The Victim (Phii Khon Pen)

Year : 2006
Runtime : 108 Min.
Genre : Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Director :Monthon Arayangkoon
Movie Stars : Pitchanart Sakakorn, Apasiri Nitibhon
Country: Thailand
Language : Thai

This should could have been two movies. The first part in it's own could have been a mystery where Ting is an aspiring actress who is haunted by the ghost of a beauty queen wanting to free her wrongly accused husband and get justice. I think that's been done before...anyways. The second movie should have been about a very famous and beautiful actress who is acting in a film about a ghost possession while fighting her own ghostly possessions. Instead the director took a different route and mashed these two films together.

Thinking back on it I believe this was a good idea because it's not the same-old-same-old ideas filled with a same amount of Thai culture and reinvented for a different market/generation. I know a movie within a movie is not a new idea but the director's take of a movie within a movie is what makes the film a hit. The Victim is not my favorite Asian or Thai horror film, but I did enjoy watching. The first half of the film is my favorite. During the second half everything drags on till the last 20 minutes when everything picks up speed again. I did not fully understand the ending at first watch, but after the second watch I understood.  I explained the ending at the bottom of this post if you are still confused after watching.
May plays the character of an struggling actress who gets her big break when she is noticed by the Royal Thai Police Officer, who is the head of a crime reenactment program. Personally, I think she overdoes her acting just a bit. Nevertheless, Ting becomes a huge hit and sets her eyes on playing the part of Meen, murdered beauty queen, but her hopes are crushed when the Police Lieutenant picks a female police officer to play the part of Meen. Ting prays to Meen. The next day the female police officer assigned to the role dies. Ting promises to Meen to do her absolute best. She studies all things Meen- dance videos, interviews, photos, etc. While familiarizing herself with Meen's apartment, Ting collapses and is haunted by the ghost of the victims she portrays. Meen tells Ting that her husband did not kill her. It wasn't him, as she says. Ting takes it upon herself to solve the murder case. While investigating, her information leads her Fai's house, Meen's friend. Fai is very ununusal and insuinformation leads her Fai's house, Meen's friend. Fai is very ununusal and insults Ting telling her that she is ugly and noting compared to Meen. Ting smiles and turns the other cheek. Ting excuses herself to the bathroom. When she comes out Fai asks Ting to do her one favor since she answered her questions. Ting of course must agree. Fai puts makeup on Ting and tells her to call her "Darling". Ting reluctantly agrees.  Fai tries to "get close" to Ting.  At this moment Ting confronts Fai about Meen's murder. She indifferently confesses.  It is revealed that Fai is a lesbian and killed Meen because she wanted to be with her, but Meen is a straight women. Fai pulls a large knife out on Ting and lunges toward her. Police Lieutenant Te rushes in and kills Fai. Cut Scene. Now we are seeing that this is a movie within a movie. Everyone is an actor and this is the set for a new movie about Meen's murder. While filming the movie, May becomes possessed by a spirit.

The Ending
I had to watch the ending twice to fully understand. Meen is not the spirt that is haunting May. It is the spirit of an extremely obsessed fan who wants nothing but to be May. She believes herself to an ugly girl, but she is poor so she can not afford plastic surgery to become the beautiful May. She is left with no option but to find a back-alley doctor. During the procedure the girl is killed. The doctor is operating an illegal business so he can not go to the police. He dumps her body in a lake. May realizes this and calls the police. The girl's body is found. Movie over?.... not yet.

May is sitting on set having her makeup done. Once left alone, the spirit comes to May and tells her that she wants to be her. She doesn't want to be herself because May is prettier. At the end before the credits May says " I am May." meaning that the ghost has taken over May's body.

The blood looks like Ketchup to me.

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