38 reviews
Perfect For Late Night Television
After the release of Japan's "Ringu", Eastern horror became extremely popular in the west and lead to a series of remakes including "The Grudge" and "The Ring". "They Wait" isn't a remake of an existing Eastern horror but an original production in which an American mother (played by Jaime King) and her six year old son find themselves facing the ghosts of the Chinese community into which they have arrived from Shanghai. Although it may not be based on a Japanese or Chinese horror movie, "They Wait" unfortunately comes across like a compilation of greatest hits from such productions.
There's one very good scare quite early in the movie but, once this is over, everything else comes across as quite tame. "They Wait" also unfortunately employs some terrible CGI effects in places. Some of the ghosts (especially those seen before the titles roll) look like something from a Playstation game! This is quite surprising as the rest of the movie looks to have had quite a bit of money thrown at it and director Ernie Barbarash (who also directed "Cube: Zero") knows how to make his movie look extremely polished.
The lead performances are all very good (Ms King, in particular, proves to be a strong center for the story) but the plot is quite uninspired. You'll quickly guess what's going on and who is responsible, and the way in which things are resolved also leaves a lot to be desired. But is it a bad movie? No, not at all. If you catch it on television late at night, you'll probably be perfectly entertained throughout its running time and enjoy something that has many charms amongst its faults. If you pay money to rent it out, however, you might feel you've wasted money on something that seems incredibly similar to so many other movies.
At the time of writing, this movie has a 3.8 score on IMDb which is, in my opinion, completely unjustified. I've seen a few movies deserving of a score like that and this movie certainly isn't one of them! I can guess at the reason for this, and that reason would be the presence of a certain Uwe Boll who most movie fans will know as the director of a growing library of terrible movies (Alone In The Dark, In The Name Of The King, Bloodrayne etc). However, it's worth pointing out that Uwe Boll was simply the producer here. He didn't write this movie and he certainly didn't direct it!
In summary then, "They Wait" is an inoffensive horror movie which works nicely as a late night time-waster but not much more.
There's one very good scare quite early in the movie but, once this is over, everything else comes across as quite tame. "They Wait" also unfortunately employs some terrible CGI effects in places. Some of the ghosts (especially those seen before the titles roll) look like something from a Playstation game! This is quite surprising as the rest of the movie looks to have had quite a bit of money thrown at it and director Ernie Barbarash (who also directed "Cube: Zero") knows how to make his movie look extremely polished.
The lead performances are all very good (Ms King, in particular, proves to be a strong center for the story) but the plot is quite uninspired. You'll quickly guess what's going on and who is responsible, and the way in which things are resolved also leaves a lot to be desired. But is it a bad movie? No, not at all. If you catch it on television late at night, you'll probably be perfectly entertained throughout its running time and enjoy something that has many charms amongst its faults. If you pay money to rent it out, however, you might feel you've wasted money on something that seems incredibly similar to so many other movies.
At the time of writing, this movie has a 3.8 score on IMDb which is, in my opinion, completely unjustified. I've seen a few movies deserving of a score like that and this movie certainly isn't one of them! I can guess at the reason for this, and that reason would be the presence of a certain Uwe Boll who most movie fans will know as the director of a growing library of terrible movies (Alone In The Dark, In The Name Of The King, Bloodrayne etc). However, it's worth pointing out that Uwe Boll was simply the producer here. He didn't write this movie and he certainly didn't direct it!
In summary then, "They Wait" is an inoffensive horror movie which works nicely as a late night time-waster but not much more.
A boring Chinese Poltergeist story
Oh no, they didn't let them rest. And now they have awakened. Or something of the sort. They used all the clichés of the genre: Chinese obscure habits, disturbed bones, demons that take a child hostage while the mother must perform some sort of task while no one is helping except "the old sage". Also the usual scene that begins in a way and ends in blood or scary deformed faces or other things like that. Don't forget the sudden loud violin sounds and sudden movements.
