Cathardincu Surprisingly incoherent and boring

Actuakers One of my all time favorites.

Neive Bellamy Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

Jakoba True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

chicagopoetry This combination of Saw and Echelon Conspiracy contains three of the most shocking cinematic moments you are ever likely to see: one involving the consumption of something very vile; another involving the retrieval of a corpse from a well; and the most original--a remarkable scene of multiple decapitations. It starts out like a retelling of The Game (the one with Michael Douglas) but then it quickly becomes apparent that there isn't going to be much of a happy ending here, as the reality show our victim gets involved with heads into a downward spiral of violence and utter vulgarity. This one has the morals of Run and Kill and the subtlety of The Three Stooges. If you're looking for an EXTREME horror experience, 13 Beloved won't let you down.

TdSmth5 A surprisingly excellent production from Thailand. This movie tells the story of a loser/loner who just got fired, had his car repossessed, is in credit card debt, and has an overbearing mother who needs money and suddenly gets a call inviting him to play in a game that could make him rich. The game consists of 13 challenges, the completion of each entails a money transfer into his bank. If he completes the final challenge he would get a very large sum of money. But he has to complete all challenges and not try to find out who is behind the game.The challenges range from mild to disgusting to violent. While initially the movie doesn't seem to fit into the "Dimensions Extreme" line because for a good while it lacks gore, nudity, violence that are required for a good horror movie, this one is a little more psychological and a lot more story-based. Also at some point you start wondering what the point of all this is and then the movies gives a hint, a glimpse into out character's childhood that will be important for the end of the movie. Speaking of the end, it has a couple of surprise twists and explanations. The man's childhood and family will be key and are related to the final challenge. In addition there is some sort of revealing of who's behind all this that isn't entirely satisfying, but the point here is to get the audience to imagine...what if...and what our price would be, if it is true that we all have a price and also how far we would go for money. The movie succeeds in creating a very likable character that you root for. There's an obligatory female who falls for him and tries to help him, rescue him. And you will also dislike the cruel villains in the shadows. The movie, however, is not a noir film despite the hopelessness of the situations. In fact, there's a good dose of humor here and there in terms of how other characters react to what is going on and how our friend deals with the crazy things he's asked to do. This movie looks very good. Unlike American movies that rely too much on artificial colored lighting and effects like grainy looks or discolored film or disco-type lights, this one looks bright, crisp, and naturally lit. It also sounds good and has good subtitles. Recommended as a different type of horror/ psychological thriller that is effective and funny and makes you think.

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