Ghost Bride (2013)

There are supernatural thrillers that are action based, others that are psychological. Where does this one fit in? "Ghost Bride" is primarily psychological, with a mostly Chinese cast speaking in fluent English; Jason is living a Kiwi lifestyle but understandably his traditionalist widowed mother doesn't want him to marry a guilo. Unfortunately, Jason has a white girlfriend, and hasn't told his mother, who has called in a matchmaker. Jason is not having an arranged marriage, and his mother wouldn't be too happy if she realised who is the matchmaker's choice, her dead daughter.This is quite atmospheric in places but what do you do with a ghost that is capable of materialising anywhere and at any time? Jason strangles her, or it, and they bury the very terrestrial body. At least it was when they buried it. You'll have to make up your mind about this one, but by and large this low budget film doesn't succeed.

David Blyth has created a nice, steady psychological dilemma in "Ghost Bride" that really draws on the conflicts of cultural past and individual present that is a very real, and very murky journey for many young people today. To abide by the ways of the ancestors or forge an independent path for one's self. Then throw in a sinister match maker with ulterior motives and the paranormal, and soon things get down right deadly. This is a really well crafted ghost story and the cast do great jobs and bringing these characters to life on screen. The film does rely completely on melodrama and personal conflict for most of the suspense so the thrills are a bit more subdued than one would expect going into the film. Just a note for anyone setting out to watch-not a criticism. The special effects are minimal, a few quick frame switch moments meant to create a supernatural element, mostly practical stuff, with very minimal CGI. This isn't like the bigger budget Asian ghost stories with heavy-dark- effects that get chilling. "Ghost Bride" takes a more casual, restrained approach where the macabre nature of the story, unease of character situations, and a steady instrumental overture combine to tale a story of tragedy, desire, and struggle. Blyth presents us with a mature, respectful story that revolves around Eastern folklore, and familial guilt. (And I thought Western mothers knew how to milk the guilt thing.) Overall "Ghost Bride" is a strong story that is told with nearly perfect continuity. The beginning is a straight forward set-up that sets the tone for the whole film. There are moments that get confusing in the middle section that could have been tied in better- mostly with the introduction to the ghost element that doesn't really solidify until the last act. Of course my confusion could have been purely cultural differences and me not fully getting the Chinese traditions. This is a nice, mellow ghost story that never really escalates or falters far from the even tempo so no major chills or thrills are present. That was a bit of a bummer for me personally, but still "Ghost Bride" is a nice little macabre film.

Contrary to the 9/10 score by another reviewer who seemed intent on blowing smoke up the director's rear (mainly because it probably was the director himself that wrote the review), this movie is a below par and tame horror and I use the term 'horror' very loosely. This is a movie that moves along slowly but is really non-scary and doesn't engage me at all when it does actually get going in places. The script is strange and illogical and the actors show their inexperience on quite a few occasions with some wooden performances reciting it. This movie could have been more if a better writer wrote the script and understood the premise of what a supernatural horror entails. To sum the Ghost Bride up I'd say it was slow, amateurish, poorly executed and lacking in any quality at all for the genre and audience it is supposed to be aimed at.

Likes : Sorry but who ever gave this a rating of 9 out of 10 seriously must be on meds or something because this is no way a 9 out of 10 film. As of Japaneses culture this film isn't to bad as it does capture the traditional wedding theme but this as a horror film fail's massively. Some of the acting is OK but i cant say this was a good film so many flaws it was unreal, some people might find this a good film but this was such a flawed film. Dislikes : Some of the acting was wooden, there was absolutely no scary or intense horror in this film what so ever, the ghost of the woman was in no way scary looking making the film look like a amateur with extreme low budget has made this film. This is what make this the worst film I've seen, im a big horror fan & fair play to the director effort in making this but sorry this film is a massive let down in horror, this is a very student type film film for a class room audience & not a big wide audience.This couple with the pace of the film lets it down.This is one film to avoid.