Shutter (Thai film)
Encyclopedia
Shutter is a 2004
Thai
horror film
by Banjong Pisanthanakun
and Parkpoom Wongpoom
; starring Ananda Everingham
, Natthaweeranuch Thongmee
, and Achita Sikamana. It focuses on mysterious images seen in developed pictures.
The film was remade in 2008 under the same title
.
Tun begins to discover mysterious white shadows and what appear to be faces in his photographs. A suspicious Jane thinks these images may be the ghost of the girl they hit on the road. Tun, who has been experiencing severe neck pains since the accident, visits a specialist. While a nurse attempts to measure his weight, to his dismay, he weighs approximately 120 kilograms. While collecting his medication via the counter, he hears a woman's voice that accuses him of being a liar and he runs away, traumatized. Unconvinced of the existence of the supernatural, Tun dismisses the idea of being haunted although his friends are also being disturbed by this mysterious girl.
Jane begins to investigate in the school's lab and discovers that the girl was Natre (Achita Sikamana), a shy young woman who had attended the same college as Tun. After confronting Tun, Tun admits that he and Natre were in a relationship, which Tun had kept secret from his friends. Natre loved Tun dearly and threatened to commit suicide when Tun abruptly broke off the relationship. Tun witnesses his friend, Tonn, committing suicide by jumping from his apartment balcony. Tun discovers that his two other close friends from college have also committed suicide. Believing that they have been coerced into doing so by Natre's ghost, Tun becomes convinced that he will be next.
The haunting of Tun by Natre's ghost escalates, so he and Jane visit Natre's mother. At her house, they discover the decaying body of Natre in her bedroom. They learn that Natre had committed suicide by jumping off the roof of a hospital, but her mother could not bear to have her cremated. Tun and Jane spend the night in a hotel, where Tun wakes up and is confronted by Natre's ghost. Tun tries to escape but is pursued; ultimately, while trying to get away, he falls off a fire escape and is injured. Natre's funeral is held the following day, after which Jane hopes that everything will return to normal.
However, on returning to Bangkok, Jane collects some photographs. One of the films shows a series of shadowy images of Natre in Tun's apartment. Investigating further, Jane finds a set of negatives hidden behind the bookcase. She develops the negatives to find photographs in which Tun's friends—the ones who committed suicide—are sexually assaulting Natre. Utterly disgusted by her findings, a teary Jane questions Tun. Tun admits that he witnessed the rape but did nothing to stop his friends, and that he was the one who had taken those photos. He says he did it out of peer pressure and has never forgiven himself, but Jane leaves him.
Knowing that he is still haunted by Natre, Tun takes a series of Polaroid photographs in his apartment in an attempt to find her. Having no success, he throws the camera across the room in a rage, only for it to go off, taking a photograph of Tun. Giving Tun a rude shock, the Polaroid develops, showing Natre sitting on Tun's shoulders, the truth behind his ongoing neck pain. In the ensuing confrontation, a disbelieving Tun jumps from the window, trying to escape from Natre.
The final scene shows a badly bandaged Tun slumping over in a hospital bed while Jane visits him. As the door swings closed behind Jane, the glass reflection of Tun features Natre still sitting on his shoulders.
.
The film was nominated for the 2005 Golden Kinnaree Award for best film at the Bangkok International Film Festival
and has won various awards at smaller festivals around the world. The movie was especially well-received in Thailand
and Singapore
.
, a Hindi remake of the film called Click
, starring Shreyas Talpade and Sadha, was released in 2010.
2004 in film
The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol...
Thai
Cinema of Thailand
The cinema of Thailand dates back to the early days of filmmaking, when King Chulalongkorn's 1897 visit to Bern, Switzerland was recorded by Francois-Henri Lavancy-Clarke. The film was then brought to Bangkok, where it was exhibited...
horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
by Banjong Pisanthanakun
Banjong Pisanthanakun
Bangjong Pisanthanakun is Thai filmmaker and screenwriter. With Parkpoom Wongpoom, he co-directed and co-wrote the hit 2004 Thai horror film, Shutter, and the 2007 horror film, Alone.-Education and early career:...
and Parkpoom Wongpoom
Parkpoom Wongpoom
Parkpoom Wongpoom is a Thai filmmaker and screenwriter. With Banjong Pisanthanakun, he co-directed and co-wrote the hit 2004 Thai horror film, Shutter, and the 2007 horror film, Alone.-Education and early career:...
; starring Ananda Everingham
Ananda Everingham
Ananda Everingham is a Laotian-Australian film actor who was born in Thailand. Working primarily in Thai films, he is best known for his lead role in the 2004 horror film, Shutter.-Biography:...
