[Movie Review] ‘Take Me Home’ is an epic tragedy

Tan and Tubtim in "Take Me Home. (Cathay-Keris Films)
Tan and Tubtim in "Take Me Home. (Cathay-Keris Films)

Should you watch this at weekday movie ticket prices? OK.

Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? No.

Score: 3.0/5

Secret ending? No.

Running time: 94 minutes (~1.5 hours)

Mario Maurer is Tan in "Take Me Home." (Cathay-Keris Films)
Mario Maurer is Tan in “Take Me Home.” (Cathay-Keris Films)

“Take Me Home” is a Thai horror film about an amnesiac man who returns home to his sister, brother-in-law, and their two children. Unfortunately, not everything is as it seems. It stars Mario Maurer (Tan), Wannarot Sonthichai (Tubtim), Peter Noppachai (Chiwin), Nabhada Sukhakrit (Waw), and Duangjai Hirunsri (Chom). It is rated NC-16.

“Take Me Home” is a rare gem among Thai films because it focuses on production values rather than zany antics and cheap scares. In fact, you’ll be hard pressed to find any instance of slapstick in this film. All the characters act with class and dignity, and serve to emphasise the elegant treatment of the subject matter. What results is an exquisitely shot film that delivers an impressive ghost story, an epic that could very well have come from a Thai legend.

Tubtim (Wannarot Sonthichai) in "Take Me Home. (Cathay-Keris Films)
Tubtim (Wannarot Sonthichai) in “Take Me Home. (Cathay-Keris Films)

Highlights

Symbolism and visual storytelling

Rather than explaining everything through dialogue, the film uses motifs to spin its story. Recurring images slowly uncover their secrets as you learn more about their context throughout the film, and character relationships are revealed through actions, not words. The dialogue serves more as a lubricant to facilitate the storytelling, rather than moving the plot or giving exposition.

Beautiful cinematography

Because of the symbolic nature of the film, shots are framed with the utmost care to provide callbacks to earlier scenes and foreshadowing of later events. The mise-en-scene is also well crafted, with every prop and set piece serving a purpose (as opposed to just being set dressing). It’s a visual spectacle, and complemented by a dramatic score.

An epic tragedy

At its heart, “Take Me Home” is about the loneliness of humanity and the universal desire for companionship. Taken in this light, the film is a powerful tale of loss and pain for all the characters, Chom included. What makes the events of the film all the more sorrowful is that strong ties between Tan and Tubtim meant that they, above everyone else, should have found happiness.

A horrified Tan in "Take Me Home. (Cathay-Keris Films)
A horrified Tan in “Take Me Home. (Cathay-Keris Films)

Letdowns

Creepy rather than scary

“Take Me Home” isn’t so much a scary movie, as it is a creepy one. It’s like an Asian Gothic film, where a large mansion hides secrets that should stay buried. If you’re expecting a traditional horror movie, you might be disappointed — or pleasantly surprised at how its a story that spans generations.

Ending is a copout

The problem with the resolution is take it gives an easy way out for our characters, without having them suffer the consequences of their decisions. It fulfills all the plot requirements and follows character motivations, but the lack of any impact means that the ending feels lazy and hasty.

Tan and Tubtim in "Take Me Home. (Cathay-Keris Films)
Tan and Tubtim in “Take Me Home. (Cathay-Keris Films)

“Take Me Home” should have been billed as a tragedy, rather than a horror film.

“Take Me Home” opens in cinemas 30 June, 2016 (Thursday).

This review was also published on Yahoo!.

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