MAKE ME SHUDDER 2: SHUDDER ME MAE NAK (2014)

Genre: Horror/Comedy
Director: Poj Apirut
Cast: Wanida Termthanaporn, Pongpitch Preechaborisuthigul, Kunatip Pinpradub, Puvadol Vechwongsah, Kittipat Samarntragulchai, Worachai Sirikongsuwan, Rittichai Tasarika, Brian Garton, Sirapob Manitikun, Witawas Tawkumleu, Metakorn Supapuntaree, Surawich Ruengyoss
RunTime: 2 hrs
Rating: PG13 (Horror)
Released By: Encore Films and GV
Official Website: http://www.encorefilms.com/makemeshudder2

Opening Day: 12 June 2014

Synopsis: The wacky and foul-mouthed high school boys are back. The gang is led by their leader, Kunatip Pinpradub (Nick). His gang members include: Puvadol Vechwongsah (James), Worachai Sirikongsuwan (Tape), Suppakij Amornthitipong (Benz), Kittipat SamarnTagulchai (Bill), Brian Garton (Brian) and Sirapob Manitikun (Net). After challenging supernatural forces at an abandoned school (in Make Me Shudder Part 1), Nick, Bew, James and his friends are now preparing for their university admission. As they played too much and failed miserably for their examinations, James brings his friends to receive blessings from Mae Nak Shrine, hoping to enter a university. However, Nick does not believe in Mae Nak and insults Mae Nak at her shrine. Suddenly, a whirl of wind brings the gang back in time. Mae Nak appears and promises to grant them their wish, but under one condition: they have to find her husband, Pee Mak. Desperate, the gang decides to seek any help to return back home. This is when the horror (fun) begins.

Movie Review:

Whenever anyone talks about Thailand, Bangkok, cheap shopping, Thai food, massage and Thai horror are never fail to be mentioned. If you are expecting Shudder Me Mae Nak to be in the likes of Thai horror films such as Shutter (2004), Coming Soon (2008), 4bia & 4bia 2 (2008, 2009), you are in for a very wrong deal. To make your expectations right, just think of Shudder Me Mae Nak to be the Asian version of the Scary Movie series.

According to Thai folklore, Mae Nak (otherwise known as Nang Nak), had an undying (pun intended) love for her husband. After he returned from the war, the already dead Mae Nak, continues to live with her husband and ended up harming the entire village to keep her husband away from the truth of her death. This story is repeatedly told and dramatized, and made into horror movies such as Nang Nak (1999) and Ghost of Mae Nak (2005). The Thais really grow up hearing about her story, and to this day, people go to the shrine dedicated to Mae Nak for blessings and guidance.

So Shudder Me Mae Nak is basically a spoof and parody of this well-known folklore. The gang of friends, headed by Nick, Bew and James, decided to seek for Mae Nak’s blessings for their upcoming examinations. While ‘praying’ for her blessings to bestow upon them, Nick also secretly challenged Mae Nak to show her powers to them. After what seemed like a supernatural wind storm, Nick wakes up from a blackout and was summoned to a hut by the river. He convinces his gang of friends to join him on this expedition.

There, they were brought back in time and witnessed Mae Nak’s death while having a hard delivery. They fled for their lives, only to realize that they could not find the way back. They were eventually tasked by Mae Nak to relay the message to the husband that she had given birth to their child. The later part of the story and the development closely follows to the original story of Mae Nak.

This movie is definitely more of a comedy than a horror movie. It was funny initially, especially with the boys being adorable and naïve at the same time. But eventually the movie did feel arduously long, as both the scare and comedic elements tend to be repetitive. Expect a lot of the ‘in your face’ kind of scare tactics. And even when the sound effect prepares you for a very high quality scare, you’d only be thrown a wet blanket. The interest level dips lower and lower each time the pattern repeats.

Shudder Me Mae Nak is at best one of those cheap entertainments that helps you kill some time. It offers you a fresh perspective on what Thai cinema and Thai horror can be. Its attempt to be the forerunner of the Asian version of Scary Movie series is applaudable, albeit still not a top choice in movies (as expected of parody films actually). If you need to train up your guts to watch scarier Thai horror films, this is not too bad a starting ground. 

Movie Rating:

(Asian’s very own Scary Movie? Makes me shudder too!)

Review by Tho Shu Ling