THE WHOLE TRUTH - EVERY FAMILY HAS ITS SECRETS (FULL REVIEW)

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 "In this world, there are three things that cannot be hidden: the sun, the moon and the truth" Buddha

“The Whole Truth,” directed by Wisit Sasanatieng, is a Thai horror/thriller about a horrific truth hidden in the dark (or in this case, in a hole). This is the Chinese-origin director's second foray into horror films after “The Unseeable” (2006) which received comparable reviews to this year's production. The movie was released on December 2, 2021 on Netflix, and just a day after it topped the list of movies to watch.

"Truth is sometimes like a small hole camouflaged by darkness. It's always been there. We just can't see it. But as soon as light shines on it, it reveals itself for all to see, making us wonder how long it has been hidden there."

In the big picture, the film shows potential and the theories seem to be moving towards resolution, but the number of complications and an unnecessarily long plot (which could easily be finished in an hour) make it relatively average on the scale of Asian horror films (the Koreans and Japanese definitely win here). However, if you enjoy scary films that keep you guessing until the very end, you should see it.

"What hole? I don't see any." (grandpa)

The plot revolves around siblings Pim and Putt (Sutatta Udomsilp and Nattapat Nimnirawat) who have to move to their grandparents house due to a car accident and their mother Mai's (Nicole Theriault) coma. Pim is a popular and attractive cheerleader, while Putt is bullied at school. When their mother ends up in the intensive care unit, Phong (Sombop Benjatikul) and Wan (Tarkia Tidatith) Mai's parents, whom they have never met - appear in their lives. The grandparents' house has a mysterious atmosphere which the siblings notice right away. Putt sees a hole in the living room wall which makes things even stranger. What's more, it seems that only he and his sister are able to see it; the grandparents deny seeing the hole and accuse the children of lying. Putt and Pim peek through it, and as they do, they see more and more, but the participant in the events in the strange room behind the wall are always the same: a little girl whose mouth is gushing black blood.


Who is she? What happened to her? Why do they seem to be the only ones who see the hole?


Meanwhile, Grandpa Phong decides to take action against the person responsible for Mai's accident.


"Did it ever occur to you that the room we see through the hole looks exactly like this room?" (Putt)


The plot involves numerous twists and turns that shatter our belief that we know "the whole truth". The major scene is the grandparents' house, which in itself evokes an odd feeling - the orange wallpaper and yellow light perfectly match the nature of an old house.

"Have you ever heard of the wormhole theory? What we saw in that hole already happened in the past" (Putt)

The general outline of the characters isn't horrible, but after the thousandth repetition of Do you see a hole here? by any of the siblings, you're ready to shout at the screen. The grandparents, in my opinion, are the most unsettling characters, who I couldn't figure out till the very end. Grandpa's strong reactions when the hole was mentioned immediately sparked suspicions, implying that something isn't sticking in the story. Grandma's behavior was out of the ordinary, but it seemed to be solely due to dementia (the information we get from grandpa). On the other hand, the mysterious girl's character needs corrections. I don't mean the character's concept, because watching a child suffer is always difficult, but the use of CGI (computer-generated imagery). Moments involving blood, especially those that look fake, take away fear and replace it with disgust (even for those who don't pay much attention to the effect).

“I did this family a favor by cleansing bad karma off it.” (Grandma to Mai)

The soundtrack deserves to be praised because it perfectly matches the mood of the film. Disturbing sounds (heard by both siblings and the grandma) add to the suspense. Of course, the screams, gunshots, and creaking floors don't stop there; a small girl hums a lullaby, which adds to the atmosphere. This seemingly lovely music lingered in my mind long after I had finished watching the film.


"Sometimes what we think we know is only a fraction of the truth. Not the whole truth." (Pim)

"The Whole Truth" has a strong base. The creators' concept is unique, however the execution is lacking. It's no surprise that keeping viewers' attention for more than two hours is difficult. Nonetheless, I'm not completely disappointed. It's a one-time watch.


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