"Haunting in Japan (2016)", Dissapointingly White Blank

I will just say it that this movie is weird. I actually never expected much from a Thailand horror movie, yes Thailand. I thought it was a Japanese horror film because of the title, turns out it was a movie about a group of Thailand men who want to make a music video in Japan. It was typical horror-comedy-romance between human and ghost, which is somehow, become a usual tropes for Thailand horror movie. I believe that it is not the first movie I watch from Thailand who had this kind of plot. So for you that wanted to watch it keep in mind to have low to mediocre expectation.

Well let's get to the point. I always have problem with Thailand horror because I can't seem to place it quite well. Sometimes it takes itself too seriously and  too dramatic on the story but then give a cheap joke or reference out of nowhere. Somehow from the first scene I can imagine what kind of plot that this movie will have. So those that expect something new, you should watch something else.

imdb

Like I mentioned before, the story follow a group of men who wanted to shoot a music video In the middle of a white winter, in a countryside in Japan. However, the house that they have rented is haunted by several ghosts. There's a pair of mother and child ghosts with pale faces. Then there's the mysterious Thai woman who floats around sadly, looking neither alive nor dead. She just might be the legendary spirit from the Japanese folklore - Snow Woman.

The way they told the story is weird and confusing. They go back and forth between a man of the group who fall in love with mysterious lady and the mysterious lady with lack of time explanation. I myself wondered whether several scenes happened in the past, present, or the future. I just think it is a mess.

The ghost lady and the child is pretty scary especially when no mask is worn. I just wish they get more explored rather than the mysterious lady. The characters are comical and cannot be taken seriously and felt out of place when serious things happened. There is no character that I stay attached with, other than the good weird exorcist.

The setting is only in the house and its surrounding, and the shown cast is only several people. This movie felt really really small. I did not manage to explore the snowy atmosphere and beauty of winter from this movie.

I rate this movie 4 out of 10, but because it really take its closure and help from other people for granted I will give it 3 out of 10. I did not enjoy it, it was not scary enough and I will not recommend you to watch it. Regardless if you wanted to you should give the trailer a taste.