''Art of the Devil'' ( th, คนเล่นของ or ''Khon len khong'') is a
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
Thai
Thai or THAI may refer to:
* Of or from Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia
** Thai people, the dominant ethnic group of Thailand
** Thai language, a Tai-Kadai language spoken mainly in and around Thailand
*** Thai script
*** Thai (Unicode block ...
horror film
Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes.
Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...
directed by
Tanit Jitnukul
Tanit Jitnukul ( Thai: ธนิตย์ จิตนุกูล, born in 1956 in Songkhla Province, Thailand) is a Thai film director, screenwriter and producer. Among his films is the 2000 historical battle epic, '' Bang Rajan''. His nickna ...
. It has two titular sequels, ''
Art of the Devil 2
''Art of the Devil 2'' (Thai: ลองของ or ''Long khong'') is a 2005 Thai horror film directed by Kongkiat Khomsiri, Art Thamthrakul, Yosapong Polsap, Putipong Saisikaew, Isara Nadee, Pasith Buranajan and Seree Pongniti (known collectivel ...
'' (2005) and ''
Art of the Devil 3
''Art of the Devil 3'' (Thai: ลองของ 2 or ''Long khong 2'') is a 2008 Thai horror film directed by Kongkiat Khomsiri, Art Thamthrakul, Yosapong Polsap, Putipong Saisikaew, Isara Nadee, Pasith Buranajan and Seree Pongniti (known collect ...
'' (2008), but these films feature a different story with new characters.
Plot
''Art of the Devil'' tells the story of Boom (
Supaksorn Chaimongkol), a young Thai girl who meets a married man named Prathan (Tin Settachoke) and his male friends at a
country club
A country club is a privately owned club, often with a membership quota and admittance by invitation or sponsorship, that generally offers both a variety of recreational sports and facilities for dining and entertaining. Typical athletic offer ...
where she works. The two soon begin an affair, and Boom finds herself pregnant afterwards. When she breaks the news to Prathan, he was initially not elated about the pregnancy, and questions Boom if he is the real father of her baby. Then Prathan inquires Boom how much money she needs in exchange for her silence, to which Boom disappointedly requests for a large sum. After giving her the required sum, Prathan appears to have a change of heart, reassuring Boom that he will not leave her.
However, Boom wakes up in the middle of the night to find Prathan talking to his friends, who are behind the window of Prathan’s
beach house
Beach House is an American musical duo formed in Baltimore, Maryland in 2004. The band consists of Victoria Legrand (vocals, keyboards) and Alex Scally (guitar, keyboard, backing vocals).
Their self-titled debut album was released in 2006 to ...
. Prathan informs her that for the large amount of money he paid her earlier, he had the right to share her with his friends. While Prathan wields a video camera, his friends chase a terrified and screaming Boom out of the room and onto the beach, where they humiliate and apparently
gang-rape
Gang rape, also called serial gang rape, group rape, or multiple perpetrator rape in scholarly literature,Ullman, S. E. (2013). 11 Multiple perpetrator rape victimization. Handbook on the Study of Multiple Perpetrator Rape: A Multidisciplinary Re ...
her. It is revealed that Prathan never had any intention to continue his affair with Boom after her pregnancy.
After getting an
ultrasound
Ultrasound is sound waves with frequency, frequencies higher than the upper audible limit of human hearing range, hearing. Ultrasound is not different from "normal" (audible) sound in its physical properties, except that humans cannot hea ...
at the hospital (revealing that her child has some abnormalities), Boom spots Prathan at a restaurant with his family of his second marriage celebrating his youngest daughter’s birthday. Before going to Prathan, Boom receives a call from her friend. Boom’s friend advises her to have an abortion, because she’s sure that Prathan would not acknowledge the unborn child. However Boom refuses, and reminds her friend that she’s keeping her baby regardless of Prathan’s acknowledgment as the father. However, according to Boom’s
OB/GYN
Obstetrics and Gynaecology (also spelled as Obstetrics and Gynecology; abbreviated as Obs and Gynae, O&G, OB-GYN and OB/GYN) is the medical specialty that encompasses the two subspecialties of obstetrics (covering pregnancy, childbirth, and t ...
