“Coming Soon,” which marked the directorial debut of screenwriter Sophon Sakdapisit who co-wrote the Thai horror classic “Shutter,” opens in on a seemingly guilt-ridden filmmaker at the private screening of his upcoming horror movie. He reconsiders editing out a certain portion from the movie which is based on a real-life incident involving a woman named Shomba (Oraphan Arjsamat) who abducted and murdered multiple children in her village by gouging their eyes out after losing her sanity due to the death of her own kids. When the villagers and parents of the murdered children discover her morbid acts, Shomba is subsequently lynched on the spot.
The same night, a projectionist Chen (Ter Chantavit Dhanasevi) aids his co-worker, Yod in bootlegging a copy of the unreleased movie to pay off some debts and earn money on the side. Inadvertently, they incite the wrath of the damned and vengeful Shomba who finds her way out of the screen, a la Sadako/Samara from the “Ringu” franchise. However, there is more to this ghoulish apparitionâs past than meets the eye (unintended pun).
The Imagery Sets the Atmosphere
Sakdapisit leaves in plenty of easter eggs for “Shutter” in “Coming Soon” – Such as a rather empathy-evoking explanation behind Shombaâs motivations for revenge/lingering around instead of moving on, as well as a shot of her spirit latching on to and piggy backing on Chen as he scurries across an empty parking lot, which is reflected in a blind spot mirror. The latter harkens back to that infamous chilling final shot of “Shutter.”
Shombaâs physical appearance also closely mirrors that of the witch Bathsheba from the “Conjuring” universe. A scene of Shomba hanging above Chen in the elevator is reminiscent to a similar shot in the first “Conjuring” movie as Ed Warren is framed against the backdrop of Bathshebaâs gnarly feet (complete with creaking rafter noises), which obviously leads me to question James Wan’s originality. Even if the jump scares arenât particularly jolting, occasionally cliche, the imagery itself proves effective in setting and maintaining a continually perturbing atmosphere. An intentionally amusing jump scare involving a reclining seat provides a brief light-hearted moment in the movie.
Arjsamat Does Most of the Heavy Lifting
Both the antagonist and protagonists in “Coming Soon” are well fleshed out- With a majority of the first half devoted to flashbacks of Chenâs past misdemeanors as a drug addict who gambled away his ex-girlfriend Somâs personal belongings. On one occasion he also physically assaulted her, leading to their break-up. Since, Som also works at the same theatre, the duo shares a rocky work relationship too. Thus, when Chen opens up about being haunted by a ghost, Som obviously is disbelieving and assumes he has relapsed. This further adds a psychological angle to the proceedings.
Ter Chantavit Dhanasevi, mostly known in the Thai film industry for romantic lead roles in popular romcoms such as “One Day” (which was recently remade in Bollywood too) turns in a good performance as Chen. Co-star Vorakarn Rojjanavatchra as Som also delivers a formidable performance. However, much like Joseph Bishara and Bonnie Aarons (and their heavy prosthetics/makeup) who excel at instilling fear into audiences in the “Conjuring” and “Insidious” franchise as well as their multiple spin-offs, Oraphan Arjsamat does most of the heavy lifting as the haunting Shomba with her blank white eyes and macabre Glasgow smile.
Despite various nods to “Shutter,” Sakdapisit doesnât succeed at recapturing lightning in a bottle with “Coming Soon,” but nonetheless, the movie warrants a watch especially as Spooky Season winds to a close.