, Natthaweeranuch Thongmee
Natthaweeranuch Thongmee
Natthaweeranuch Thongmee is a Thai model and actress who was born in Bangkok, Thailand. She first started with her first appearance in the movie Koo tae Patihan...
, and Achita Sikamana. It focuses on mysterious images seen in developed pictures.
The film was remade in 2008 under the same title
Shutter (2008 film)
Shutter is a 2008 American remake of the 2004 Thai horror film of the same name. The remake was directed by Masayuki Ochiai, and was released on March 21, 2008.-Plot:...
.
Plot
After celebrating at a drinking party with his close friends, Tun (Ananda Everingham), a photographer, and Jane(Natthaweeranuch Thongmee), get into a car accident. Jane hits a young woman. With much fear and bewilderment, Tun prohibits her from getting out of the car: they drive away, leaving the poor girl lying in the road.Tun begins to discover mysterious white shadows and what appear to be faces in his photographs. A suspicious Jane thinks these images may be the ghost of the girl they hit on the road. Tun, who has been experiencing severe neck pains since the accident, visits a specialist. While a nurse attempts to measure his weight, to his dismay, he weighs approximately 120 kilograms. While collecting his medication via the counter, he hears a woman's voice that accuses him of being a liar and he runs away, traumatized. Unconvinced of the existence of the supernatural, Tun dismisses the idea of being haunted although his friends are also being disturbed by this mysterious girl.
Jane begins to investigate in the school's lab and discovers that the girl was Natre (Achita Sikamana), a shy young woman who had attended the same college as Tun. After confronting Tun, Tun admits that he and Natre were in a relationship, which Tun had kept secret from his friends. Natre loved Tun dearly and threatened to commit suicide when Tun abruptly broke off the relationship. Tun witnesses his friend, Tonn, committing suicide by jumping from his apartment balcony. Tun discovers that his two other close friends from college have also committed suicide. Believing that they have been coerced into doing so by Natre's ghost, Tun becomes convinced that he will be next.
The haunting of Tun by Natre's ghost escalates, so he and Jane visit Natre's mother. At her house, they discover the decaying body of Natre in her bedroom. They learn that Natre had committed suicide by jumping off the roof of a hospital, but her mother could not bear to have her cremated. Tun and Jane spend the night in a hotel, where Tun wakes up and is confronted by Natre's ghost. Tun tries to escape but is pursued; ultimately, while trying to get away, he falls off a fire escape and is injured. Natre's funeral is held the following day, after which Jane hopes that everything will return to normal.
However, on returning to Bangkok, Jane collects some photographs. One of the films shows a series of shadowy images of Natre in Tun's apartment. Investigating further, Jane finds a set of negatives hidden behind the bookcase. She develops the negatives to find photographs in which Tun's friends—the ones who committed suicide—are sexually assaulting Natre. Utterly disgusted by her findings, a teary Jane questions Tun. Tun admits that he witnessed the rape but did nothing to stop his friends, and that he was the one who had taken those photos. He says he did it out of peer pressure and has never forgiven himself, but Jane leaves him.
Knowing that he is still haunted by Natre, Tun takes a series of Polaroid photographs in his apartment in an attempt to find her. Having no success, he throws the camera across the room in a rage, only for it to go off, taking a photograph of Tun. Giving Tun a rude shock, the Polaroid develops, showing Natre sitting on Tun's shoulders, the truth behind his ongoing neck pain. In the ensuing confrontation, a disbelieving Tun jumps from the window, trying to escape from Natre.
The final scene shows a badly bandaged Tun slumping over in a hospital bed while Jane visits him. As the door swings closed behind Jane, the glass reflection of Tun features Natre still sitting on his shoulders.
Reception
The film has received a 56% "Fresh" rating from Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
.
The film was nominated for the 2005 Golden Kinnaree Award for best film at the Bangkok International Film Festival
Bangkok International Film Festival
The Bangkok International Film Festival is an international film festival held annually in Bangkok, Thailand, since 2003. In addition to film screenings, seminars, gala events and the Golden Kinnaree Awards.-First years:...
and has won various awards at smaller festivals around the world. The movie was especially well-received in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
.
Remakes
In addition to the 2008 American remakeShutter (2008 film)
Shutter is a 2008 American remake of the 2004 Thai horror film of the same name. The remake was directed by Masayuki Ochiai, and was released on March 21, 2008.-Plot:...
, a Hindi remake of the film called Click
Click (2010 film)
Click is a 2010 Hindi horror film starring Shreyas Talpade. Critics such as Taran Adarsh noted the film's similarity to the 2004 Thai horror film Shutter.-Plot:...
, starring Shreyas Talpade and Sadha, was released in 2010.