We make the trek to Cambodia for this week’s Letterboxd Map where we find Tenement.
Title: Tenement
Directors: Sokyou Chea and Inrasothythep Neth
Released: November 14, 2024 (Theatrical – Cambodia)
Runtime: 1 hour 28 minutes
Soriya (Thanet Thorn) is a struggling manga artist living in Japan. Her boss wants something raw and refreshing from her. He is beginning to wonder if the horror genre is just too much for someone so young.
After learning of her mother’s death, Soriya and her boyfriend, Daichi (Yoshihiko Hosoda), are going through old photographs where she sees her mom and aunt in front of a building. Daichi wonders if the building is still there, Soriya wonders if family is still there. From what her mother told her, her extended family died during the Khmer Rouge.
When Daichi finds the building in the photograph is still standing, he suggests they travel there and use that building as the source of a new horror manga. It would be raw, refreshing, exactly what Soriya’s boss wants out of her. She decides to make the trip to her mother’s homeland of Cambodia.
They arrive at their rented apartment. Moments after setting their bags down, Soriya turns to see her Aunt Mao (Sveng Socheata) in their apartment. Soriya and Daichi are welcomed with open arms by her aunt and the other tenants.
But come nightfall, the building isn’t as welcoming.
Tenement wound up being a mixed bag.
There’s a lot to like here. For starters, authors in horror films are nothing new, but a manga artist at least gives the initial premise a somewhat fresh feel. Being that her work is portrayed through drawings, it helps add a dimension to what’s happening in the building.
You’re always questioning motives. Jam, the taxi driver, once he exchanges cards with Daichi. The aunt, after asking how long they’ll be staying. The estate agent alluding to what happened there and what a good deal they’re getting. Their facial expressions and tone leave you questioning what’s really going on.
My favorite thing about this is the production design, specifically the aunt’s apartment. The building itself is brutalist and has seen better days. But the further you walk into Aunt Mao’s apartment, the more you feel like you’re entering another world, exchanging dull grays for bold colors.
However, for as great as the setup is, Tenement is unable to stick the landing.
Nothing of what Soriya sees in the building is explained. We’re sort of just expected to accept it and move on. Themes such as Soriya exploring family trauma while searching for her roots and the political impact of the Khmer Rouge on the region are established but never developed.
This was the feature debut for both directors and they did enough to make me want to see what they do next.