Art of the Devil II (2005) Poster

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7/10
A Creepy, Gruesome and Gore Tale of Witchcraft and Insanity
claudio_carvalho5 July 2007
In Bangkok, five former high school friends are informed that the father of their friend Ta committed suicide. Ta is the son of Prowaet, who got married with their English teacher Panor and together they had a son, Nong. The student of medicine Kim and her boyfriend Por that studies in law school, the student of engineering Ko and Noot that is studying English to move to Australia with her gay friend Tair decide to reunite and travel to the country for the ceremony of cremation. While traveling by train, Kim recalls an incident two years ago in their last year in school, when they had been abused by their couch and lover of Panor when they found their affair. The students, seeking revenge, asked the Cambodian voodooist Pawn to cast a black magic against the couch, who mysteriously died after fishing. Once in the village, they spend the night with Ta and his stepmother Panor in their isolated house in the jungle nearby a river, when creepy things happen and their horror begin.

"Long Khong" is a creepy, gruesome and gore tale of witchcraft and insanity. The story is really scary, and has some nasty and cruel scenes: the worst is the sequence when the teenager is tortured with hot water and burned by a torch. The story follows the pattern of the good Asian horror movies, with secrets and revelations being disclosed in the last moments, like the last parts of a puzzle. This macabre type of voodoo with corpses is unusual in Western movies. The screenplay is very well tight, with great lines, and I liked the wise thought of Kim: "The future is what we want to be; the past defines us". The direction is very precise, the special effects are impressive and the cast has great performances. The lead actress is extremely gorgeous, and unfortunately I do not know her name. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "A Arte do Demônio" ("The Art of the Devil")
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7/10
A Nutshell Review: Art of the Devil 2
DICK STEEL3 September 2006
I've been intrigued by Thai Voodoo for the longest time, not that I would want to be on the receiving end of it, but it makes you wonder the amount of clout and (real?) ability of these medicine men who put hexes and curses on your behalf, for a small fee. And it always seem that what they do to you, from simple artifacts like a voodoo doll, can inflict so much pain onto your real self with just a simple needle poked on a right position on the straw doll.

Art of the Devil 2 is not a sequel, in that it has no relation to the first (which I am now intrigued to watch as it stars Chai-Lai Angel Supaksorn Chaimongkol), although they deal with the same supernatural forces in Thai lore. It tells a story of a physically attractive model teacher, Ms Panor (Napakpapha Nakprasitte), and her group of students, one of whom she is a stepmother to. However, as with all misunderstandings, it stems off with what the eyes see and the ears here, and the mind believing. With black magic in the works, things are never what it seems, as the group of students revisit their teacher a few years after a tragic and shameful incident happened in school. Why, you'll never understand, but we need something to have them all put together to get something going.

This movie has plenty of gory moments which offers some good scares, given the disgusting things that happen to the victims of the hex. If torture scenes in Syrianna and Hard Candy made you squirm in your seat, then your stomach is up for more churning, given the previous two films did it more psychologically and with off-camera scenes, whereas here you're not spared the visual details, leaving none to the imagination, even if certain shots might look cheap and unrealistic. The gore grips you right from the start, giving you a hint that if you can't stand what you've just seen in the first few minutes, you won't be better off for the rest of the movie.

In an environment where almost everyone is not as innocent as they seem, keeping secrets close to their hearts, and the usage of black magic to achieve their individual desires and objectives commonplace, it perhaps served as a reminder not to dabble in the black arts, either as a practitioner or an end user, as there are always warnings of ill fate that befall upon them.

Unlike the Sixth Sense with its slick execution, script and delivery, Art of the Devil 2 had a rather satisfactory ending, but with the final stroke of the pen in creating the finale, it presented itself with a major loophole that seemed to have glossed over what transpired earlier, which is a big no-no in trying to force audiences to accept the "new truth".

