Program Note
After skipping a Buddhist studies class to play board games in a school storage room, Ben and his friends are caught by their teacher and sent to a local temple for a meditation retreat, where they meet Priktai, a solitary girl who prefers to keep to herself, and discover an old board game hidden inside an abandoned prayer hall. The moment they roll the dice out of curiosity, the long-dormant game board springs to life, pulling them into a treacherous game from which there is no turning back, and as the game progresses, unimaginable horrors materialize into reality to threaten the children at every turn. In this high-stakes adventure, the ultimate obstacles standing between the players and victory are ancient ghosts that have been trapped and sealed within the board game for generations. Blending the adventure, fantasy, and horror elements in a way that vividly recalls Jumanji and Stranger Things, the film distinguishes itself and crafts a uniquely compelling world by incorporating spirits deeply rooted in Thailand’s traditional culture and indigenous beliefs. Ultimately, by balancing tension-filled scares and thrills in equal measure with a heartwarming story of friendship and personal growth, this film delivers not only the exhilarating adrenaline rush of fantasy-horror genre cinema but also the rewarding, deeply satisfying experience of watching its young characters find their way forward, discover their courage, and truly come into their own. (Martin LEE)