Search - The Heirloom on DVD

Zhaibian (The Heirloom) - a Taiwanese film

Kwaile | East Asia | 06/06/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This isn't a review as such - I just wanted to point out that this is a Taiwan production, and not a film from Thailand, as previously stated."

Gothic feel to a familiar supernatural

Norliza Ismail | Seria, Kuala Belait Brunei Darussalam | 07/03/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The movie started with the simple explaination of a supernatural black arts of keeping a child ghost so fortune would come their way easily. But of course, anyone who practice such arts should know that it comes with a price. A horrible price and James (Jason Chang) was about to learn how he had to pay for the sins of his ancestors.

James had inherit the Yang Mansion 20 years later after the entire household except one died in an inexplicable mass suicide by hanged to their deaths in the same hour, place and height, leaving the case unsolved due to it's mysterious circumstances. James decided to accept his inheritance so he could live there with his wife to be, Yo (Terri Kwan). To celebrate their new found fortune, James and Yo invited their close friends, Yi-Cheng and Ah-Tseng, to sleep over with them in the huge place.

As the supernatural events unfold, James and Yo unveil the secrets of James family fortune. They found out how James's famly fortune was built on the aid of a baby ghost who fed on blood and refused the opportunity to reincarnate and somehow kind of back fired on his family after a while.

Do not expect any ghostly apparition in this movie cause the movie orbits around the tragedy of James' ancestry and the Baby ghost was only a secondary factor in this movie. It's sad that I can't seem to connect with the main characters in this movie. I guess this movie just implies how some people just morally wrong. great lightnings and scenes though. I had my edge of the seat moments while waiting this but the usual mental horror tugger for asian's horror flicks seemed to be barely available in this movie."

Riveting!

Dancing Ganesha | Bangalore, India | 05/20/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a more classic horror film in the tradition of the Gothic genre. No long-haired, eerie ghosts in this one.

I'm not sure whether this movie is Thai or Chinese, but the cast itself possess Chinese names (not to mention, they speak in Mandarin), but another reviewer said it's a Thai film, so go figure.

Anyhow, the movie themata is extremely conventional, but very riveting. The camerawork is expertly done, the acting wonderful. This is one of the best Asian horror films in the more "Gothic" category to come out in a long time.

I highly recommend this one if you're not partial to the typical Asian horror. This film's storyline is linear, and doesn't have any weird twists and plots -- just a nice scary tale that works quite well. Enjoy!"

A very dramatic horror film with a heart pounding mystery

Horror-Fanatics.com | 04/28/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Some may think that supernatural stories are played out. We've had plenty here in the states and we're getting much more overseas. What I love about each of these movies is that they're not so repetitive. You get tired of seeing the same thing over and over again, but with these kind of thrillers we always get something different. Sure the ghosts are there but the stories are different and the way the characters are presented is what makes each film stand alone. There are some many movies that I can name which carry the same overall topic but each of those movies you see in the stores are different from each other in one way or another. You don't have to watch these movies for the scares even though it's fun to be scared. You can just sit down and watch it for the story and the relationships between the characters. Heirloom to me is one of those movies. Sure it's a movie about an unknown supernatural force but it's the films story that draws you in. Heirloom isn't really scary and I don't believe it was made to be a scary movie. What makes Heirloom so great and powerful is the plot and the twists that you figure out as you go along.

Heirloom tells the story of a man who inherits an old family house. As he checks the place out he decides to move in and bring his fianc?e along. As they stay in the house the man slowly begins to remember parts from his childhood, bringing back old memories that were forgotten with age. The house has a dark history, in which thirty years prior the entire family attended bizarre rituals an ended up committing suicide all at the same time. Each relative hung on a rope to die. While the man is unaware of his family's history he begins to witness some strange happenings involving the old house. Friends are appearing in the house out of nowhere and others are being killed off from weird and mysterious causes. Is it the house itself or is there something evil going on? We soon find out as the couple dig deeper into the family history and what really went on thirty years ago.

Now this is a movie definitely worth watching. The story is great even though not all of it is original. But the way it's played out scene by scene is different and when you figure out the mystery behind everything it's not pleasant at all. Heirloom features one of the most disturbing plot turns I've ever seen. It's not graphic but the idea of everything is so twisted and wrong that the story just completely drives you in. Heirloom is a very dramatic horror film with a heart pounding mystery, likeable characters and a good story all around. The plot and dialog in the movie is what really makes it good to watch. It's been so long since I've been bothered by a twist and Heirloom does a really good job of letting the story unfold with the dialog and disturbing flashbacks. Most of the movie we fallow a couple who try to find out the mystery behind the house and all the weird events that have taken place over the last week. The overall subject deals with family curses, punishments and characters who have to deal with the same fate.

The movie is beautifully shot, using different views from inside the house to give it a more creepy feeling that the house itself is large and contains a dark history. A lot of scenes blend together with flash backs to tell the story and give it more of a questionable approach as to what the answer to everything is. Like most mysterious you don't get to know everything until near the end. Which is also when we get to see more of these flashbacks, the near end explains it all. The overall look of Heirloom is also really good. The art design is fantastic and you really believe that the characters are staying in an old house. Nothing looks too fake or obvious. The locations are fine and to spice things up the film also has a simple yet perfectly fitting score. The music sets up the mood and each scene should be enough to draw your attention. Heirloom is a well made and good looking film which I really recommend watching. Also be sure to check out the bonus features to understand more about the making of it.

If you want to see a movie that will scare the living daylights out of you, then look somewhere else. Heirloom isn't the kind of movie to watch for scares, or blood and guts for that matter. Like many movies involving supernatural mysteries Heirloom is a plot and dialog driven film. Using the story and characters to set the mood and to have you guessing until the end. But trust me when I say it's not pleasant. There are no happy endings or events in this picture. The story is very dark and can be unsettling at times. Watch Heirloom for the mystery, not for action or a huge body count. If you sit down and pay attention all the way through then you will be rewarded. It's a good movie that doesn't supply scares and blood to get the viewers attention. There's plenty of drama and mystery for that."