P

I just watched P and it’s a strange, sad horror film that mixes Thai folklore with the dark side of real life. Directed by Paul Spurrier, a British filmmaker working in Thailand, it tells the story of Aaw, a poor village girl who knows magic from her grandmother. When her grandmother gets sick, Aaw travels to Bangkok to find work and earn money for medicine. But instead of a normal job, she ends up in a bar serving foreign men and becomes trapped in a world she doesn’t understand.

What makes P stand out is how it connects real human pain with the supernatural. Aaw, renamed Dau in the city, is innocent and kind but desperation pushes her into using her magic for selfish reasons. She breaks the old rules like never taking payment for magic, never walking under a clothesline, and never eating raw meat.

Slowly she becomes possessed by an evil spirit called phi borb, a ghost from Thai legend that feeds on human flesh. Watching her change from a shy girl into a cursed creature is both disturbing and heartbreaking.

The film moves slowly at first, focusing on Aaw’s life in the city and the cruelty she faces. These scenes feel real and sad, showing the hidden world of Bangkok’s sex trade. When the horror finally arrives, it feels earned. The effects are rough and the CGI isn’t great, but the story still feels powerful. One scene where Aaw uses her powers to take revenge on the man who abused her is shocking and strangely emotional.

Spurrier’s direction is bold. He treats the story with seriousness, showing both supernatural terror and the real horror of poverty and exploitation. The mix doesn’t always work as the tone sometimes feels uneven and the final act adds too many twists. But the film’s heart is in the right place. Suangporn Jaturaphut gives a strong performance as Aaw, making her fall from innocence feel real and painful.

P isn’t perfect. It’s slow, rough around the edges, and not always clear about what it wants to say. But it’s also brave and different, daring to mix ghost story, social drama, and tragedy in a way few horror films do. For me, it’s less about scares and more about sadness, the story of a girl destroyed by both the real and supernatural worlds around her.