Yes, you have seen it before. And as long as you will watch this kind of recycled junk, you will continue seeing it. My advice is to boycott such farces and make way for real movies.
Yes, you have seen it before. And as long as you will watch this kind of recycled junk, you will continue seeing it. My advice is to boycott such farces and make way for real movies.
A reasonably good movie ...
I read some mixed reviews before watching it..it takes a bit more to please me as an horror movie buff. I felt the story line was innovative, movie had good number of scares without much of blood around.
The main lead was good but probably some nudity would have added more flavour to the movie. Good effort overall. Probably there could have been more gore and blood in the movie to keep all the horror fans happy.
It was not as scary as Grudge or Ring but it was still reasonably good absolutely not a time waster. Its definitely worth a watch.
I would give it a 6.
The main lead was good but probably some nudity would have added more flavour to the movie. Good effort overall. Probably there could have been more gore and blood in the movie to keep all the horror fans happy.
It was not as scary as Grudge or Ring but it was still reasonably good absolutely not a time waster. Its definitely worth a watch.
I would give it a 6.
- amitindia2008
- Mar 30, 2008
- Permalink
Vancouver ghost story is a real gem!
- michael.will
- Jan 30, 2008
- Permalink
Average horror flick
I like horror, and horror in the true sense of being scared by a movie. This had a few jumps in it, but nothing terrifying.
The main problem with it was the story. It was very, very all over the place. You're not sure if it's a monster movie, a ghost story or a horror film. And it keeps you guessing right up till the end...and I'm still not sure.
If the story had been written well, the film would have been good. The acting was not bad, nothing outstanding. The direction was again, OK, a few good moments are spoilt by a few bad ones.
Watch it late at night, with the lights off, you'll most likely enjoy it. Just try not to follow the plot too closely, coz it's not a very good one.
The main problem with it was the story. It was very, very all over the place. You're not sure if it's a monster movie, a ghost story or a horror film. And it keeps you guessing right up till the end...and I'm still not sure.
If the story had been written well, the film would have been good. The acting was not bad, nothing outstanding. The direction was again, OK, a few good moments are spoilt by a few bad ones.
Watch it late at night, with the lights off, you'll most likely enjoy it. Just try not to follow the plot too closely, coz it's not a very good one.
Scary stuff
I have reviewed this under another name. I saw it again today and am as impressed with it now as I was on first viewing. Jamie King and family return to North America after living in China. Her young son falls ill and apparently is possessed by a vengeful spirit. As she seeks to find a way to save him, King begins to unravel an unspeakable mystery involving Asians working in a nearby sweatshop. To say more would be to give it away. This is a terrific little ghost movie/crime flick with plenty of scary images and some moments that will make you jump right out of your seat. Some Chinese folklore is woven into the plot, although I do not know if is the real thing or not. Highly recommended. It pops up on cable once in awhile.
Meh
Excellent & fresh ghost story, terribly under-rated!
I'm not sure how I discovered this little gem but I'm very glad I did. This is a fantastic original story with a creepy moody atmosphere, fair to middling(tho not brilliant) acting and nice cinematography. The kid portraying the youngster is particularly good as well as being cute as a button, which makes things all the more creepy in certain parts of the movie. Unfortunately the actor playing his mother is very wooden which is a shame as she is central to the movie. There is definitely a lack of chemistry between her and the other characters which again undermines the quality of the movie.
On the plus side it has a great original story - this is so important and a bit of a rarity these days. The editing, direction and camera work is top notch and they don't resort to any fancy or pretentious camera tricks. This has it's down side as it could have benefited from at least a little more creativity in the camera work but on balance I'd rather have straight forward visuals than obvious cliché camera tricks. Also worth noting is the special effects which are done extremely well and the, at times, brilliant set pieces. One scene involving a lady vomiting stands out and my favourite was the awesome but all-too-brief appearance of the "guardian". If I have one real criticism of the movie it would be that it needed more scenes like that. I also appreciated the unique revenge sequences.
