TrueJoshNight Truly Dreadful Film

YouHeart I gave it a 7.5 out of 10

Breakinger A Brilliant Conflict

TrueHello Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

Anthony Pittore III (Shattered_Wake) Phuchit (Krissada Terrence) receives a phone call on the same day he loses his job at a music center. The man on the line gives him a strange offer: complete 13 different tasks and win 100 million Baht (about $3 million US). Chit agrees to take part in this 'game' and his missions commence. . . ranging from the trivial (swatting a fly) to the unthinkable (you'll see). The biggest catch: He must complete ALL the tasks. . . or lose all the money. Will he beat the game, complete all the tasks, and win the huge cash prize? Or will the game beat him, as the rest of the world has been doing as of late? Dimension Extreme, the distributor of Diary of the Dead, Black Sheep, Inside, etc., delivers to horror fans yet another violently original new film. . . and this one is just as good as, if not better than, the aforementioned. Sadly, I did overlook it more than a few times. I'd pass it by in stores thinking that, due to its cover & plot line, it was just another of the dozen or so Saw ripoffs that have been released over the past few years. With a storyline like this, I don't blame myself. However, I was more-than-pleasantly surprised to find that the film is blurs the lines between horror, paranoia thriller, and comedy, and it does it very well, making it an unbelievably fresh and stirring film. There were times where I was equally overcome by the tension, comedy, disgust, sadness, and loathing. . . sometimes separately, sometimes together. Technically, the film is extremely well made. The direction and writing work perfectly well together, although the acting does leave a bit to be desired at some points (excluding Krissada Terrence who delivers a great, great performance). But, the thing that makes this film shine is the revelation/conclusion along with the way it was shown. . . it was so emotionally stirring that I'm surprised it's not more talked about. I suppose it's so little spoken of because it's so little seem. . . and that's a shame, because this is a truly, truly great modern horror/thriller that utilizes many different elements of both genres, including quite a bit of comedy to keep the more disturbing elements tolerable. See this one if you can.Final verdict: 8.5/10.

modmax I've always watched Asian movies, especially horror and thrillers, long before they became a fashion here. In particular I payed attention to Thai cinema that really grew up in the last 10 years, so i'm not surprised when I can see some solid product like this one. 13 Beloved is a strong thriller, based on a comic, that begins as a dark comedy, pass through some shocking scenes on the edge of gory horror to turn into a critic of (thai) contemporary society. The Cinematography is realistic and so are the special effects, acting is good, the director knows his job and the suspense is kept high for all the film. Maybe you could expect something more in the end. The only bad note is the English subtitles in the version I saw that took too much liberty in the translation and changed the MBK center into e-bay or a "farang" into a bastard and so on...

Christian Out of another great edition of FantAsia, this film received the PUBLIC'S GOLDEN PRIZE - BEST Asian FILM. A well deserved title with a well crafted storyline and fine acting.The premise of the movie is that of a deadbeat salesman who is in debt and in desperate need of money... as well as deeper needs such as love, hope, sense of purpose, etc. He gets a targeted phone call that invites him to play a secret game in order to win incremental amount of money all the way to the grand prize: 100 million bahts. At first he will have to kill an insect which he does without to much problem. The twelve other challenges are likely to be a bit more difficult to achieve in order to bank the jackpot, but this guy has nothing to lose and seems to be going along with the game as he sees money as the answer to most of his problems and pushing his limits by succeeding in this game as some well-needed sense of accomplishment.So the movie relies heavily on Krissada Terrence playing the protagonist, Pusit, and making us go through the motions and the emotions. His is a very capable actor and was well casted and directed to give a fine performance that reaches out to the sympathizing viewer. As for the rest of the cast, they are also of fine caliber. They bring to life this solid script cohesively and captivate the audience with the help of well-timed editing and a definitive storytelling know-how by screen-writer/director Ma-Deaw Chukiatsakwirakul (Chookiat Sakweerakul )Based on a comic, the transition to screen is surprisingly realistic and the story is well explored in all its humour and twisted horror. The game concept reminds us of the Saw trilogy (2004,2005&2006) and has similar elements on top of the reality TV references a la Fear Factor. At times, we are also reminded of Falling Down (1993)'s similar slow fall and emotional meltdown.Trying to conclude this wild ride is tricky and we are left with diverse elements that are not necessarily captivating or as original as the rest of the film on their own merit--nor are they out of place--, but tied together provide the base for the ending that does not disappoint.A clever movie that easily make you embark on a journey that can only be slowly but surely spiraling down. So where is the point where you lose control and what happens if someone else loses it for you?A thin line between deprived and deranged.Thailand 2006 | 113 min | 35mm Thai language (English subtitles)

anacleto_biloba I saw this movie last night at the Fantasia movie festival here in Montreal. I cannot believe that this movie won the "Best Asian film" award of the festival. Don't get me wrong, the movie is entertaining but you cannot compare it with for example the Japanese film "Memories of Matsuko" (http://imdb.com/title/tt0768120/) which is a far superior film also shown at the festival. 13 Beloved started as a funny, sick dark comedy. Too bad that by the end the comedy was gone and replace by criticism of our violent society. It turned too serious for its own good. Still, the movie is entertaining, but for gosh sake it doesn't deserve an award. 6/10