SmugKitZine Tied for the best movie I have ever seen

ScoobyMint Disappointment for a huge fan!

AutCuddly Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,

Doomtomylo a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

Deny Hermawan This movie becomes landmark of the birth of Thailand as baby boomer in Cinema Industry. Yes, it's so Asian. It has a national and cultural identity. You can feel the atmosphere of Thai's village and its society. You can taste the mystical east here. But the dominant nuance in this movie is Theravadic Buddhism. It becomes an important keyword from this movie, and it becomes the problem solver for the conflict.Nang Nak tells us about a folk legend in Thailand around 19th century. It is a beautiful horror story about a man named Mak, whom his wife (Nak) is dead with her baby when she gives birth. Mak don't know about it, because he was in war when his wife dead. When Mak return to his home, he is life happily with his wife and their baby. Things' getting worse when Mak's friend tells him that Mak is currently living with ghost. Mak discuss this issue with Nak, and Nak is adding that is so sad because people around her tell bad rumors about her. She says people accuse her doing affair with another guy when Mak is serving at war. After that, Mak's friend is suddenly dead.You can guess what happened next, it's not so complicated nor so unusual, but how Nonzee Nimibutr use the plot is so interesting. We are made keep guessing and never know what actually happened till the mid of the movie. And next are quite horrifying scenes, and ended with so emotional ending. Although the visual effects are not so special, the setting, costumes, and make up are quite good. It has a quite good moral value about mortality and impermanence. This movie is not only a high quality horror. It's a drama of Dharma.

EVOL666 I don't know if I would give NANG NAK the "9's" and "10's" that I've seen other reviewers give it - but I will say that it is a well-done film that is a welcome change from the abundance of "phones", and "rings", and "creepy girls with long black hair" films that have been flying out of Asia recently. Ghost stories in general aren't really my thing (though I do have to admit that I HAVE enjoyed some of the stuff from Japan - I'm just kinda sick of it now...) - but NANG NAK is a bit different, as it is an even mix of a tragic love-story and a pretty straight-forward horror film.The setting is 1860's Thailand and Mak is sent off to fight in a war. His wife Nak, is pregnant - and during Mak's absence, both Nak and the child die during child-birth. Mak is injured in the war but makes a recovery, and when he returns home, mother and baby are waiting for him. Mak is unaware that he's actually in the presence of ghosts, and when the local villagers try to convince him of the situation, Mak is unreceptive and refuses to believe - until he begins to see for himself otherwise...NANG NAK was apparently a HUGE success in it's native Thailand - and I can see why. Successfully blending a tragic story of a love that transcends life and death, with sometimes harrowing horror elements - the film as a whole is very solid. Personally I found it to drag a bit in spots, and again - ghost stories in general don't really tend to be my favorite - but I can understand why others enjoy this film so much. The lush tropical Thai environments (much like what are seen in the newly-released ART OF THE DEVIL 2) make an interesting back-drop for this sort of film, and the acting, cinematography, and story-line are all pretty top-notch. There isn't much in the way of "gore" though there are a few scenes that do show a little of the red-stuff. If you dig films like RINGU, A TALE OF TWO SISTERS, JU-ON, etc...but want something different - give this one a shot, you may like it. Personally, I can "appreciate" NANG NAK more than I actually "like" it - so it gets a 7.5/10 from me...

shneur It's not often you're going to see a horror film that leaves you crying. This is a beautiful movie about the undying love between a young man conscripted into the army, and the devoted and pregnant wife he leaves behind. The photography alone, under Nattawut Kittikhun, is so delicately executed that you would think the film must be printed on rice paper.Though not essential to enjoyment of the movie, it helps to understand that its basis is the Buddhist concept of "Hungry Ghosts," souls that have become so attached to this world that they cannot make the transition to their next incarnation. In fact, the whole story is suffused with Buddhist ritual and belief -- in particular that attachment to the transitory and illusory must only result in pain. Director Nonzee Nimibutr has created a work of art that I believe will stand the test of time. If "Nang Nak" is indicative of Thai cinema's potential, then I hope we see a lot more of it.

Cliff Sloane There is a lot more to this film than immediately meets the eye. Most Thai historicals or ghost stories are loaded with anachronistic pop culture cliches. This one wasn't; people spoke with their mouths filled with betel (maak), the lead actress didn't have lipstick, the houses were quite realistic, etc. In addition, the rural monks switched between high-level speech and country slang. The point is that this film is a serious attempt to do justice to both the original tale and the time period it is set in. The empathy for Nak far surpassed the scariness. What stood out for me is that Nak's justification for her actions seemed quite defensible, adding to the anguished poignancy of the situation.Asian ghost stories, when done well, have a strongly moral character. This is one of the finest examples I have seen.