[3.75/10] The Intruder (2010)

The Intruder (2010)

Thai filmmakers continue to provide us with second-rate, crappy horror movies, and "The Intruder" is no exception. In 1983 before the giant Suvarnabhumi international airport was built, the neglected area was called "King Cobra Swamp" by the locals. As building commenced, a huge old Banyan tree blocked the construction's path. A work crew call in a mechanical digger to remove the tree. As the roots are torn from the ground, 1000s of cobra bones explode from the earth, tearing them to pieces. After the passing of the grim massacre, witnesses who survived tell strange stories about an evil Cobra spirit. Years later when a new apartment block was built on the grounds, Nin, the building's owner, has to face the horrifying matter when hundreds of cobras hellbent on killing every living person in the apartment appear. The story may sound good on paper, but sadly, in terms of execution, storytelling, acting and entertainment value, "The Intruder" is a pretty lackluster effort. The plot is almost non-existent, there's absolutely zero character development, and film as a whole is as incoherent as it gets. On top of that, the film is about 20 minutes too long, and totally unwatchable and quite confusing in its final part. "The Intruder" doesn't even fall into the 'so bad it's good'... it's not even campy-fun like "Snakes on a Plane". It's just one big mess of a movie, a sub-par horror flick that lacks thrills, chills, decent story and engaging characters. Performance-wise, this Thai horror flick also fails to deliver. The cast is headed by Akara Amarttayakul and Apinya Sakuljaroensuk, and while both actors got the looks, neither of them truly shine to their acting capabilities. The rest of the cast is just plain bad, as the acting ranges from annoyingly over-the-top to completely terrible. On a positive note, "The Intruder" is quite atmospheric, visually. The pastel blue tint of the cinematography feels very appropriate for the "horrific" subject matter, and the building where the action takes place, is quite grim and creepy. Unfortunately though, the special effects and gore effects are poorly done, and the CGI snakes themselves look ridiculously fake and cheesy - you won't believe for a minute that those cobras are real. Gory and bloody, yet lacking in scares, "The Intruder" is a poorly-crafted horror flick that takes itself way too seriously, instead to revel in its own silliness.