Dorm (Thai)

A young boy is transferred to a boarding school in the middle of the semester, feeling lonely and abandoned. He learns of a story about a closed pool and the child that drowned in it a few years back. Does this have anything to do with his new friend?

By the look of the posters, one would expect "Dorm" to be another ghastly long-haired-female-ghost movie that is as rampant as a plague in the contemporary Asian horror film arena. Timid moviegoers like me are likely to give it a miss, but that would have been a real pity because "Dorm" turns out to be a touching feel-good film with a positive life-affirming message.

Twelve-year-old Chatree (Chalee Trairat) has been reluctantly transferred to a boarding school where life for him becomes days of misery and loneliness; A class bully spooks him out with eerie ghost stories, the teacher is weird and he has no friends or family to confide in. Only after gaining companionship with Wichien (Sirarath Jianthavorn) a mysterious classmate, does Chatree begin to adapt to life in school. However, Chatree has yet to find out that his newfound friend is no ordinary boy.

As I've mentioned earlier, "Dorm" cannot be totally pigeon-holed as a horror film although the movie has a traditional horror side to it. Filmed in a suppressive prison-like school with many dark corners and creaky doors, "Dorm" has eerie themes that places it in the spooky horror genre. Imagine canines howling in unison over a dimly lit toilet and a strange female teacher who cries over a pulled-out drawer while listening to an old love song that skips over and over on the same tune. You get the idea.

But the horror soon turns into sheer boyish fun when Wichien reveals one or two tricks up his sleeves. Along with the complementary humour from the school bully, these scenes liven up the considerably gloomy atmosphere. Director Songyos Sukmakanan uses his fine onion-peel story-telling technique to reveal the plot layer by layer, while keeping the suspense high. The only possible flaw in the movie is the overly simple history behind the school's haunting, which could leave some experienced horror show audiences feeling less than satisfied.


Jintara Sukaphat who plays Chatree's teacher Pranee also deserves honourable mention for her portrayal of a melancholic, guilt-laden teacher. Previously seen as a child actor in "My Girl" is Chalee Trairat, whose talent is most obvious when he plays the lead role with a whole spectrum of emotions ranging from anger, sadness and humour to self-sacrificing courage. A cast of colourful actors who play his classmates aptly supports the skilful acting of Trairat. "Dorm" does not disappoint as a movie reminiscent of old school days filled with the trials and tribulations of friendships.

Hardcore horror fans expecting the usual package of cold sweat and heart-gripping screams can give "Dorm" a miss, as many would find the film more like Casper the Friendly Ghost-meets-best-friend' than Pontianak-meets-prey. Nonetheless, bringing your whole family out to watch this movie will prove to be a rewarding experience as it will leave everyone rejuvenated with a more empathetic view of life, death and human relationships.

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