Home For Rent (2023) Be wary of who you're renting your home to

From the same production house of many Thai box office films, Home For Rent is a horror based true event worth watching. This film explores the idea of Home with a twist on cultism in a modern society. Unlike many horror films that are often plain and involve scary creatures, Home for rent is more like M. “Night" Shyamalan typical film where contemporary plot and twists danced together. Released this June, Home for rent is currently still available on Netflix after airing at the cinema.

The story starts with a small family, a young couple Ning (Nittha Jirayungyurn) & Kawin (Sukollawat Kanarot), and their only daughter Ing. Ning owns a condominium that she rents out but her previous renter trashed the place and she’s currently looking for a new tenant. However, her realtor suggests that she moves to the condominium and rents the house that belongs to Kawin. While Kawin disagrees, eventually he yields and the house is rented by a family, who said they are a family of doctors, Ratree (Penpak Sirikul) but there was something odd about this family and an eerie aura surrounding them. While that family of doctors moves into the house, strange occurrences start happening. First, Kawin gets a tattoo where he said he got it after getting too drunk. Second, a locked backpack where Kawin has a red book. Third, where crows feather appears around her and her daughter. As a lot of the things don’t make sense for Ning, she starts investigating the oddities that happen in her life after Ratree, her new house tenant moves into their home.

One day, Ning witnesses her husband chanting “ Wo-Ye Wo-Yu Pu-Na Cha-Ra" facing the blank page of the red book. At first he was alone but suddenly,the rooftop was filled with people chanting the same mantra. Crows gather and Ning sees a scary creature that looks like a little girl. While her and her daughter's life is at stake, there is a secret wanting to be unveiled from her husband as well as the story behind Ratree’s cult and the practices.

While the plot of the story moves quite slow, but it was necessary to build up tension as well as character development. As the main characters are only revolving to three people and their past, it was making more sense that the film pacing was slow yet steady. Weir Sukollawat's acting was nuanced. He manages to portray Kawin who hides a big secret from his wife as well as his daughter really well. While Mew Nittha was convincing and helps us sympathizes as she is a mother and wife who tries to save not only her daughter but also her family who was on the brink of falling apart. The pair was able to hook us into this allegedly based on true events in Thailand. The story, if that was true, is quite chilling but this is not a surprise coming from Sophon Sakdaphisit or known as Jim.
The work of Sophon Sakdaphisit and his contribution on Thai horror is quite significant. Many of his previous works are also chilling such as The promise, laddaland, your choice and that includes the screenplay that he writes for example, Phobia. His work is quite a long list and for a horror fan, Thailand horror is a genre of its kind.

There were a few jumpscare in the movie that were placed at the right time. It was when you were not expecting it would happen but there will be the jumpscare. This is why Thai horror earned the top 3 countries where horror is done right for me. It is also not for the faint of heart and for myself, I rarely dare to watch Thai horror alone. Even from a long time, this genre remains a movie night material with friends or family.

“ Wo-Ye Wo-Yu Pu-Na Cha-Ra”

One of the striking aspects is also the screenwriting that includes the chant above. I do not know what the chanting means but it sounds eerie when repeated and makes it believable that it was the chant to call spirits and supernatural beings to present. Try to chant it “ Wo-Ye Wo-Yu Pu-Na Cha-Ra” and if you see something happening let me know!

As the backdrop is modern era, I was wondering one has to be dim-witted to believe in such ritual and practices.But again, when mythology & superstitions still exist within a culture, I reckon their existence would still have significance.More so when there is also desperation that clouds the reasoning behind going into the occult way of achieving their goal. Such irrationality can seem rational to those who desperately hold on to hope that they’ll achieve their aspirations.

Home For Rent also has a surprising twist that will leave you saying ‘ what the actual fuck?’ so, brace yourself as I won’t be spoiling the twist over here. As it explores the idea of Home, it makes you re-think that perhaps our body is just a vessel which can be entered by different entities. Just like a home, where though it can be owned, It can be rented out too.

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