fredag 16 december 2011

Necromancer (จอมขมังเวทย์, 2005)


Another thai-movie from my collection that I haven't watched - until now! Necromancer is a very fine, and serious, cop/horror-movie that deals with traditional thai black magic. It's set in world like our own, but the cops are familiar with black magic and has to catch criminals with the same powers. I'm not sure about the names, but Akara Amarttayakul plays Santi - a young inspector that want's to catch a very powerful magician, an ex-cop that has been imprisoned for corruption and murder, but escaped with the help of his powers.

He travels to the south of Thailand and sets up an office in a town where a lot of black magic is going on, and soon he's getting closer to the magician. But at the same time he get's himself more and more involved with black magic and slowly looses his sense of respect towards other people. To catch this magician... he needs to be a master of black magic himself!

The story dosen't seem to be that much, but the actors are very strong and makes very good performances, among the best I've seen in a thai movie! As a horror movie it works ok, but it's like a cop-movie it turns really good. Of course we're treated to some nasty black magic to, and the best one is when one of the characters sends his young son after the magician and it turns very macabre and quite bloody. We also have a skinning and a very gory cut throat. The visual effects are most of the times good, except the computer animated bull (and a dog to!) that's terrible. But on the other hand, it's supposed to be a spirit-animal anyway.

Another reason to see Necromancer is Chatchai Plengpanich, a fine veteran actor who always makes brilliance and intensive performances. For us who appreciates very obscure Thai film he's also the hero in the nasty Cannibal Mercenary. Recently he did some magnificent acting in Slice also. A man who makes every movie he's in a little bit better.

This was just something short about a movie I really think is worth getting. Excellent acting and a few nasty surprises makes this a very solid thriller from Thailand.