This is hugely under-rated and unfairly slammed in these reviews. Yes there are better horror &/or ghost stories in existence but this one is definitely one of the better produced and more original of the also- rans. It's also clearly aimed at a family audience as opposed to "adult" so it has dialogue that seems a little unrealistic at times & suffers because of it. But that can easily be over-looked.
Steering well clear of typical clichés and delivering enough shivers & scares to satisfy, this movie is perfect for anyone who enjoys creepy spook flicks. If you're looking for slasher/torture porn and the like you won't find it here. But if you're looking for an atmospheric and entertaining movie for the family to watch this is one of the better ones.
I was also interested in the back story (relating to an animal welfare issue I wont disclose so as not to spoil the story) and impressed that it incorporated an issue that I have a personal interest in. I wish they'd made a little more of that sub-plot but that's just my own interests. Mostly I was pleased to see it being raised in the movie - even as a bit of an aside.
Grab this one and some popcorn & beverages and gather the family round this Halloween.
PS This movie is guaranteed 100% Shaky-cam Free!
On the plus side it has a great original story - this is so important and a bit of a rarity these days. The editing, direction and camera work is top notch and they don't resort to any fancy or pretentious camera tricks. This has it's down side as it could have benefited from at least a little more creativity in the camera work but on balance I'd rather have straight forward visuals than obvious cliché camera tricks. Also worth noting is the special effects which are done extremely well and the, at times, brilliant set pieces. One scene involving a lady vomiting stands out and my favourite was the awesome but all-too-brief appearance of the "guardian". If I have one real criticism of the movie it would be that it needed more scenes like that. I also appreciated the unique revenge sequences.
This is hugely under-rated and unfairly slammed in these reviews. Yes there are better horror &/or ghost stories in existence but this one is definitely one of the better produced and more original of the also- rans. It's also clearly aimed at a family audience as opposed to "adult" so it has dialogue that seems a little unrealistic at times & suffers because of it. But that can easily be over-looked.
Steering well clear of typical clichés and delivering enough shivers & scares to satisfy, this movie is perfect for anyone who enjoys creepy spook flicks. If you're looking for slasher/torture porn and the like you won't find it here. But if you're looking for an atmospheric and entertaining movie for the family to watch this is one of the better ones.
I was also interested in the back story (relating to an animal welfare issue I wont disclose so as not to spoil the story) and impressed that it incorporated an issue that I have a personal interest in. I wish they'd made a little more of that sub-plot but that's just my own interests. Mostly I was pleased to see it being raised in the movie - even as a bit of an aside.
Grab this one and some popcorn & beverages and gather the family round this Halloween.
PS This movie is guaranteed 100% Shaky-cam Free!
- daggersineyes
- Oct 18, 2013
- Permalink
Decent scares but terrible acting & not a lot of entertainment value
- scarletheels
- Mar 6, 2012
- Permalink
An Asian style ghost story without all the clichés
Don't get me wrong, I love The Ring, The Grudge, and most J-Horror movies with the jerky movement ghosts and tales of revenge.
However this movie seemed to be able to communicate the same concepts that make the Asian ghost stories so intriguing without resorting to all the same clichés. And when they do decide to throw in a jump scene, it is usually not where you expect it or completely out of nowhere.
It is a simple story that has been told over and over, but this adds and Asian twist with concepts such as Hungry Ghost Month and Spirit Money without alienating a western audience.
Overall the story is pretty predictable and that is the only downside to this movie. Once you figure out what is going on, it's pretty much a "which road will they take to the end" as opposed to a surprise around each corner. The acting is pretty decent for this type of flick. The kid actually does a good job - never know how they will do in these.
I would recommend this if you want to introduce some of the elements of a good Asian horror story without all the oddness that is directly copied in some of the other remakes. Many of the concepts of the genre are there without the kabuki inspired movements.
