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Shutter
[Blu-ray 4K]
Blu-ray ALL - Australia - Umbrella Entertainment Review written by and copyright: James-Masaki Ryan (27th May 2025). |
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The Film
 "Shutter" (ชัตเตอร์ กดติดวิญญาณ) (2004) One late evening driving home from a party, Tun (played by Ananda Everingham) and his girlfriend Jane (played by Natthaweeranuch Thongmee) accidentally hit a woman with their car and slam into a billboard post. Panicked and in shock, Tun tells Jane to drive away, without checking the seemingly lifeless body and evading the authorities. Tun, a photographer starts to see some unusual markings in the photos he has been taking, which are inherent to the negatives, and both of them start seeing visions of a long haired woman around them in their daily lives. Is the spirit woman that they ran over haunting them because of their action that night? Or is it something more? The idea of ghosts being captured in photographs has been around since the invention of the camera. With the nature of the mechanics, the lighting, human errors and odd timing, there have been numerous cases of unusual images being presented. Sometimes it was double exposure, it could have been an issue with the shutter speed, or manipulation of the lights and other objects. People have also intentionally created photos that look supernatural for experimental purposes. In addition, there is also doctoring images after they were taken in the processing stage. In the modern digital age, photos can be manipulated immediately through apps, filters, and camera settings, but until the early 2000s, digital photography was still in its infancy, and many examples of photograph errors were considered “haunted” by some. In Buddhist culture, the idea of spirits and ghosts are ingrained in people, and the ideas that spirit photos were actually capturing ghosts was an easy belief. Books on photos capturing ghostly faces and other unexplained images were sold in every store and it was frequently a common panel on television shows to showcase ghosts found in photos and later with video. Thailand is a predominantly Buddhist country, with nearly 95% of the population identifying as Buddhist. The plot of "Shutter" with spirit photographs and people being haunted by a vengeful spirit was a surefire winner in terms of syncing with the Thai filmgoing public was inevitable, but it was a rare Thai film to reach a further audience outside its home country, throughout Asia and the rest of the world with its scares and chills. Directors Banjong Pisanthanakun and Parkpoom Wongpoom were only 23 and 24 years old respectively they made "Shutter", their first feature film which was co-written by Sophon Sakdaphisit, who was only 22. The Thai studio GMM was taking a chance by hiring these young filmmakers, who up to this point respectively made short films. As a way of assurance, they made Banjong and Parkpoom co-direct, rather than placing all the responsibility on one person as a beginner. The story itself may have been rooted in Thai and Asian culture, but the film's visual language was inspired from elsewhere. The filmmakers looked at the films of M. Night Shyamalan for the visual language, use of colors, and the tension created through camera movements, shadows, and jump scares especially his landmark second film "The Sixth Sense". In addition, J-horror films such as "Ring" and their use of ghosts in a visual language that was easily accessible for Thai audiences proved to be something marketable. While it was on a much larger budget and scale than the directors had ever worked on, they were able to craft a genuinely creepy and unsettling film that was Thai in sensibility, but also accessible to worldwide audiences. The story at first seems like a standard haunting of a vengeful spirit. A couple involved in a hit and run accident, leaving with the trauma in their minds as they never got out to check the body before driving away. Unusual happenings with them starting to see images from photos that are otherworldly. But then there are certain things that do add up. Tun continues to have neck pain after the accident, and while he thinks it is from whiplash, the doctors find nothing physically wrong with his neck. Tun and Jane return to the scene of the accident where they ran into the billboard, but the roadworker states that there were not reports of injuries or deaths from the accident. The two may not be the only ones being haunted by a ghostly presence, as Tun's best friends from the wedding party, have one by one mysteriously committed suicide. Tun finds the image of the ghost in the photos resemble Natre (played by Achita Sikamana), a girl that he dated in college but hasn't had contact for years. Tun and Jane visit her home and find that she had died quite some time ago, long before the hit and run accident. "Shutter" gives audiences an unusual twist with the protagonists as the truth starts coming to light. There is much more to the relationship Tun had with Natre and her vengeful spirit may not be the usual found in similar stories in the genre. It's an effective twist that makes the second viewing