HBO Asia’s Folklore anthology returns for a second season next month with another feature episode from a Thai director.
This time, Sittisiri Mongkolsiri has been tapped to bring a Thai legend to the screen. The young director was behind 2019 romantic horror flick Krasue: Inhuman Kiss, which was Thailand’s submission for Best International Feature Film for the 2019 Oscars.
His episode, Broker of Death, will star BNK48 idol Jennis Oprasert and Natee Ngamnaewprom, who plays a widower named Manop who has a side-hustle as a “funeral broker.”
Things change when a politician client requests a secret ceremony involving some dubious dark arts that will grant them power. Manop must choose between his family’s financial security or the horrifying consequences that await him.
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The mini-series features episodes highlighting mysticism and mythology from across Asia. The first installment, released in 2018, showcased the work of six Asian film directors, including Thailand’s Pen-ek Ratanaruang. His episode, titled “Pob,” was based on the infamous ghost that feeds on human intestines – fear of which holds sway to this day over rural Thailand.
The second season will follow the same formula, with each episode drawing inspiration from local folk tales from different regional cultures.
Along with Sittisiri from Thailand, other directors include Shih Han Liao (Taiwan), Erik Matti (Philippines), Billy Christian (Indonesia), and Nicole Midori Woodford (Singapore), with pop singer songwriter Seiko Matsuda (Japan) making her directorial debut.
The first episode will premiere exclusively on HBO Go at 9pm Bangkok time on Nov. 14. New episodes will air every Sunday after that in the same time slot.
Broker of Death is scheduled to air Nov. 28.
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