However this movie seemed to be able to communicate the same concepts that make the Asian ghost stories so intriguing without resorting to all the same clichés. And when they do decide to throw in a jump scene, it is usually not where you expect it or completely out of nowhere.
It is a simple story that has been told over and over, but this adds and Asian twist with concepts such as Hungry Ghost Month and Spirit Money without alienating a western audience.
Overall the story is pretty predictable and that is the only downside to this movie. Once you figure out what is going on, it's pretty much a "which road will they take to the end" as opposed to a surprise around each corner. The acting is pretty decent for this type of flick. The kid actually does a good job - never know how they will do in these.
I would recommend this if you want to introduce some of the elements of a good Asian horror story without all the oddness that is directly copied in some of the other remakes. Many of the concepts of the genre are there without the kabuki inspired movements.
A good horror film...
I thought that They Wait was a very good horror film. Despite It is about a couple that returns to North America for a family funeral, having lived in Shanghai, China for the previous three years. Not long after they arrive, their son Jamie begins to see ghosts and suffers possession by one of the living dead, and it all ties in with the Chinese festival of Ghost Month, when the doors of hell supposedly open and angry spirits are given the chance to terrorise the living. This ended up being a very good film like most Asian horrors seem to be like. And i though that it had a good supernatural feel to it, which made it such a good film.
- MovieGuy01
- Oct 14, 2009
- Permalink
Very Scary and Underrated Ghost Story
- claudio_carvalho
- Dec 20, 2011
- Permalink
Atmospheric thriller
Jaime Kinmg stars as a young mom in THEY WAIT, a murder mystery and ghost story rolled into one. She travels to the state from her home in Shaghai to attend a funeral. Weird things begin to happen almost immediately, including the son sliding into a trance-lie state and a mute young Chinese woman popping up and then disappearing again. Lovers of ghost movies, especially ones with a revenge plot, will figure out the plot early on, but they are likely to be surprised by the ultimate solution. We get a little Chinese folklore mixed in to spice things up. King is the only recognizable name in the cast, and appears in virtually every scene. She does a fine job as a harried mother trying to make sense of the many odd things that happen to her. The movie is atmospheric and occasionally scary. It is in the vein of THE OTHERS and SIXTH SENSE.
- ctomvelu-1
- Apr 3, 2009
- Permalink
Terrible
I couldn't believe how terrible this movie was. I mean there was no plot. It's worth only two stars because how stupid funny it was.
Sleeper Hit of Toronto Festival
I caught this at the Toronto Festival like the other reviewer and was very surprised by how entertaining it was. A terrific ghost story. Jaime King puts in a very strong performance and the whole cast is solid. It's been a while since I've witnessed entire audiences jumping in fright and screaming. There is incredible atmosphere in the film and the underlying story is actually quite brilliant in the way it combines multiple cultures, the immigrant experience, Chinese folklore and actual history and fuses it into a genuine crowd-pleasing genre film. Highly original on that front. I'm a pretty well-rounded J-horror freak-boy and I couldn't see any clichés here which was amazing. Great work from director Barbarash as well.
I'm giving it an 8 as it was certainly the cream of the Canadian film crop at the festival (not withstanding Eastern Promises, which is not a Canadian story with Canadian actors). There is an obvious very large audience for it and it's well made. Looking at the IMDb scores, while I write this, there's a couple dozen 1's dragging the score down. How could that be? This is a pretty good film! Is this because Uwe Boll has his name attached as an executive producer? People are rating it with 1's and trashing it on their blogs without even seeing it. Sad. What a shame for the sincere filmmakers behind this quality movie.
I'm giving it an 8 as it was certainly the cream of the Canadian film crop at the festival (not withstanding Eastern Promises, which is not a Canadian story with Canadian actors). There is an obvious very large audience for it and it's well made. Looking at the IMDb scores, while I write this, there's a couple dozen 1's dragging the score down. How could that be? This is a pretty good film! Is this because Uwe Boll has his name attached as an executive producer? People are rating it with 1's and trashing it on their blogs without even seeing it. Sad. What a shame for the sincere filmmakers behind this quality movie.