quite different once the past is uncovered and the foreshadowing hints are seen. Also a highlight as for any film in the genre is the effects. The effects are almost always practical rather than digital, though there are some examples of digital manipulation to be found. Many of the scenes are done in practical form, such as the very effective one shot suicide scene from the high rise (which the behind the scenes featurette reveals how they were able to achieve it), as well as the very dangerous ladder scene in the rain. The directors were quite creative in their visuals, as well as their sound design. There are effective jumps from the sound cues as well as excellent creepy tones for tension to drive many of the scenes along, with great use of pacing to make sure the audience stays frightened rather than bombarding with gore or scares wall to wall. Although the directors can be credited for the very good pacing, there should be some credit for the studio heads as well in a rare case. When Banjong and Parkpoom delivered their first cut of the film, it was only around 75 minutes long. The studio suggested that there was not enough character arc or drama to the story as it focused too heavily on the scares rather than story. They scripted about twenty more pages of character development and shot additional scenes, which in turn does make the film more satisfying. There is a good balance of character and horror with the theatrical version of the film, with great performances from the characters and excellent direction from the filmmakers. "Shutter" was released on September 9th, 2004, in Thailand theatrically. It became the highest grossing Thai film of 2004 with ticket sales of almost 110 million Baht, approximately US$2.6 million, and the fifth highest grossing film of the year in Thailand, with the top led by "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" with 160 million Baht. It was then released across Asia in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore in November. Throughout 2005, it was screened at various international film festivals, including Tribeca and Stiges, and received theatrical releases in countries such as South Korea, Brazil, Japan, and others in 2005 and 2006. For most countries, it went straight to DVD, where it found its largest audience. Riding on a wave of Asian horror that peaked in the 2000s, it became Thailand's highlight in the genre and one of the most well known with high praise and great word of mouth from audiences. It was nominated for multiple awards, including 5 from the Suphannahong National Film Awards, 7 from the Thai Film Awards, 6 from the StarPicks Awards. It won a make-up award from the Star Entertainment Awards and a best supporting actress award from the Khom Chad Luek Awards for Achita Sikhamana's performance as the vengeful spirit. The film received four remakes in differing languages, with three being made in India alone which were not credited as being official remakes. There was "Photo" in 2006, "Sivi" in 2007, and "Click" in 2010. The Hollywood remake came in 2008, under the same title "Shutter". This was an unusual twist to the Asian horror remake as instead of it being an American set story, it was a Japanese-American co-production, setting the story in Japan and having an international cast. The remake was not particularly well received and made a few odd changes to the characters and their portrayals, but it still became a fair hit on its theatrical release. The original film was given a 4K restoration in 2024, with a theatrical reissue in Thailand on September 9th, 2024, exactly 20 years to the day of the film's original release. Umbrella Entertainment in Australia has given the film its worldwide debut on the 4K UltraHD Blu-ray format here. Note this is a region ALL UltraHD Blu-ray + standard Blu-ray set
Video
Umbrella Entertainment presents the film in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio in 2160p HEVC with HDR10 grading on the UHD Blu-ray and in 1080p AVC MPEG-4 on the standard Blu-ray. For the film’s 20th anniversary, rightsholder GDH restored the film in 4K resolution from original 35 film materials. Although the film is set mostly in Bangkok which is known for its vibrant look of bold colors and bright in the tropical climate, it is intentionally filtered to have a cooler and paler look, with more emphasis on greys. There are still bold colors to be found, such as in the flashback sequences or in the darkroom with the red tones. The 4K restoration keeps the original color palate intact and does a fantastic job with detail and depth. Colors look sharp and crisp, detail is very sharp, and there are no instances of damage marks, weaving colors, telecine wobble, or any trouble with the restoration. Film grain is kept intact, there is no artificial enhancement to be found for an all around perfect looking image. There is no information on restoration notes, but it is an absolutely fantastic one image-wise. The HDR grade on the UHD gives further detail to the color palate, though props should also be given to the standard Blu-ray which is graded very well in the HD transfer, with all the highlights listed above. The film's runtime is 96:20.
