Based on an old Thai legend, “Ghost of Mae Nak” is a decent throwback to the horror films of old, with director Mark Duffield (also the cinematographer) utilizing jump-scare tactics all throughout the film. The story behind the legend involves poor Mae Nak being buried hundreds of years ago, with a chunk of her skull missing, as someone thought it would make a nice broach. They may have been right but hundreds of years later, Mae Nak is still pissed off.
Today, Mak and Nak are a young couple in love on the verge of marriage, looking for a house to purchase in Bangkok to start their new lives. Mak, however, is having vicious dreams of an eerie ghost with black teeth and a hole in her head. After they move in to a somewhat dilapidated house, they learn that this location was once the residence of old Mae Nak hundreds of years ago. When Mak is involved in a serious accident, he is left in a coma and the ghost decides to take him with her (wherever ghosts might go). Being in as much love as Nak is, she begins to discover what the angry spirit wants, so she begins her quest to find Mae Nak’s remains and return the piece of bone to her head. Everyone she bumps into seems to know someone who knows someone that can help but unfortunately, this ghost is just too furious.
“Ghost of Mae Nak” does have some really cool deaths that are reminiscent of the “Final Destination” movies (one excellently grotesque scene in particular involves a giant sheet of glass). Unlike those films, this picture has a pretty interesting story to go along with it. It may be dressed as a horror film but deep down, it’s a love story in disguise. Think of it as a perfect popcorn flick you can take a date to and both you will be pretty satisfied.