- metro-broadway
- Oct 1, 2007
- Permalink
Meh
Not sure why this movie got so many positive reviews. It really wasn't scary, even the cheap jump scares were predictable. The concept feels a bit tired and worn out; it's been done before. I was tempted to turn it off halfway through but stuck it out, hoping for a payoff but sadly there was none. The only thing that I enjoyed about this movie was that it was filmed in my hometown, and it was cool to see familiar places. The acting was okay but I feel that the overall plot was weak and the characters were one dimensional. All in all, while it wasn't horrible, it certainly was not memorable in any way.
- laurenldavies
- Feb 4, 2024
- Permalink
This is a Canadian movie about the Hungry Ghosts Month and set in Shanghai (supposedly) so it's unique, if anything.
I should have waited as well
- baunacholi-86159
- Jan 18, 2024
- Permalink
Unique spin of the child possession theme
(2007) They Wait
HORROR
Sarah (Jaime King) a stepmother of a young Chinese boy Sam, living in China, when her Chinese husband, Jason (Terry Chen) receives a call that his father had passed away, he decides to take his family back to Vancouver, Canada for the intention of helping his mother in terms of funeral and business, and so forth. Once there, he finds out more revelations regarding his dad's troubled past, and that in turn exposes his only son to the supernatural who would be very slowly become possessed.
It has rings of Japanese influence from popular movies of "Ju-On" or " "Ringu" that inspired Hollywood remakes using American actors. Except that the set up in this one is original with a different spin, even though the overall experience is not scary at all. The thumbs up rating is strictly for it's originality.
Sarah (Jaime King) a stepmother of a young Chinese boy Sam, living in China, when her Chinese husband, Jason (Terry Chen) receives a call that his father had passed away, he decides to take his family back to Vancouver, Canada for the intention of helping his mother in terms of funeral and business, and so forth. Once there, he finds out more revelations regarding his dad's troubled past, and that in turn exposes his only son to the supernatural who would be very slowly become possessed.
It has rings of Japanese influence from popular movies of "Ju-On" or " "Ringu" that inspired Hollywood remakes using American actors. Except that the set up in this one is original with a different spin, even though the overall experience is not scary at all. The thumbs up rating is strictly for it's originality.
- jordondave-28085
- Apr 4, 2023
- Permalink
Predictable ghost fare with a decent back story
THEY WAIT is an entirely routine ghost film in which a couple discover that their young son is being haunted by a vengeful female ghost. We've seen this sort of stuff a zillion times before, and on the face of it this is no different to the normal sort of fare; some below par CGI effects are hardly the thing to instill confidence in the viewer.
And yet, and yet...THEY WAIT is a surprising film. Surprising because the writing surrounding the reason for the ghost's presence is actually decent for once. It's clearly been well thought out, and it's a story that mixes together forced labour, murder, and the hungry ghost festival. Despite the proliferation of Asian ghost films over the last couple of decades, I actually found the back story to be fresh and engaging. It doesn't make THEY WAIT a perfect film, but it is worth a look for fans of the genre on that basis alone.
And yet, and yet...THEY WAIT is a surprising film. Surprising because the writing surrounding the reason for the ghost's presence is actually decent for once. It's clearly been well thought out, and it's a story that mixes together forced labour, murder, and the hungry ghost festival. Despite the proliferation of Asian ghost films over the last couple of decades, I actually found the back story to be fresh and engaging. It doesn't make THEY WAIT a perfect film, but it is worth a look for fans of the genre on that basis alone.
- Leofwine_draca
- Sep 27, 2015
- Permalink
amazingly good
I am so accustomed to silly, poorly written and acted films on the SciFi channel it was an enormous surprise when this film aired last night. A bit too good of a surprise as I was so disturbed by a scare early in the film I ended up staying up entirely too late - too unhinged to go to bed and turn off the lights.