, the baby has some
congenital abnormalities
A birth defect, also known as a congenital disorder, is an abnormal condition that is present at birth regardless of its cause. Birth defects may result in disabilities that may be physical, intellectual, or developmental. The disabilities can r ...
and will not be able to have a normal life. Soon after, Boom shows up at the restaurant, interrupting the celebration, and informs Prathan that the sum of money he had given her was not enough and that she needs an additional amount. In embarrassment, Prathan drags Boom outside, slaps her, and warns her not to come near his family again, before tossing a wad of cash at her; shouting that it will be the last time that he’ll be giving her money.
Furious, Boom enlists the aid of a
black magic
Black magic, also known as dark magic, has traditionally referred to the use of supernatural powers or magic for evil and selfish purposes, specifically the seven magical arts prohibited by canon law, as expounded by Johannes Hartlieb in 145 ...
shaman
Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with what they believe to be a spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiritu ...
to exact revenge on her ex-lover, his friends (for the gang rape), and his entire family, notably causing the second eldest son to shoot his girlfriend and his little sister before turning the gun on himself. Prathan was found dead at his beach house by his latest mistress.
After their deaths, Boom visits the shaman and learns that if she donates coffins equal to the number of victims for the spirits, they will not bother her. She makes some offerings at the temple as instructed by the shaman. While leaving the temple, she sees the ghosts of her victims in the back of a car and steps off of the sidewalk to get a better look, whereupon she is hit by a car. The resulting accident causes her to
lose her baby.
Prathan's first wife, Kamala inherits his fortune. She and her four children move into the house. Boom again uses black magic to kill this new family off. However, her motive this time is not for revenge, but in order to claim the inheritance. A young newspaper reporter becomes suspicious, so Boom arranges for his death, as well. Throughout this, the ghost of Boom's dead daughter is seen around the house.
The story ends with only the youngest son, Bon and eldest daughter, Nan surviving the massacre. Boom voluntarily falls to her death from the roof of the hospital after seeing her daughter's ghost.
Cast
* Arisa Wills as Nan
*
Supakson Chaimongkol as Boom
* Krongthong Rachatawan as Kamala
* Tin Settachoke as Prathan
* Somchai Satuthum as Danai
* Isara Ochakul as Ruj
* Nirut Sutchart as Neng
* Krittayod Thimnate as Bon
Reception
''Art of the Devil'' premiered on June 17, 2004, and was the No. 4 film its opening weekend, behind ''
Around the World in 80 Days
''Around the World in Eighty Days'' (french: link=no, Le tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours) is an adventure novel by the French writer Jules Verne, first published in French in 1872. In the story, Phileas Fogg of London and his newly employe ...
'', ''
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
''Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'' is a fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling and is the third in the ''Harry Potter'' series. The book follows Harry Potter, a young wizard, in his third year at Hogwarts School of W ...
'', and ''
The Punisher
The Punisher (Francis "Frank" Castle, born Castiglione) is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru. The Punisher made ...
''. It stayed in the No. 4 spot for two more weeks before moving to No. 5 in its fourth week at the box office.
Thailand box office, June 17-20, 2004
Box Office Mojo
Box Office Mojo is an American website that tracks box-office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. The site was founded in 1998 by Brandon Gray, and was bought in 2008 by IMDb, which itself is owned by Amazon.
History
Brandon Gray began ...
; retrieved 2008-05-09
See also
* List of ghost films
Ghost movies and shows can fall into a wide range of genres, including romance, comedy, horror, juvenile interest, and drama. Depictions of ghosts are as diverse as Casper the Friendly Ghost, Beetlejuice, Hamlet's father, Jacob Marley, Freddy Kru ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Art Of The Devil
2004 films
2004 horror films
Five Star Production films
Thai-language films
Thai horror films
Thai ghost films
Films about witchcraft
Thai supernatural horror films