THE MURDERER
Thailand, 2023, 120 minutes, Colour.
Phetthai Vongkumlao, Eisaya Hosuwan, James Laver.
Directed by Wisit Sasanatieng,
Something of an acquired taste – those who enjoy unexpectedly bizarre films.
The title seems fairly straightforward – but the plot development is certainly not.
This is a film from Thailand, Thai sensibility, writer and director, cast plus the British James Laver. At the opening, half of his face and body covered with blood, it seems that he has been on a killing spree. Victims galore, and no motivations.
With the structure of the film, there are interrogations by the local police chief, a burly character with a scar across his face (with some flashbacks, touch of macabre humour, to explain how he got the scar). He is ready to charge the accused, working out a scenario for what has happened and why. And he continues to interrogate the main characters throughout the film, especially the wife of the accused.
The range of characters emerges, her father the farmer, prone to anger, his rather bossy wife. There is her brother, something of her rowdy type, and her ex-husband who is off on adventures with him. There is her sister-in-law, 40 and demanding, and her new burly husband who seems quite agreeable. There is the aunt at home. Then there is a little girl, June, whom her mother has abandoned who is being cared for by her grandparents. There are discussions about her future.
As the interrogations continue, there is a range of scenarios about what happened, the variety of deaths, macabre falling on forks, falling out of buildings, shootings, stabbings…
So, the entertainment is in these outlandish scenarios and the melodramatic, tongue-in-cheek way they are presented. And, the continued interrogations, even of the little girl, June, and the various interventions of subordinate police. One of whom is also killed.
For those who persevere with the film, wondering what really happened, there is quite an extensive twist at the end. For those intending to see the film read no further.
The solution for the mayhem is in magic mushrooms, June buying some of the store not knowing what they are, sharing them with her friend Jamie and experiencing hallucinations, then including them in the elaborate dinner we have seen all the family sharing in earlier. They are all crazed, all the scenarios are possible, some are real, some hallucinations, but, little June, goes happily off at the end.
As said, a film for bizarre scenario aficionados.
