Written and directed by Xia Magnus
Starring Aina Dumlao, Justin Arnold, Jon Viktor Corpuz and Jayne Taini
Running time: 1 hour and 40 minutes
Currently unrated, but contains mild gore, adult themes and brief ghostly nudity

by Hunter Bush

"Sanzaru" is the collective name for the See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil monkeys (who each traditionally have their own names btw). I avoided looking this up until after watching the film for fear of accidentally spoiling a major element of Xia Magnus' sweaty, southern, spookhouse flick. As it is, knowing the meaning spoils none of the plot but exposes some of the themes I thought were most interesting in the film, specifically communication.

In Sanzaru, Evelyn (Aina Dumlao) is an in-home caretaker staying with her charge, Dena Regan (Jayne Taini) who has dementia and a few other health problems. Evelyn's nephew Amos - a.k.a. Mo - (Jon Viktor Corpuz) is currently staying there on a forced break from high school after an incident during a boxing match and Dena's adult son Clem (Justin Arnold) is also living on the property and serves as the defacto repairman, fixing the generator when it (frequently) goes out. When Dena's charm bracelet (which she calls her "shivaree") goes missing and supernatural happenings begin, Dena becomes intermittently obsessed with finding it as her condition worsens.

Almost every pairing between these four characters has something they aren't saying to each other for one reason or another. In some cases, these are actual secrets, family history long buried - Clem initially seems like a layabout but as the film progresses you begin to see him as withdrawn and ultimately learn why - but other times there is something else getting in the way. For instance, due to her encroaching dementia, Dena is frequently unable to find the words to communicate her thoughts effectively, even during her more lucid moments. There are also tangible expressions of this theme. The phone lines are frequently not working but even when they are, the connections are strained and the voices sound like they're coming from a long way off, a distance reflected in the gulf between Evelyn and her nephew. She has something she should tell him, but the same fear that necessitated the secret is what keeps her from telling it. As I said, communication is difficult, and that's not even bringing up the spirits attempting to communicate with- and express influence upon- our world from some sort of limbo.

There are spirits present throughout Sanzaru, watching the film's events unfold and having a relatively one-sided conversation about what it is they want with the living, doing double duty as a combination slow-drip exposition and pseudo Greek chorus. It's an approach I don't think I've seen before and certainly not in a horror movie like this. There are other unusual choices, most of which are unique visuals, that really struck a chord with me; the spirits are represented as flashing lights - there is a warning beforehand for those susceptible to photosensitive health issues - each of which has a different visual presentation and "voice" and later, when we see these spirits present in the physical world, one has taken the form of a dead pet and the other is a glowing silhouette. The effects are eerily beautiful and gravely unnerving, respectively.

Writer/director Xia Magnus has made a very strong feature length debut here, one with interesting character dynamics, smart storytelling and the beginnings of a clearly defined visual style. I think there are potentially one too many storylines at play in Sanzaru, not that they actively detract from each other, more that some later developments feel a little under-baked and maybe could have done with a bit more focus.I still absolutely give it a recommendation. The small cast are perfectly suited to the demands of the performances they give. As Evelyn, Aina Dumlao is the stand out; open and patient in the Regan household, but curt and polite when dealing with the town’s overly familiar mailman (Matthew Albrecht). She spends a lot of time not expressing what’s going on inside of her, but her emotional state and her concerns are never unclear. Similarly, early in the film Clem is only seen outside the house through windows, looming around the yard. He seems threatening and ominous, but once he becomes more present in the story it becomes clear that he’s just withdrawn and uncomfortable around most people, which Justin Arnold conveys via lowered eyes and a twitchy demeanor.

In Sanzaru, communication of all kinds may sometimes seem impossible, but the film itself mostly doesn’t suffer the same problems. At under two hours, and despite the abundance of threads to follow, Magnus has crafted a simmering supernatural Gothic mystery that unfolds clearly but still leaves you with something to think about: when you’re gone, how will those you left behind think of you? And will that be a boon or a curse?

Catch a live virtual screening during the Fantasia Festival on Tuesday, September 1st at 5:00PM.