Co-directors Inrasothythep Neth and Sokyou Chea have decided to bring Cambodian horror films to the international stage with the unveiling of their very first work, ‘Tenement’, a psychological thriller which premiered at the Rotterdam International Film Festival in 2024.
This Khmer-language thriller explores not only the darker aspects of Cambodian history, but also the themes of family, heritage and the search for roots.
Storyline
The film follows Soriya, a Japanese-Cambodian manga artist, who returns to Cambodia after the death of her mother. She moves into her mother's old flat and discovers that the building is shrouded in mystery and plagued by supernatural events. As Soriya delves deeper into the building's secrets, she discovers a sinister ritual involving the residents, who are preparing a new host for the building's malevolent spirit.
Reception
The film ‘Tenement’ has resonated deeply with the Khmer diaspora, offering a nuanced depiction of Cambodia's turbulent past. The use of horror to explore historical trauma has been praised by critics, with Ben Nicholson of The Film Verdict noting that the film creates a world where ‘not only has time not healed the wounds, but the spectres of those wronged wreak a kind of vengeance on the living’.
Despite its potential, some critics have pointed out that the film's reliance on familiar horror tropes and its weak narrative base detract from its overall impact. The film's use of scary jump scares and familiar horror elements, such as creepy children singing nursery rhymes, has been criticised for coming across as hackneyed and overly reliant on visual effects rather than story depth.
Awards
‘Tenement’ marks a milestone in Cambodian cinema as the first feature film to use Dolby Atmos sound mixing technology, helping to reinforce the film's tense atmosphere and emotional impact. The film won the Best Production Design Award at the 2024 Ho Chi Minh Film Festival and was nominated for the VPRO Big Screen Award at the Rotterdam Film Festival.
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