The Medium (2021)

“Where the film really shines is its writing. Thematically, the film centers on generational curses and human evil. From the film’s beginning, Nim talks about how everything has a spirit, and the good ones protect us. Early on, a man takes liquor from a cemetery and drinks it, accumulating bad karma, and falling ill. Similarly, our ancestors sin, and we must pay the price, for every action has a consequence. It ties back to a regional Buddhist belief in karma, but it also hints at how Asian families tend not to communicate about family trauma or histories. ” – Slay Away

“In 2004, Banjong Pisanthanakun and then-collaborator Parkpoom Wongpoom kickstarted their directorial careers with “Shutter,” a supernatural thriller so effective it’s been remade (albeit to lesser effect) abroad three times to date. Less likely to translate that widely is Pisanthanakun’s latest solo effort, “The Medium.” Marking his return to straight horror after a couple romances and one more comedically slanted genre film (“Pee Mak”), this demonic possession saga is too thoroughly Thai in milieu and details to risk being just another derivative of “The Exorcist.”

Still, cultural specificity only brings so much freshness to an overlong tale that ultimately trades in too many familiar tropes, from the victim’s evil-grinning, black-gunk-spewing hijinks to the deployment of a found-footage construct a la “Blair Witch.” There are perhaps too many ideas here, few of them novel, and none scary enough to keep these two-hours-plus taut.” – Variety

“What is incredible about The Medium is Pisanthanakun’s use of camera techniques to shoot the sequences and footage. It is incredibly crafty and serves the narrative by documenting Mink’s dissipating behaviour using a documentary-style format. However, the movie is slow-burn, often focusing on the complicated issue of familial spiritual inheritance. The director takes too much time to explain these issues of the characters’ and why these spirits are haunting Mink.

For Western viewers, they might compare The Medium to Paranormal Activity and The Exorcist, but the truth is, the recipe to craft Asian horror movies will always be different. It’s extremely different storytelling and one that deals with cultural rituals and demonic spirits that are wrongly inherited to another’s body. Pisanthanakun’s The Medium emerges as a contender of Western horror movies rather than a comparison. Its unique and crafty storytelling and camera techniques pave the way for future Asian horror movies.” – Hear Us Scream