Review of They Wait (2007) by Ralph G — 27 Sep 2008

Well Im finishing off my night with what appears to be a Canadian production, filmed in Vancouver. It starts out like an Asian horror flic with no subtitles, but the English starts to flow about 10 minutes into it. If it didnt have Space and The Movie Network plastered all over the credits, it could easily be mistaken for an Asian horror film. It definitely has all the ingredients. It seemed long, building at a slow pace, but for the most part it was a pretty good film.

An Asian man, his American wife, and their son attend an uncles funeral, and help the widow settle things. It doesnt take long for the son to develop a Sixth Sense (he can see dead people) as he walks down the street with his mother during a celebration for the dead. The boy is eventually attacked by a demon/ghost that is holding his life, forcing his mother to uncover the mystery of the missing bones. Thats it in a nutshell. Not overly original, but not bad at all. The acting was good on all counts, the production quality was there, and although I found the sound/music vaguely familiar during parts, it was suitable.

They Wait is another cookie cutter Asian ghost story. Its all there, invoking a feeling of familiarity, but do we need another ghost story with all the same ingredients as a dozen before it. The Asian horror craze was fresh and cool for awhile, but without an ounce of originality in the last decade, its becoming stale.

Bottom Line though, I liked it and Id probably watch it again. Unfortunately the minute it goes onto my shelf its going to get lost amongst all the other Asian horror films I own. With nothing to make it stand out, this film is easily forgettable.