Spirits (2004)

1) "The Visitor": The drifter writer Tran Thanh Loc (Tuan Cuong) arrives in an old house and is lodged by the gorgeous Hoa (Kathy Nguyen). Along the days, he falls in love for her and discloses the truth about the hostess. 2) "Only Child": Loc is sick, totally disconnected of the world, but his nurse Linh (Kathleen Luong) heals him. He writes the best-seller The Visitor about his relationship with Hoa and becomes a successful writer. He proposes and marries Linh, but when he decides to have a baby, Linh is haunted by her hidden obscure past. 3) "The Diviner": Linh's parents send the fraudulent diviner Lan (Catherine Ai) to use her pretentious knowledge of Feng Shui to help Loc, and she sees ghost in the house. Her son and aspirant writer Bao (Michael Minh) does not believe on his mother until he finds a surprising secret about Loc."Spirits" is a low-budget low-paced Vietnamese movie, with an interesting ghost story. The production is very simple, using practically the same location along the whole story, but is also very engaging and intriguing. The tales are timeless, i.e., there is no reference when they take place; the characters are developed along the plot, without a previous development, but I liked this supernatural tales. Kathy Nguyen and Kathleen Luong are extremely beautiful women and good actresses. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): "Sobrenatural" ("Supernatural")

This movie did a great job of taking three of Viet Nam's ghost stories (truyen ma)into a horror movie that can be appreciated by the "west". After viewing many Asian horror movies, from many countries, much can be lost in the difference of culture and what the different cultures perceive events as frightening. This movie does an excellent job of doing that.However the movie is not without its flaws. It does lack a bit in character depth. My theory is that since they are based on Vietnamese stories, characters do not need the depth that many foreign audiences require. In Vietnamese culture the characters may take on various archetypes that are common in Vietnamese stories. For example the traveling author whose only companions were his paper and pen. This is just my thought that the original stories do not go into complete depth of the characters either.In conclusion, I felt this movie was like watching three very good episodes of the Twilight Zone, rather than a complete movie. I think anyone who is interested in Vietnamese literature may like the movie, along with those who want to enjoy a psychological thriller instead of the cliché gore flicks that inundate our theaters.In conclusion, I felt this movie was like watching three very good episodes of the Twilight Zone, rather than a complete movie. I think anyone who is interested in Vietnamese literature may like the movie, along with those who want to enjoy a psychological thriller instead of the cliché gore flicks that inundate our theaters.

Based on the tradition Vietnamese ghost stories, Spirits is reminiscent of stories told around the campfire. The creepy introduction of the characters and the culmination of their fate leaves you numb until hours later when a scene or an image (mine was in the second story about Linh) sends shivers through you. It's not a Hollywood movie and doesn't rely solely on special effects to sell (although there are a few effects similar to those used in movies like The Ring or The Sixth Sense). Victor Vu used some familiar accents to draw in his audience but stayed true to the unique 'Spirit' of this story, which is what makes it so good. If you like ghost stories, see this movie!

A fairly well done movie. The director does a good job at bringing together a series of events into one story. Some of the scares were downright freaky too! I didn't know what hit me. I didn't really know what to expect when i went in the theatre to watch it. But after all was over with, I was a happy movie goer. Give it a try, and i'm sure you'll find something to like about it as well. Don't go in expecting too much and you'll be pleased. A decent popcorn flick. "Spirits" rivals among The Sixth Sense and other dramatic horror pieces. If you're a horror movie fan, or like dramas with a few scares thrown in, this is worth your time.