I now know this wasn't made by the SciFi channel although I don't recall ever hearing of it before or seeing a theatrical release.
Above average acting (the little boy and female lead are more than competent), an original plot and that scare toward the beginning of the film still gives me goosebumps just thinking about it. Really didn't see it coming - sounds as if it may be revealed in some trailer - DON'T WATCH THE TRAILER! Oh, and best of all, a real horror film, not that nauseating torture porn that passes as horror these days.
Also - good cinematography and adequate special effects. There is so little decent horror made these days that isn't just played for laughs or the gross-out factor. Worth staying up to watch - I promise you won't desperately wish to get that 2 hours of your life back!
I now know this wasn't made by the SciFi channel although I don't recall ever hearing of it before or seeing a theatrical release.
Above average acting (the little boy and female lead are more than competent), an original plot and that scare toward the beginning of the film still gives me goosebumps just thinking about it. Really didn't see it coming - sounds as if it may be revealed in some trailer - DON'T WATCH THE TRAILER! Oh, and best of all, a real horror film, not that nauseating torture porn that passes as horror these days.
Also - good cinematography and adequate special effects. There is so little decent horror made these days that isn't just played for laughs or the gross-out factor. Worth staying up to watch - I promise you won't desperately wish to get that 2 hours of your life back!
Mixture of creepy and fun
A Shockingly Good Ghost Movie
Seeing THEY WAIT at the Vancouver Festival, people were screaming at the scares, and the audience broke out into applause after a tense, white-knuckle 89 minutes. THEY WAIT leaps into action with a highly engaging first half, and then escalates quickly into a harrowing and riveting second part. Surprisingly strong performance from Jaime King and excellent turns by the rest of the cast. THEY WAIT - quite frankly - really does have blockbuster theatrical hit written all over it as another commentator has said, and has remarked the only legitimate print journalist to review it so far; everything, from the visuals to the performances, seems to be operating at a Hollywood movie level, far beyond its budget and seemingly nothing like the usual unpopular and noncommercial Canadian film disasters. Does this film mark the return to the days when Canadian films like SCANNERS or PORKY'S could take the box office crown away from the Hollywood studios? People applauding at the end, swarming around the lobby talking about how good it was -- that tells you everything you need to know about the reception to the film by an audience. With a decent release and a good ad campaign, this will be a hit. Though not perfect -- there is a certain clunkiness to a flashback sequence, for example -- the film is a revelation in doing what it sets out to do. It bangs virtually every mark. Director Ernie Barbarash has grown leaps and bounds from his previous efforts with the mediocre to dull low-rent CUBE ZERO and has hit the Hollywood Standard here. This film shines and looks and sounds terrific.
Paul Kael @ rotten tomatoes
Paul Kael @ rotten tomatoes
The best movies are not so popular
Another thriller that confirms my saying that the best movies are not so popular.
The performance of the Chinese little boy is very good. He reminded me of the performance of Haley Joel Osment in The Sixth Sense (1999). The script is not perfect, but it is an interesting story enough to keep most fans of the genre involved.
The performance of the Chinese little boy is very good. He reminded me of the performance of Haley Joel Osment in The Sixth Sense (1999). The script is not perfect, but it is an interesting story enough to keep most fans of the genre involved.
- JobsBronson
- Mar 6, 2021
- Permalink
Underrated Ghost Story
This movie was a fun watch from the beginning to the end. At first I thought, it was going to be boring old ghost story that been retold many times already. However, I'm glad I was wrong and this story kept you guessing until the end of the movie. The actors were great though the mom (forgot her name) was a little stiff at certain parts of the movie. Other than that, there wasn't many special affects but what they did have in the movie was enough to convey the story. Must watch.
- dlmyst-29813
- Jul 7, 2020
- Permalink