DEATH OF ME
US, 2020, 93 minutes, Colour.
Maggie Q, Luke Hemsworth, Alex Essoe, Kelly B.Jones, Kat Ingkarat/
Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman.
Since this is a film about superstitions, magic, black magic, hallucinations, it is a challenge for the audience to follow what is going on. The setting is a resort in Thailand, an American couple finishing their vacation, going to a club, being administered drugs in their drinks, waking up and not remembering what happened, packing their bags and going to the airport. However, they don’t have their passports.
As the couple walk along the beach, hallucinations arise, memories of the husband sexually attacking the wife, his disappearing. Which means that the focus is on the wife, trying to discover what happened, treated kindly by the American manager of the resort and her, seeming, daughter. It leads back to the woman who waited on the couple at the club. In the meantime, there is a threat of a typhoon, a record typhoon.
But, what emerges, is the religious rituals of the Islanders, their seclusion, the choosing of the wife is an emblem, her being pregnant, to be sacrificed to protect the island. (And that is what happens.)
- Horror and hallucinations? Local Thai traditions and superstitions?
- The Thai settings, the island, the resort, the pier, boats, taxi rides, the doctor, the mysterious club, settings for the rituals, the beach? The musical score?
- The title, the focus on Christine? Age, background, tourist, with Neal? The beach, the club, the drinks, the waitress, the consequences, waking, no memories? Bewildered? The video, their drinking, behaviour, Neal and his strangling Christine, marrying her? The marks on her neck? Their attempt to leave, no passports? Returning, meeting Samantha and the little girl, friendly? The doctor?
- The continuing hallucinations, the horror aspects, Christine and her being sick, vomiting? The discovery of her pregnancy?
- Neil, character, friendly, the shock of the video, the clashes with Christine, trying to help? The beach, appearing and disappearing? Slashing himself, falling into the water, his death?
- The explanations, the woman from the diner, the rituals, the processions, paintings looking like Christine? The onset of the typhoon, the first in 200 years?
- The explanation of the rituals? Ceremonies, sacrifice? Christine, bound, the rituals, her escape, the pursuit? The storm, the deaths, the bodies? Christine included? The final image of her opening her eyes?
- Western horror? Perspectives on Thai traditions and superstitions?