However, if your intention is to get some scares, then this movie still delivers, if you'd be forgiving to the ending.
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6/10
Imaginative horror
kwietman10 September 2007
In Art of the Devil 2, which is not a sequel in any traditional sense of the word, the Seven Ronin team of directors delve into another exploration of Thai witchcraft, which apparently shares little with its Western counterpart. In this movie, as in the first, the object is revenge, the tools are those of black magic, and the price is sanity. The witchcraft of these movies is messy, deadly, and the cost to the practitioner is as great as to the victim. Six students visit the remote home of a former teacher, who is also the stepmother of one of the youths. Death and blood follow as the young people learn that their actions, as a group and as individuals, have marked them for vengeance. Art of the Devil 2 is related to the first only by the theme of Thai curses, which are by far more imaginative than anything brought to the American screen. There are weaknesses, such as the quality of the translation track and the cheap effect, but the movie succeeds by imagining a world in which dangerous curses can kill from a distance, where witches can appear and disappear at will, in which the dead dance silently just out of sight of everyone but you, and in which the cost of revenge is the soul of the wronged. This is not gentle stuff; cannibalism, corpse mutilation and bloody rituals are abundant, but on the whole the picture succeeds in doing something not seen from American directors in many years.
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7/10
Pretty decent Thai horror
tohkwongweng12 December 2018
Really didn't know what to expect having watched this after Art of the Devil which was rather mediocre. This one however was far better. It still had the black magic and curses like the first movie but this was a far superior product. It took me a little while to figure out what was going on but it all tied neatly together at the end with a pretty awesome plot twist at the end. And I've said it before but I'll say it again THAT is what makes the difference between a good scary movie and an average one 7.5/10
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4/10
Be careful what you wish for
lastliberal29 June 2008
Remember that movie about the guy who wanted revenge for the death of his son and had a monster unleashed that he could not control? I can't remember the name, but the warning is the same. Dabble in black magic and it could come back to bite you.

That's all I can say about this movie. Thai Black magic and some really gory stuff. The problem is that it takes a lifetime to get there, and the trip is very painful. Painful in the sense that there wasn't anyone in this film that resembled an actor.

If it's blood you are fishing for, then you'll catch it, but at what cost?
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Please help ......
nexus52011 July 2011
I've been intrigued by Thai Voodoo for the longest time, not that I would want to be on the receiving end of it, but it makes you wonder the amount of clout and (real?) ability of these medicine men who put hexes and curses on your behalf, for a small fee. And it always seem that what they do to you, from simple artifacts like a voodoo doll, can inflict so much pain onto your real self with just a simple needle poked on a right position on the straw doll......from DICK STEEL from Singapore

I loved this movie.... it was great. Very gory and unique. Started off a bit slow and than wham .... WTH ... lol Maybe you can help ...........I am wondering what the name of the Thai spellcasting (type of vodou) was.. I've heard of it before, even though it is rare and not well know... can anyone help?? I was actually able to find it before but had to re-do my pc and lost all info I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you ..... ..... . .. . . . .
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3/10
Rather boring...
paul_haakonsen4 February 2023
I sat down to watch the 2005 Thai horror mystery "Long Khong" (aka "Art of the Devil II") again here in 2023. I had watched it once before, sometime around late in the 2000s, but I had entirely forgotten about the movie aside from the title. So as I had the opportunity again here in 2023 to watch it once again, of course I did so.

And there was a reason for why I had forgotten about this movie; it was so unfathomably boring and stale. The storyline in the movie, as written by Kome Kongkiat Komesiri, Yosapong Polsap and Art Thamtrakul, was a swing and a miss. The storyline was boring, uneventful and rather generic. And that made for a dull and tedious movie experience.

The acting performances in the movie were fair enough, just a shame that the actors and actresses had next to nothing worthwhile to bring to the screen.

There was a few noteworthy things in the movie, but they were few and far in between, and that was hardly sufficient to sit through 1 hour and 40 minutes of otherwise stale entertainment.

Visually then "Long Khong" wasn't impressive. There were a couple of good scenes, but it was simply not enough to alleviate for all the shortcomings of the movie.

