Editorials
Thai Supernatural Slasher ‘Sick Nurses’ Is Both Campy and Brutal [Horrors Elsewhere]
Just when it seemed like 2000s Asian horror could not get any weirder, Sick Nurses threw its hat into the ring and set a high bar for transgressive entertainment. In this Thai hidden gem hailing all the way from ’07, a gaggle of naughty nurses along with a crooked doctor commit a series of heinous crimes. And the one thing stopping them from getting away with their misdeeds is a flamboyant, merciless ghost hellbent on revenge.
Sick Nurses does not hide the fact that its main characters are loathsome and irredeemable. Right from the start, co-directors and co-writers Piraphan Laoyont and Thodsapol Siriwiwat deny any chance of sympathy when the nurses and doctor murder their colleague in cold blood. Inside an empty Bangkok hospital, the headquarters of a local organ harvesting ring, a nurse named Tahwaan (Chol Wachananont) is killed then disposed of after threatening to expose her partners in crime. Why she resorted to such drastic measures is not entirely known, but one thing is for sure — a vengeance story is fast approaching. Like clockwork, the perpetrators begin to fall prey to a sinister force brewing inside the hospital.
Sick Nurses wastes no time dispensing with the fodder. The first victim, Ae (Kanya Rattanapetch), meets her fitting fate shortly before the fifteen-minute mark. This is also after she spelled out the conditions for their resident ghost to return; lore states the dead can come back to a loved one only on the seventh day following their death. In this case, Tahwaan’s object of affection is none other than the organ thieves’ ringleader, Dr. Tar (Wichan Jarujinda). In the same breath as her dead-on exposition, Ae claimed Nook (Chidjan Rujiphun) would be Tahwaan’s greatest target, seeing as she came between her lovesick sister and the doctor.
When dealing with restless and vengeful ghosts in horror, characters are often handed a mystery to solve. So on top of an apparitional attacker is the desperate quest for answers. Why is the spirit still here, and what can be done to put them to rest? Sick Nurses, on the other hand, does not follow the standard formula. There are no apparent clues to decipher since Tahwaan’s cause of death has been known from the get-go. With no deep mysteries to unravel or ghostbusting rituals to perform, the story takes on the form and functions of a supernatural slasher.
Tahwaan, whose body is covered from head to toe in black paint and fabric, stalks her hapless quarries throughout the hospital in the hours before midnight. The phantasmal killer’s individual hunts result in a slew of eye-catching set pieces that atone for the film’s glaring lack of plot. Candy-coated scenery, saturated colors, and surreal violence distinguish these scenes from others, not to mention raise the caliber of a mistakenly routine ghost story. Tahwaan then using each victim’s greatest obsession against them amounts to death sequences worth celebrating.
There is not a single agreeable character to be found here; everyone is unethical and repugnant. Their surly temperaments and depraved behaviors make their eventual demises all the more satisfying to watch. They are less characters now and more like conduits for karmic torture. The antagonistic Jo (Dollaros Dachapratumwan) suffers a drawn-out and ruthless execution when Tahwaan exploits her eating disorder. Without giving away too much details, this exceptionally mean scene features a self-induced mandibulectomy and a projectile fetus in a jar. Narcissistic twins Am and On (Ampaiwan and Ampairat Techapoowapa) discover a shared activity that leaves them in pieces, fitness freak Yim (Ase Wang) gets tied up in her own hairy punishment, and finally, Ae from earlier loses her head to materialism. Sick Nurses completely subscribes to the cruel and unapologetic ethos so emblematic of aughts horror.
The term “queer horror” means different things to different people, although regardless of how anyone defines it, the many films collected under this umbrella almost always have to do with otherness. As aggressive as Sick Nurses is with just about everything else, it approaches its queer themes with reservation before blasting the closet door wide open. Both the campy quality and the neon-drenched aesthetic are suggestive, but the most conclusive evidence lies in Dr. Tar. Intermittent flashbacks show Dr. Tar was once in a secret relationship with another man.
The queerness does not stop with doctors on the down-low or a flashy ghost who bleeds glitter. The film takes othering to a whole different level by then dropping a well hidden if not thorny plot twist in the last act. This startling development is more befitting of a mid-tier soap opera from times past. How this leftfield turn of events is handled comes across as more gotcha than progressive, and it will undoubtedly be food for thought for those seeing Sick Nurses in a more enlightened social climate.
Few ghost stories are as twisted and unrestrained as this one, and nearly every creative gamble here pays off. The distinct combination of camp, panache, and stomach-churning intensity is irresistible to fans of audacious horror. This film goes unnoticed despite its visually arresting presentation and go-for-broke story, but with wider availability, Sick Nurses could finally achieve the cult status it so deserves.
Horrors Elsewhere is a recurring column that spotlights a variety of movies from all around the globe, particularly those not from the United States. Fears may not be universal, but one thing is for sure — a scream is understood, always and everywhere.
No conversation about cartoons based on live-action movies is ever complete without mentioning The Real Ghostbusters.
This animated continuation is, warts and all, a notable example of turning a hit movie into a hit series. And although the new target demographic skewed a little younger, even kids-at-heart could partake in the further adventures of Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, Winston Zeddemore and Egon Spengler.
For a good part of its run, the show required fans to wait at least a week for more Ghostbustin’. That’s torture for a kiddo. Luckily, though, the entire series, or at least most of it, is now available for streaming.
So, as you revisit The Real Ghostbusters on Tubi—for now it’s just the first five seasons there—use this guide to help prioritize some must-see episodes.
