though, ‘Death Whisperer 2’ isn’t the next Thai horror cinematic milestone like how ‘Shutter’ was 20 years ago, but given how the hit or miss ratio since then, we must say we were pleasantly surprised by both this and its predecessor thus far. We’ll say too that it doesn’t hurt that each one of the young cast members are easy on the eye, and notwithstanding the fact that they were probably chosen based on their looks, pull off their respective roles convincingly. If you need a horror fix, this fast-paced, roller-coaster ride of ghostbusting will more than satiate your hunger; and as follow-up to one of the better Thai horror movies of recent time, it is as competent a sequel as we could have asked for.

Movie Rating:

(One of the better Thai horrors in recent time, this combination of action, horror, gore and wit is a fast-paced thrill ride)

Review by Gabriel Chong