Triangular banners by the roadside, food offerings left alongside burning joss sticks… it must be the Hungry Ghost Month!
During the seventh month of the Lunar calendar, it is believed that the gates of the underworld open for the dead to return to the land of mortals.
To mark the festival, which falls today, FMT Lifestyle has come up with a list of Asian horror films to get you into the mood. Grab that popcorn, bring a blanket to hide under, and prepare to be scared silly.
1. ‘Incantation’ (2022)
This Taiwanese flick is said to be one of the best horror films to come out of Asia in recent years.
Indeed, it remains the highest-grossing Taiwanese horror film of all time and, upon its release on Netflix, was among the most-watched non-English films in the subsequent weeks.
A found-footage religious horror film, “Incantation” follows the story of Li Ronan (Tsai Hsuan-yen), who has taken custody of her daughter, Dodo (Huang Sin-ting).
The family reunion is not a happy one, however, as they soon find themselves at the mercy of supernatural forces.
As it turns out, the family is cursed, placing Dodo in peril. Li is thus forced to act to protect her child, pitting her against a most disturbing being.
2. ‘The Maid’ (2005)
Made closer to home, this Singaporean production is set during the Hungry Ghost Month, making it fitting for this list.
The film follows Rosa (Alessandra de Rossi), a young Filipina hired by a Singaporean family as their domestic worker.
Despite initially being on good terms with her employers, things start taking a strange turn when she starts to see ominous signs.
Alarm bells further go off when she learns of her predecessor, Esther, who mysteriously vanished some time before Rosa’s arrival.
With her own life in danger, Rosa has to do what she can to escape the clutches of her employers – both living and dead.
3. ‘Rigor Mortis’ (2013)
Directed by Juno Mak, this 2013 Hong Kong horror-action film is a tribute to the 1980s horror-comedy film series “Mr Vampire”.
But “Rigor Mortis” takes itself far more seriously, with horror elements interspersed with wuxia action scenes.
Former movie star Chin Sui-ho (Chin Siu-ho) moves into a decrepit apartment complex after his divorce and decides it’s the best place to kill himself without being noticed.
Fortunately or otherwise, his suicide attempt is botched when Chin finds himself possessed by vengeful spirits – only to be rescued by a neighbour and retired vampire hunter, Yau (Anthony Chan).
It’s soon clear that the possession is the least of their problems that night, as there’s an even greater supernatural threat hopping around that needs to be dealt with!
4. ‘Noroi: The Curse’ (2005)
Anyone vaguely familiar with Japanese horror will know the classics that are “Ringu” and “Ju-On”. Koji Shiraishi’s 2005 film, “Noroi: The Curse”, deserves to be included among its peers.
This terrifying flick chronicles the harrowing investigations of paranormal researcher Masafumi Kobayashi (Jin Muraki) as he unravels the sinister enigma surrounding the demonic Kagutaba.
Over the course of the movie, disturbing events – including possessions, suicides, and macabre rituals – are slowly revealed.
“Noroi” masterfully weaves psychological tension with eerie folklore, enveloping viewers in an escalating atmosphere of unease.
Most petrifying, however, is the nature of the Kagutaba. It barely appears on screen but, sometimes, it is what you cannot see or comprehend that is the scariest of all.
5. ‘Roh’ (2019)
And finally, something Malaysian. Director Emir Ezwan’s debut film “Roh” received positive critical reviews and won him several awards.
The film follows a mother and her two children who live in an isolated hut in the jungle, and their encounter with a strange girl wandering all on her own.
Mak (Farah Ahmad) and her children, Along (Mhia Farhana) and Angah (Harith Haziq), bring the girl in – only to watch in horror when the child slits her throat.
Things go downhill from there, as nightmares and illnesses start plaguing the family. For all their kindness, it appears that evil has come to roost in their home.
If you’re not the kind to be afraid of the forest, this film may well you reconsider just how spooky and suffocating the dark woods can be. Ruh-roh!
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