Thai horror films have always been a source of pride for the country. With its rich culture-driven, full-of-mythology and homegrown folklore storylines, Thai films are internationally recognised especially when it comes to tales from beyond the grave. So for the new GDH supernatural horror Ghost Lab to be the first Thai feature film to have its world premiere on Netflix is quite an appropriate choice.
Coming to your screens today, Ghost Lab is directed by Paween "Golf" Purijitpanya (Body, 4BIA and Phobia 2) and is about two doctors who try to prove the existence of ghosts as well as discover whether or not there's another world beyond death.
"The storyline is quite unconventional, because it attempts a deeper exploration of our belief in the supernatural, and whether this can be proven by science," said Paween, Ghost Lab director and producer, speaking with Life during a recent round table interview with cast and crew via Zoom.
"I know that some may find it silly that my new movie questions whether or not ghosts really exist. Although more than half of Thais believe in ghosts, scientists say there are explanations for what we think we see, and so far science has no evidence that ghosts are real. So I wanted to bring those discussions of the mystery to the table, rather than telling the same old ghost stories that always rely only on jump scares like in the past."
The film stars Thanapob "Tor" Leeratanakachorn and Paris "Ice" Intarakomalyasut as Wee and Gla, doctors who work together and are determined to prove that ghosts really do exist after witnessing paranormal activity at their hospital. In the process, they spook themselves with a series of experiments and different sinister methods, from travelling to an abandoned house believed to be full of spirits and performing a ritual to make ghosts appear, to attempting to kill one of their cancer patients in order to see a ghost, and even trying to jump off a building to bring themselves closer to the afterlife.
"It's a movie about obsession," said Paris. "The character I play, Gla, is a doctor who encounters what he believes to be a ghost. The occurrence sparks a desire to find proof of ghosts and of an afterlife -- a mission that becomes even more reckless and dangerous."
Thanapob added: "Yes, Gla then decides to team up with my character Wee who shares the same curiosity and goal -- to be the first people that are able to solve the unanswerable puzzle. The pair then breach all medical ethics, putting their sanity and their own lives at risk to prove that paranormal activity is real. The fixation and the extreme obsession of the two friends will bring them deep into a rabbit hole that will cost them their friendships, loved ones, and eventually their lives."
Paris was personally chosen by Paween to play Dr Gla after being impressed by his earlier portrayal of troubled teen Pat Tantaweelarp in Bad Genius The Series.
Thanapob said his audition for the part of Dr Wee was challenging, which was something he's been looking for as an actor.
"I was tired of being typecast in every movie, and I found my role as Wee to be something new and interesting. He is obsessive and never fears to go deep into the darkness," said Thanapob.
"I believe there's always room to challenge ourselves as actors and to grow and develop. I'm not afraid to do things that are going to be a bit more challenging. I don't know about my stature. I'm just a working actor. At the moment in my career, I'm afforded the choice to be able to choose things that I care more about. And I tried my best in this movie."
Ghost Lab was originally planned for release in movie theatres last year but the pandemic disrupted that schedule and the premiere was moved to the streaming service instead. Paween said he believes Netflix is even more beneficial and has an advantage over traditional cinemas.
"It's an honour to be partnering with a global platform that allows for creative expression. And I have been looking forward to working with Netflix for quite some time now," said the director. "The release of Ghost Lab will be a world premiere with about nine languages available, and is also the first Thai film to be produced in Dolby Vision, which should be a game-changer for a film studio. And we all are excited that our movie will have the chance to capture audiences around the world."
Paween believes movie studios and theatres really need to step up their games as the streaming era has fully arrived, which raises the question: Will people go back to movie theatres when the pandemic is over?
"I think people's behaviour has changed even before the pandemic arrived. Streaming has become a big part of people's lives, not just Netflix, but all the platforms such as YouTube, Facebook Live and other online platforms," he said.
"Less and less people are choosing to see movies in theatres. So, if you saw a movie in the last 12 months, there's a good chance it was on your TV, tablet or phone. But regardless of the future of movie viewing, we as filmmakers believe that as long as we can still produce quality work, there will always be people who support and come to see our movies no matter what platform they are on."
Director Paween Purijitpanya.