Audio
Thai DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Thai DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo There are two audio tracks for the feature, with a lossless 5.1 and 2.0 stereo option. Firstly, this is a disappointment that a Dolby Atmos track is not included. A new Dolby Atmos mix was created for the 4K restoration and played theatrically. It is an odd decision not to include it on this UHD release. The film was originally mixed in 5.1 and many of the previous home video releases included the mix. Dialogue is center based and is clear throughout, but at times it is mixed slightly low in comparison to the music and effects. This is in a way effective for jump scares which this film has numerous moments of, but it feels it could have been mixed in a slightly better balance. On the positive side, the music and effects are also clear throughout, with great depth and separation. There are no moments of dropout or damage to be heard. The stereo track is a downmix of the 5.1. There are optional English subtitles for the main feature in a white font. They are easy to read and without errors. There are some moments that the spotting is off and the text disappears a little too fast, but it happens on only one or two occasions.
Extras
DISC ONE (Blu-ray 4K) Audio Commentary with Pierce Conran and James Marsh (2025) This new and exclusive commentary has Asian cinema experts Conran and Marsh together discussing about the film, and for the first time a Thai production. They talk about the film being released at the height of the Asian horror boom, the films that influenced it, Thai cinema at the time, the film's use of scares, ghost stories in Buddhist culture, about the history of Thai family names and the use of nicknames, the color palate for the film, background information on the cast and crew, the remakes the film received, and much more. Although they apologize for some of their pronunciation of Thai names, they do a great job placing the film and its background into context both for fans and newcomers alike. in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles DISC TWO (Blu-ray) Audio Commentary with Pierce Conran and James Marsh (2025) The commentary from the first disc is repeated here for the HD presentation of the film. in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles 2025 Interview with Directors Parkpoom Wongpoom and Banjong Pisanthanakun (18:49) This new and exclusive interview has the directors retrospectively talking about the film more than twenty years later in a remote session. Discussed are about the studio taking a risk with two young filmmakers, the casting process, inspiration from J-Horror and Shyamalan, some of the difficult scenes to shoot, the reshoots and additional scenes suggested by the studio, their thoughts on the remake, the audience reactions worldwide, and more. Parkpoom uses an interpreter for his answers while Banjong speaks in English for the interview session. Unfortunately this is edited so we only hear the words by the interpreter, rather than actually hearing Banjong's words in Thai first. The picture quality of the interviews are not particularly sharp as they are remotely conducted interviews via webcams. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles 2025 Interview with Writer and Director Sophon Sakdaphisit (5:26) This new and exclusive interview has Sophon's recollections of meeting the directors for the first time and collaborating with them for the film, where the ideas for the film came from, differences from script to screen, the additional scenes later incorporated in the reshoots to add drama for the characters, as well as an unfilmed scene. Like the interview above, Sophon's speaking portions in Thai are completely left out, so the only spoken words are from the English interpreter appearing in a small corner of the screen. The image here, which is also from a remote call actually has much better picture than the interview session above. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles "Shadows Out of Asia: Shutter and the Asian Horror Boom" 2025 Video Essay by Travis Johnson (13:26) This new and exclusive video essay has Johnson discussing about religion in Thailand and the culture's understandings of spirits and ghosts, the similarities to other films in the Asian horror genre of the period, the films that influenced it, and more. This has clips of the film which is taken from the 4K restoration, and also clips from other films illustrated, such as "Ring", "Blow-Up", and "The Omen". For some reason "The Omen" clips look absolutely horrible with terrible pixelation and blurriness, while other film clips look great. