So Be It, The Eyes Diary, The Couple open in Thai cinemas

It's a big week for new Thai films in Bangkok cinemas, with the release of three movies.

Among the crop is the latest from Kongdej Jaturanrasmee, his documentary So Be It. And, owing to Halloween, there's two horror films, The Eyes Diary, which sees Chookiat Sakveerakul returning to his horror roots, and The Couple, the sophomore release of the indie-film shingle Talent 1.

In So Be It (A-Wang, เอวัง), two very different boys – a poor hilltribe youngster and a half-Thai reality-TV star – ordain as novice Buddhist monks. The half-Thai, half-farang kid William was featured on the TrueVisions’ reality series Plook Panya Dharma Novice, which followed the daily lives of novice monks. After his stint on the series, he returns to the temple on his own to continue his studies into the Buddhist faith. Meanwhile, there's Bundit, a Karen boy whose family is too poor to afford schooling. So he's sent to the Buddhist boarding school, but is uncomfortable and tries to leave.

The third indie-film effort by Kongdej, So Be It premiered at the recent Busan International Film Festival, which had supported the project through the Asian Cinema Fund. Variety gave it a good review. The Nation has more about it today. It's at House on RCA. Check out the trailer below.

The Eyes Diary (คนเห็นผี, Kon Hen Pee), directed by Chukiat, stars Parama Im-anothai as a young guy whose girlfriend (Focus Jeerakul) dies in a motorbike wreck after they had a fight. He’s desperate to communicate with her "on the other side", so he seeks help from a young woman (Chonnikarn Natejui) who's had a similar experience.

Not to be confused with the Pang brothers' Eye franchise, The Eyes Diary marks a return to horror by Chookiat, who has garnered much acclaim for his sprawling family and friendship dramas like The Love of Siam and last year's Grean Fictions. But he got his start with thrillers, such as his 2004 horror Pisaj and the twisting 2006 thriller 13 Game Sayong, which was recently remade by Hollywood as 13 Sins.
There's an English-subtitled trailer already.

In The Couple (รัก ลวง หลอน, Rak Luang Lon), a newlywed bride is possessed by the evil spirit of her sister-in-law. Sucha Manaying, Pitchaya Nithipisarnkul and Mali Coates star.

This is the second feature from Talent 1, which made its bow last year with the well-received thriller Last Summer. The indie film label is run by producer Ladawan Ratanadilokchai, who takes a different approach to her films. She had a hand in the script, with help from indie filmmaking talents Kongdej Jaturanrasmee (who also has So Be It opening at House this week), Pimpaka Towira and Sivaroj Kongsakul.