303, Fear Faith Revenge

Reviewed by Simon Booth

Director: Haeman Chatemee
Year: 2001
Starring: Danai Samutkochorn, Angie Grant, Chompunoot Piyapane
Time: 90 minutes

This movie starts out with a short montage of desaturated high constrast imagery and razor sharp editing, in which we see somebody who is afraid and then dead. Cut to some years later (1960AD, apparently 2503 in the Thai calendar though), and we see a group of young boys arriving to start their freshman years at a Catholic boarding school. They're all settling in and becoming good friends, but can't help being curious about the portrait of a handsome student who, they learn, commited suicide some years earlier. The staff seem reluctant to talk, so they consult a ouija board to find out more. The spirit that enters their glass seems pleasant and jovial at first, but when they ask about his suicide he tells them "NO - MURDER!" and the glass shatters. Soon enough people (and cats) start dying, and its up to the kids to a) survive b) stop the killing.

Nothing too sharp in the script department, 303FFR nevertheless features some excellent cinematography, and makes a reasonable effort to maintain the scary atmosphere. The young cast are all attractive and likeable, and the killings suitably gory. Not a deep or challenging movie, but a good looking one that will probably satisfy fans of the genre.

There is a DVD from Ocean Shores with English subs.