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1 / 1.85:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles "Behind the Scenes of Shutter" featurette (6:29) This vintage featurette includes interviews with the directors and actors about the film and their roles, B-roll footage, the make-up process, behind the scenes of two dangerous sequences with the ladder outside in the rain plus the car crash. This featurette is taken from a standard definition source and upscaled, and has burned-in subtitles that are a bit blurry at times. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1 / 1.85:1, in Thai Dolby Digital 2.0 with burned-in English subtitles Stills Gallery (3:23) An automated slideshow gallery of high quality stills from the production, accompanied by the end credits song as background music. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, Music Dolby Digital 2.0 Trailer (2:29) The effective original trailer for international sales is presented here. It comes from a standard definition source and upscaled, so it is windowboxed and has sharpness issues with some saturated colors, but looks fairly good overall. It has also been embedded below. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in windowboxed 1.85:1, in Thai Dolby Digital 2.0 with burned-in English subtitles The film was released on DVD in various versions around the world, with each having differences in extras and language options. There was a 2-disc UK DVD release by Contender which had some significant extras with a cast commentary, deleted scenes, extensive galleries and more, though we do not have concrete specs for the release. (If anyone has it, please let us know the specs so we could add it to our database!). It was first released on Blu-ray in Germany by Ascot Elite in 2014, which has the "Behind the Scenes" featurette, plus two additional featurettes, a directors' interview, galleries, and trailers, which have all been ported from the German DVD release. Other notable clips: The 4K restoration trailer, courtesy of Umbrella Entertainment Deleted Scene #1, courtesy of GDH Deleted Scene #2, courtesy of GDH US trailer for the 2008 remake
Packaging
The discs are packaged in a standard black UHD keep case with reversible cover art. The only difference is the opposite side lacks the Australian MA 15+ rating logos. The inlay mistakenly states region B only, as both discs are region ALL. It also mistakenly states the aspect ratio as 1.77:1 when it is in fact 1.85:1. It is also available with a limited slipcover with new artwork by Jeff Aphisit exclusively at the Umbrella Webshop. It is also available in a Collector’s Edition, limited to 1300 copies exclusively at the Umbrella Webshop which also includes a rigid slipcase, a slipcover, a 48 page booklet, 8 artcards, and an A4 size reversible poster. The booklet starts with “Directors’ Notes” which has information on the directors which was used to promote the film’s international sales at the time of release. Next is an essay simply titled “Shutter” by Richard Kuipers which looks at the film, its themes, the background of ghosts in Asian horror cinema, information on the cast and crew, and more. This is followed by “Karma and the (Super) Natural Perspective of the Vengeful Spirit”, an essay by Bryn Tilly focusing on the ghosts and spirits in Asia and its use in “Shutter” as well as other films in the genre. The next essay is “Double Exposure” by Haley Scanlon focuses on the Natre character as well as the visual style of the film. There is also text by artist Jeff Aphisit on creating the new artwork for this release, along with some conceptual designs. There are also international theatrical art posters. The eight sturdy artcards have stills from the film with some spoiler heavy ones. The double sided poster has the front inlay artwork in full size on one side and newly created artwork illustrated by Aphisit on the other. The poster is folded and held in the keep case which uses the slipcover. This, the booklet and the artcards are held by the rigid slipcase with differing artwork. 
Overall
"Shutter" is a fantastic supernatural vengeance horror, with excellent direction and a great story. It might have a dated feel due to the analog technology of physical film being used and processed for the plot of the story, but it is still an absolutely effective thriller, bound to give jumps and scares for new and seasoned audiences. The Umbrella Entertainment UHD+Blu-ray release features an excellent transfer with the image and sound, with new and vintage extras included. It's a bit unfortunate that the newly created Dolby Atmos mix is not included here, but it still comes as highly recommended. Standard Edition (also with limited slipcover) - Umbrella Webshop link Collector's Edition - Umbrella Webshop link
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