[Sick Nurses]
Plot:A vengeful ghost forces a group of sexy organ-harvesting nurses to confront their own demons in this deliriously twisted and vibrantly designed Thai splatterfest.

Cast:Libby Brien, Dollaros Dachapratumwan, Philip Hersh, Wichan Jarujinda, Kanya Rattanapetch, Chidjan Rujiphun, Chon Wachananon, Ocha Wang.

My Thoughts:Weird but interesting.

Review:"Sick Nurses" is a Thai horror pic which follows a group of organ harvesting nurses who are stalked by a vengeful spirit. The questions left up to the viewer is, why this crew of twisted, dark-souled, yet attractive nurses, along with their male boss, are being spooked by this ghost. Like most Thai/asian horror...the film is all centered around revenge...revenge for a past misdeed. And like with most asian horror films, the ghosts hair is it's central weapon against it's targets. Apparently that trick never gets old, although some may disagree.

The movie plays out in very weird fashion, and there's also a strong hint of black humor to most of what takes place in the film involving it's characters, the ghost, and even the deaths. While most asian horror films only hint at humor in a few scenes, this one really lets the viewer know that it's aiming to be a horror-comedy, it's really not shy about it. People die in all sorts of weird, hilarious ways...including one girl who has her new purse grafted onto her head by the evil spirit. But the payoff comes when one of the other nurses try to get the purse off of her head.

However, even though some parts of the film are comical...it's done and shot in such a dark fashion, and the story itself is so dark and cruel that the comedy comes through as more sharp, weird, and engaging, rather than goofy and annoying. The characters are really not fleshed out very well, although that does not hurt the movie too much. The nurses definitely are sick, as in sick-in-the-head...a plot point which is evident when it's revealed how the ghost was born and what horrific event/crime the nurses commited to make that so.

But each nurse does have her own specific persona, and little idiosecrencies that barely set them apart from one another. There's also a clock that plays an intriguing role in the film, and ties in to each characters encounter with the ghost and their demise at her hand. Long black hair, while the ghost has it...and it plays a part in the film as a weapon, is not overused like in "The Grudge" films, but instead goes more with the ghosts outer look, which is a Japanese woman with black-oil-colored skin.

Unlike other ghosts in asian horror, which have a habit of taking out whomever they encounter right then and there...this ghost seems to like to toy with her victims first, even putting some of their deaths on pause while she goes after another nurse. Eventually setting up a moment in the film where she disposes of a handful of them simultaneously, a pretty cool new wrinkle if I do say so myself. It also acts as a testament to how powerful this particular ghost is. And of course, as per usual...the deaths are full of blood and gore, all of the things one would expect when talking asian horror.

"Sick Nurses" does have a few overall weaknesses however, the biggest one pertaining to the films big reveal. While it is twisted, sick, brutal, and all of those things...it still carries that stench of "been there, seen that." It's not really that original, or atleast as original as you'd expect from horror of which it's origins are from outside the U.S. The films ending is a real doosy, and pretty twisted also. There are just some things you've never lived until you have seen.

And even in the realm of asian horror, this films ending has my vote for the "ultra-weird" award. "Sick Nurses" is not your typical asian horror movie, it plays in it's own pool and that's one of the things to really like about it. If you're into asian horror that replaces a few scares for overt and in-your-face weirdness...then check this one out when it hits stateside at Tribeca.

Positives:More interesting than usual antagonist, blood and gore levels are high, unique demises, a very dark, moody, and weird tone throughout.

Negatives:Not the most original origin or backstory was chosen for the ghost.

Overall:Worth seeing.





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