The Boogieman Cometh
“The Boogieman Cometh” (Season 1)
Season One’s “The Boogieman Cometh” is a classic episode featuring one of the show’s more iconic villains. It’s hard to forget the unique character design used for the Boogieman (whose creepy voice was provided by Ray and Slimer’s actor, Frank Welker). In this story, Egon is reunited with that bump-in-the-night entity who haunted his own childhood, all while trying to keep him away from his latest targets: the brother and sister claiming to have the Boogieman in their closet. Although the Ghostbusters do save the day here, the Boogieman eventually returns (“The Bogeyman Is Back“). That same episode also features the love-’em-or-hate-’em Junior Ghostbusters.
Mr. Sandman, Dream Me a Dream
“Mr. Sandman, Dream Me a Dream” (Season 1)
You could say the namesake of “Mr. Sandman, Dream Me a Dream” had good intentions for putting mankind to sleep for the next few centuries—he wanted to end war and keep everyone dreaming. Sounds nice until you remember that whole free will business. But when it seems like the Ghostbusters have lost to their latest foe, the last one standing, Winston, gains a sudden ally. Janine’s dream of becoming a Ghostbuster is manifested, and she helps put this rogue spirit to bed.
When Halloween Was Forever
“When Halloween Was Forever” (Season 1)
Before the show’s execs capitalized on Slimer’s popularity by making him the focus of later episodes, early stories like “When Halloween Was Forever” better utilized that gooey ghost. Here, the spirit of Halloween itself, Samhain, hopes to make the holiday a permanent thing by stopping time. And who does the embodiment of All Hallows’ Eve use in his nefarious plot? Slimer, of course. Thankfully, the lil’ green bud knows where he really belongs, and Samhain is banished (at least until Season 3’s “Halloween II 1/2“).
Night Game
“Night Game” (Season 2)
Because Season Two was rather long, in comparison to other seasons, it accumulated quite a few solid episodes. One of the most beloved, though, is that ultimate good-versus-evil story, “Night Game“. Winston gets to shine here as he participates in a battle that was 500 years in the making. Except this time, the fighting is done on the baseball field. The other-dimensional settings in The Real Ghostbusters are always great, but the one here is particularly memorable.
Drool, the Dog-Faced Goblin
“Drool, the Dog-Faced Goblin” (Season 2)
Not all ghosts and whatnot were bad in The Real Ghostbusters. As “Drool, the Dog-Faced Goblin” showed, some were actually benevolent. Sadly, it took a lot of convincing, and one very heroic act, for Peter and the others to see past this goblin’s grotesque appearance. The heroes find more than one shapeshifter at a sideshow carnival in the Poconos; a sinister Class-4er called the Metamorph does a swell job of menacing the Ghostbusters before they finally realize Drool’s not their culprit. The good guys indeed win here, but that victory is a bittersweet one.
The Collect Call of Cathulhu
“The Collect Call of Cathulhu” (Season 2)
While “The Collect Call of Cathulhu” does misspell “Cthulhu” in the title (probably to avoid legal issues), it is clearly the Old One in this Lovecraft-inspired episode. The story kicks off with the Necronomicon being stolen by the deity’s modern-day cult, who then raise their ancient god at Coney Island. From there, the Ghostbusters’ typical methods don’t work on the big guy, so they seek advice from an old issue of Weird Tales (or “Wierd Tales”, as it’s spelled on screen). That build-up to the finale comes with a decent amount of dread before the Ghostbusters, as well as a scholar named Alice, face off with one of the show’s most powerful entities.
Knock, Knock
“Knock, Knock” (Season 2)
A number of Real Ghostbusters episodes could be reworked into big-screen features, but perhaps “Knock, Knock” is the most hopeful. It helps that this story feels in step with the first two movies. Here, some ignorant construction workers accidentally uncover and open an ancient door in the subway. What’s behind said door is none other than those unspeakable evils that only the Ghostbusters can quell. A good deal of the imagery here is prime for adaptation.
The Grundel
“The Grundel” (Season 3)
One of the darker episodes, which was written by the prominent J. Michael Straczynski, is “The Grundel“. Here, a boy is being influenced by the titular entity, a type of ghost who ultimately turns his targets into new Grundels. The episode does have something of an after-school special quality to it, but that doesn’t take away from the eerier moments. For more Grundel lore, be sure to check out the episode “Grundelesque” from the sequel series, Extreme Ghostbusters.
Standing Room Only
“Standing Room Only” (Season 4)
It’s no secret that The Real Ghostbusters experienced multiple changes after the second season. Out of all of them, though, retooling the show so that Slimer would get more of the spotlight is maybe the most egregious. Thankfully, Season Four (the first to be called Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters) didn’t completely obey that new directive; episodes like “Standing Room Only” felt more like the old days. The focus here was on the well-being of the city and its people, rather than on the series’ green mascot (or the Junior Ghostbusters). In the episode, Peter’s new ghost attractor isn’t to blame for the ensuing chaos; the ghost-eating Mee-Krah is what’s really imperiling everyone. And the Ghostbusters must dish out everything they have to avoid a doomsday situation.
The Halloween Door
“The Halloween Door” (Season 5)
While many fans will skip the later seasons in their rewatches, episodes like “The Halloween Door” are still worth checking out. This colorful helping of Halloween pandemonium premiered on primetime, so the animation is better than usual. And save for a random musical moment, it’s an enjoyable event. Here, a group of anti-Halloweeners tries to cancel the holiday, but they only end up making things worse by unleashing a baddie named Boogaloo.
The first five seasons of The Real Ghostbusters are available on Tubi, starting on July 15.
You must be logged in to post a comment.