They Wait (2007)

[slayrrr666]

"They Wait" is a nearly-flawless ghost story that has no real flaws to it.

**SPOILERS**

Following his uncle's death, Jason Tsai, (Terry Chen) and his family, wife Sarah, (Jaime King) and son Sammy, (Regan Oey) return home to China for the funeral, eventually staying with Aunt Mei, (Pei-pei Cheng) at her house. Discovering during that time that they have arrived during the time of the year known as Hungry Ghost Month, he keeps having strange visions of a young girl following him around, which soon triggers a wave of hauntings between the two of them that eventually put him into a coma. Desperate for answers, she turns to Xiang Wu, (Chang Tseng) an old associate for help, but soon determines that the events are caused by an act performed years ago that has left an angry ghost after the family and she tries to right the wrongs of the past to save her family.

The Good News: This was an awesome and enjoyable ghost film. One of the better aspect to the film is the incredible story. This is a great one, simply perfect for hanging a creepy and suspenseful ghost story around. The way it manages to make the situation with the ghosts' return for vengeance, which is creepy enough with the explanation given regarding the decorations and the interactions behind them, into a wonderfully atmospheric film in the first half is really great and makes for a great story. These early scenes, from him wandering into the basement based on noises at the beginning or them walking across the streets with the store-fronts decorated and set-up, allows for some good moments and is part of what's so entertaining about these moments. That there's some really good scares here are just all the better, with a couple of fantastic ones centered around the drug-store scene. It's so sudden, so unexpected and come sat the perfect beat with the perfect set-up is just classic, and the scene works gloriously. The rising bear at the fireplace is also classic, and since it leads into the spectacular scene in the factory that has to be seen to fully appreciate how great it is. Even the opening attack is great, with the woodland setting being used to absolutely perfect account here, as the fog-covered wooded area looks absolutely desolate, creepy and foreboding. The gag with the trees is absolutely perfect, the growling and jarring camera-work all signify an attack that is wisely not seen, and there's the bloody pay-off before the off-screen kill to make it all the better and open on a high-note. Once it goes into the possession angle, because it deals with the physical acts that demonstrate what's happening to him, there's some really great moments to come from this. The Mandarin encounter works from previous dialog, the dyed arms works on pure shock value, and all-in-all, these are really great moments that are just as good as what came before. It's also nice that since it's actually focused on a child being in danger which is so rare in itself, the fact that this one actually does do it makes it all the more chilling. The main reason why all this works well is the fact that we get the back-story for everything, which sets up revelations later on that really work and manage to make the earlier stuff all the better. It's a really marvelous twist, appearing as natural as to what happened at the time-period, is appropriate and fitting for a ghost's revenge and makes the events all the creepier. Then, as if talking about it isn't enough, we get to watch it play out in a fantastic flashback that has absolutely everything and doesn't even come with a flaw. The ghost's revenge here is also perfect, as there's an erupting flow of bones from the room that seems positively endless, the arms shooting out from the pile to drag the two away in a great scene, or the later sequence with the one victim vomiting up skeleton bones in an extended, graphic and brutal set-piece that really works. The last plus here is the gore, which isn't bad and kept to a minimum but makes it work when it counts. There's a meat cleaver to the top of the head that slices the eye open, a complete stripping of flesh leaving the bloody bones behind, a stabbing and some messy wounds and bruises, as well as a foot stuck in a bear-trap. These here are the film's best qualities.

The Bad News: There was really only one thing wrong with this one. By doing the possession so late in the film, it makes the ghost look a little weak since they had plenty of contact before, with plenty of opportunities to do so before then, and to then do so at the end is a little suspicious. Also, the manner of possession, by saying it's been done but not explaining how or why, takes a little of the sting out of it. It could've been written in another way, as they don't really play it up later as one, making the proclamation even more strange. Either way, it's the only thing really wrong with the film.

The Final Verdict: An absolutely fantastic entry that has almost no flaws at all, coming out as the best Asian ghost film not done in Asia. Unequivocally recommended to fans of Asian Ghost films, fan of the creative cast or those who find this one interesting, while there isn't many out there who won't like this one.

Rated R: Violence, some Language and children in danger