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| Blind Ana is haunted by spirits in Mattie Do's sophomore feature Dearest Sister (2016) |
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Streaming on Shudder, Mattie Do's
Dearest Sister is an unsettling and atmospheric slow burn horror that highlights class differences in Laotian culture in a rather stark and horrifying manner. Do is Laos' first female director, and has so far worked exclusively in the horror genre.
Dearest Sister was Laos' first ever submission for the foreign language Academy award, and tells a very female-oriented story--one where male characters are more props then actual fleshed out characters. Kind of refreshing.
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| Nok, Ana's cousin, becomes tempted by pleasures that money can bring |
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Dearest Sister focuses on village girl Nok (
Amphaiphun Phommapunya), who is shuttled off by her poverty-stricken parents to Lao capital Vientiane, to become a paid companion to her "city" cousin, Ana (
Vilouna Phetmany), whose sight is rapidly deteriorating and needs help. Despite Ana's increasing disability, she has done well for herself, with a handsome white Estonian dude, Jakob, as her devoted husband, and two servants to take care of her home. Nok is not completely considered "family" by Ana, but not really a servant either, so she's trapped in a kind of liminal space between the two roles. Unsurprisingly, the servants really resent the hell out of Nok because of it, while Anna is a raging jerk who treats both her servants and Nok like crap. Ergo the servants move the furniture around just to mess with Ana, and everyone only pretends to get along when Jakob is home.
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| Ana's ability to see ghosts, and premonitions of death, inadvertently turn her into a cash cow |
Nok susses out rather quickly that while Ana is losing her sight, she's gaining another kind of sense--she sees ghosts and spirits. Even though Ana is initially rather cruel and dismissive of Nok, she gradually becomes closer to her companion, and Nok comforts her through her ghostly encounters. During these spectral moments, Ana recites three numbers (told to her by the spirits she sees), and on a whim, Nok uses the numbers to play the lottery, and wins big a couple of times. This largesse (of which Ana is oblivious) allows Nok entree into consumer culture. Instead of sending money home, she buys a new smart phone, a dress, dies her hair, has drinks at a fine restaurant--trying to fit into the culture, and tempted by its pleasures. She still helps Ana, but nevertheless takes advantage of the young woman's affliction. Ana's servants do not take kindly to Nok's sudden influx of cash, and steal from both Ana and Nok at every turn. The film implies that they have been employed by Ana and Jacob for quite some time, and the wealth gap in play becomes more intolerable as Nok rises in Ana's estimation. Of course, Nok can play the lottery only so often without all parties becoming increasingly suspicious. Ana's discovery of Nok's deception is simultaneous with an expensive surgery she gets in Thailand to restore her eyesight--one that may get rid of her "ghost sight" for good. As Jakob takes off on yet another business trip, Ana and Nok are left alone together during Ana's recovery, and things seriously unravel from there.
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| The gore in Dearest Sister is subtle, but its suspense is pretty acute |
Mattie Do does a remarkable job of creating sympathetic portraits of these complicated, and at times, unlikeable female characters, and the women who play Ana and Nok convince us to care for them through their nuanced performances. Unlike many horror films, these two women are our sole identification points--we only see through their POV. Throughout the film, one roots for Nok, even when she makes quite a few questionable decisions, and spectators feel for Ana, empathizing with her loneliness, fear, and vulnerability. The only clearcut villains are Ana's servants, but viewers can still feel a smattering of understanding as to what drives their resentment and final acts of cruelty. The film emphasizes above all that rampant economic inequalities can turn women against each other in the most insidious ways, and that the endearment "dearest sister" can shift into a bitter curse. Visually, the film is rather low-key with hand-held camerawork and a definite low-budget vibe, but the performances and the film's sharp script allow it to rise above its budgetary limitations. This film is a fine example of a woman director developing a distinctive and expressive voice. Definitely worth checking out!
