The new Thai Amazon Original film Host, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Pairach “Pokpong” Khumwan (Girl From Nowhere, Siam Square), will premiere on Oct 23 on Prime Video.
The film offers the first cinematic reimagining of Thailand’s legendary Mae Sue, the guardian spirit of children, transforming the folklore into a supernatural horror. The film stars Thitiya “Baipor” Jirapornsilp, Veerinsara “Perth” Tungkitsuvanich and Pisitpol “Jump” Ekaphongpisit in lead roles.
Host follows Ing (played by Baipor), an introvert sent to an all-girls reform school on a remote island. The school operates under a strict hierarchy, with the principal’s favoured student, Aim, and Ing quickly becomes the target of Aim. Shortly after her arrival, a series of disturbing incidents begin to unfold. Amid her suffering, only Pin offers her solace; her sole friend and the light at the end of her dark tunnel. As unsettling events accumulate, Ing must confront a terrifying question: is she merely a victim of these supernatural occurrences or could she herself be their source?
Host marks actress Baipor’s first venture into horror, showcasing a transformation from her familiar roles as a cheerful high school girl to a character of profound depth layered with pain and endurance. In this performance, her trademark smiles audiences once knew are replaced by raw emotion and haunting intensity.
‘Host was an incredibly challenging project for me. It felt like stepping into a whole new world. My character, Ingkhwan, goes through immense growth and transformation as the story unfolds. That meant I had to study and prepare for this role intensively. Ingkhwan embodies the complexities of human beings and carries many layers of emotion. On the outside she seems composed, but inside she is filled with mixed feelings. Portraying that quiet exterior while letting the audience feel the storm within was one of the toughest challenges I’ve ever faced.
‘Studying and preparing for this role allowed me to better understand Ingkhwan’s journey. She taught me so much about how countless factors from past traumas to memories you wish you could forget but can’t, shapes a person’s reactions and choices, Everything makes sense with her character.
‘Another thing I really appreciated about this film is that it gave me the chance to try so many things I had never done before. They were challenging but incredibly fun like working with animals, children, special effects, even stunt wires. Another first for me was learning to speak in the Northern dialect,’ says Baipor.
Aim, played by Perth, the head student and right hand to Mother Pritsana, rules with leadership. She enforces the school’s laws with an iron grip, ensuring no one dares to violate the order. With fear of being punished by Mother Pritsana, Aim will do whatever it takes to protect herself. The only lesson she has learned and mastered by imitating the teacher is how to wield her power: to harm, punish and instil fear to keep everyone under her control.
This is Perth’s first horror film as it was filmed before Attack13. Landing a lead role in a horror film was a long-time dream for her. Despite her fear of ghosts, Perth saw this role as the perfect challenge to test how well she could face her fears and deliver a compelling performance.
‘When I was first contacted to audition, I was so excited, I’m a horror film fan. I get scared easily, but I’ve always enjoyed watching and listening to ghost stories. I’d never had the chance to try it myself. Whenever people asked me what I wanted to do in this industry in the future, I always answered that I wanted to act in a film, especially in a horror film. I’m afraid of ghosts, so I wanted to challenge myself and see how far I could push my limits.
‘This film gave me the chance to do so many things I’d never done before. I put everything into Aim, trying to bring her to life exactly as I imagined. Aim was a very difficult character for me because she’s so different from who I really am – the way she speaks, expresses herself and thinks,’ says Perth.
Jump portrays Pin, a young orphan who spent his life at sea. Pin is innocent, kind-hearted and harmless. He values justice and freedom and can survive on his own, making him a steady refuge for those around him. Older and more grounded than his peers, Pin embodies the straightforward, resilient spirit of fishermen. He may be Ing’s only chance to escape the island before Aim turns the reformatory into her hell.
Host also marks a return to horror for Jump, but this time with a new challenge: portraying Pin, a character who influences the other characters in the story and differs from Jump in many ways. Pin pushed the actor into a deep dive of preparation and research into the life of a fisherman.
‘While reading the script, I immediately knew this was a role that required special preparation. Pin’s background and skills are very far from my own. He’s a fisherman who’s highly skilled at repairing boats and fixing tools, and I wanted to portray him as authentically as possible. So, I went to study real fishermen’s lives. I talked with them, asked questions and observed how they worked and carried themselves. I wanted to capture their spirit so that audiences see Pin as a true fisherman.
‘I dedicated myself to the role of Pin because his presence shapes the entire story. Pin steps into an environment and a situation that is far from ordinary. He’s the only man in an all-girls’ school. I wanted audiences to keep questioning: why is he here, and where does he truly fit in the equation of the story?,’ she says.
Mother Pritsana (portrayed by Narinthorn ‘Ae’ Na Bangchang) is in charge of keeping the students in line. She appears outwardly caring, treating every girl as if they were her own, yet beneath this facade lies a manipulative woman: she believes that every child must live within the boundaries she deems correct and she will do anything to mold the students into reflections of her own rigid ideology.
Maprang (portrayed by Weeraya ‘Wee’ Zhang) is Aim’s close friend and loyal right-hand, carrying out her orders without question. She wields her power by oppressing and tormenting others and seems to relish every moment of it. She caters to both Aim and Mother Pritsana, believing that Aim is the teacher’s pet and destined to leave the reformatory first. When that day comes, Maprang intends to seize power for herself.
‘Are you talking to your Mae Sue?’, a common and playful tease many Thais may remember hearing when someone seemed to be talking to themselves. But as times have changed, the very idea of Mae Sue has faded, to the point where some may have forgotten, or perhaps never even known, what Mae Sue truly is.
According to the Office of the Royal Society of Thailand, Mae Sue is defined as ‘a guardian spirit who protects children from birth until the age of 12. Traditionally, it was believed that every child was born under the care of a specific Mae Sue of the day, based on their birthday. This belief was shared across all regions of Thailand, though in the North and Central areas, the names and forms of the guardians of each day varied.”
Rooted deeply in Thai folklore, Mae Sue has long been part of cultural belief. Based on this tradition, Pokpong, the director of Host, was inspired to dig deeper by researching the folklore and then reimagining it through a chilling question: ‘What if the guardian spirit that protects children were to turn into the very ghost that harms them?’ This idea became the seed that grew into the film Host.
‘Every region in Thailand, North, South, Central and Northeastern, has its own version of the Mae Sue legend. What’s fascinating is how their forms differ. In some regions, Mae Sue takes the form of animals, like a cow or a horse. We researched extensively to decide how to bring Mae Sue to life on screen because most people may have heard the name, but they’ve never truly pictured what Mae Sue should look like. That gave us room to shape and create an original legend for this film,’ he says.
Based on the obtained data on Mae Sue, Pokpong partnered with Chanchana ‘Pap’ Homsap, the screenwriter to develop the script further. Pap delved into information on Mae Sue provided by the Fine Arts Department and at Wat Pho to shape Mae Sue into a ghost with greater clarity and cinematic presence.
Host streams on Oct 23 on Prime Video.