Nang Nak

Set during the Siamese-Vietnamese War (1831–1834), the period brings conscription and conflict that ripple through village life. Mak's absence and return, alongside Nak's death and haunting, frame the personal stakes of the era. Traditional beliefs color how the community copes with death, memory, and ritual purification.

A rural village west of Bangkok sets the scene with simple wooden homes and dusty lanes. Life centers on farming, family, and communal rituals typical of central Siam in the 1830s. When war and a spectral presence intrude, the village becomes a stage for fear, rumor, and attempts at spiritual defense.

💔 Love & Loss

The film centers on Mak's deep love for Nak, which endures beyond death and can verge on obsession. Nak's ghost returns to stay by Mak's side, testing the boundaries between devotion and fixation. The story asks whether love can transcend mortality or if letting go is necessary for peace.

🕯️ Tradition & Ritual

Buddhist beliefs, exorcisms, and funerary rites guide the village's response to Nak. Somdej To embodies spiritual authority, guiding a rite to release Nak's spirit. The climactic act—removing the center of the corpse's forehead and crafting a girdle brooch—demonstrates ritual power to restore balance.

⚔️ War & Home

The war era imposes hardship on families and tests their sense of home. Mak returns wounded and haunted, while Nak's haunting heightens fear and resilience within the community. The narrative reveals how conflict and separation leave lasting marks on a village's memory.