Should you watch this at weekday movie ticket prices? OK.
Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? If you like Thai supernatural films.
Score: 3.5/5
Secret ending? No.
Running time: 112 minutes (~1.75 hours)
“Senior (鬼学长)” is a Thai supernatural thriller about Mon, a girl who can smell, rather than see, ghosts. Together with Senior, a restless spirit, the duo must solve a decades-old murder mystery. It stars Jannine Parawie Weigel (Mon) and Pongsakorn Tosuwan (Senior). It is rated PG-13.
“Senior (鬼学长)” is a weird hodge-podge of genres — horror, mystery, romance — with an equally strange premise. It’s a quirky approach to take, but this lack of focus means that many of the elements are hit-or-miss. An equally odd mindset is required to fully appreciate this film with its indie treatment but mainstream production values.
Highlights
Psychologically damaged characters
Mon and Senior might be the run-of-the-mill human and ghost couple, but the suspects in the murder mystery are a group of twisted folk. Their motivations get more disturbing with each new revelation, and even seemingly normal characters have pretty deviant backstories. It’s fascinating to see just how sick each character can get, as they continuously trump one another in terms of depravity.
Fairly interesting premise
It’s odd to have someone smell ghosts instead of seeing or hearing them, but given how bizarre the entire film is, the idea fits fairly well. It’s a challenge to depict such a power visually, and it frequently requires constipated expressions to signify the olfactory detection of the supernatural. But it also serves to complement the unconventional characters that they’re investigating.
Letdowns
Plot elements are unclear
Can Mon actually see Senior? She behaves as if she can in some scenes, but the film quickly reminds us that her ability is to smell, rather than see, ghosts. The film attempts to make this an ambiguous element but it comes off as a confused and inconsistent interpretation of the movie’s internal logic. The supernatural rules of the film don’t always make sense either, with characters ignoring established parameters whenever the plot requires it.
Jannine Weigel’s emotionless portrayal of Mon
Besides scrunching her face up when she smells the supernatural, Jannine Weigel has no other expression other than a stoned gaze, even when she’s angry. You can’t tell what she’s thinking or feeling because your only clue is through her dialogue. It’s painful to watch her fumble through the film smelling ghosts, which is such a waste because the character, as written, has a strong arc and good development.
Senior’s make-up is distracting
That pasty white look is OK in dark, misty scenes. Seeing it under bright daylight, however, make Mon literally look like a clown. You’re constantly scrutinising his face to figure out how thick that white powder is or whether it’s rubbed off on his clothes. A less exaggerated look would have gone a long way to making Senior a more believable ghost.
“Senior (鬼学长)” is an unusual film that takes some getting used to, and has to be applauded for its daring originality.
“Senior (鬼学长)” opens in cinemas 18 February, 2016 (Thursday).
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