My rating of "Long Khong" lands on a three out of ten stars. I guess the Devil's art is expressed in sheer boredom.
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8/10
Very gruesome Thai horror flick with some nasty gore on display.
HumanoidOfFlesh6 August 2006
A beautiful teacher Miss Panor has six students.They decide to play a cruel prank on Ms.Panor and her reputation is ruined.The teacher then turns to black magic to exact gruesome revenge."Art of the Devil 2" is a gore-soaked horror film which was directed by a team of seven filmmakers known as the Ronin Team.The direction is solid,the cast is pretty good,but the storyline is hardly dynamic.When the gore appears it is unrelenting and disgusting.Miss Panor is an great villain and truly remorseless killer.The gore is rather hard to stomach for example toenails are torn out,teeth are plucked,live geckos burst out of a boy's back,one hapless girl gouges her own eyes out and the skin on man's legs is burned by a blow-torch.Overall,I enjoyed "Art of the Devil 2" more than its predecessor.Give it a look.
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5/10
Revenge and Black Magic in Thailand
Uriah4314 August 2021
This film essentially begins with a young high school student named "Ta" (Namo Tongkumnerd) having a serious problem with his stepmother "Aajaan Panor" (Napakpapha Nakprasitte) who physically and verbally abuses him at every opportunity. Although he doesn't disclose much to his friends, they all have a mutual problem with the high school coach who bullies them mercilessly. So, when a rumor begins that both Aajaan--who is a teacher at their high school--and the coach are having an affair, they decide to video the two of them in the act in order to turn the tables on them. What they don't count on is the coach becoming aware of their spying and in a fit of rage forcing them to watch as he sexually abuses one of the female students. Horrified at this turn of events--and fearful of their future safety--they visit a local practitioner of black magic who reluctantly puts a deadly curse upon him. Not long afterward, the coach dies an extremely gory and brutal death. At the same time, the video of him and Aajaan goes public which not only humiliates her but forces her to go into seclusion into the countryside. Eventually, time passes and two years later, all six of the high school students reunite and go to the countryside to visit Ta and his family. What they don't realize is that Aajaan has suspected at least one of them for releasing the video and has some powerful black magic of her own in store for them when they arrive. Now rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this movie had several good things going for it which includes some beautiful jungle scenery, decent horror for the most part and an extremely gorgeous actress in Napakpapha Nakprasitte. One obvious fault, however, was the extremely sophomoric English dubbing which would have been perfect for a cartoon--but definitely not for a horror film of this sort. To that extent, I would have much preferred listening to it in Thai and having barely passable English subtitles instead. It was really that bad. Again though, it did have some good qualities and--all things being equal--I have rated this film accordingly. Average.
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8/10
Supernatural Gore Fest in the Thai Jungles! Yay!
Damnation7 May 2007
Warning: Spoilers
This is a Thai horror film that was simply fun to watch. A group of friends visit an old teacher of theirs who lives in the jungle. We see through flash backs that terrible things happened to them in the past at their school. Their beautiful teacher seems to have become a homicidal devil worshiping witch. Not only is she able to conjure the dead and cast spells that will make your stomach turn (think fish hooks and reptiles + soft human flesh); but she also seems to have a predilection for torture using a blow torch. Let the mayhem begin!

If you can find it online, download the trailer of the movie and watch it...its one of the best horror trailers you will see. And the movie itself is just as fun. What else can I say about this movie? Interesting and unpredictable storyline. Beautiful jungle scenery. Hot (but evil) Thai babes. Gratuitous gore. What's not to like guys? Watch this one and have a blast!
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4/10
A Weak Attempt At Sophisticated Horror
tabuno22 January 2019
16 September 2006. Art of the Devil 2 tries to insert some quality into this horror genre but it mostly falls flat. Uneven and confusing editing, low-budget effects, and the typical (but with slight twist) ending provide for a sometimes dull and ineffective gross out experience with glimmers of sophistication. There are a few flashes of humanity and the voice over is actually some of the best qualities of the movie. But the quality production is missing. The jerky shots and unnatural performances (reflecting the older-style Asian acting) distract from the flow of the movie. The transformation of the teacher during the movie isn't handled smoothly nor sympathetically. The English-dubbed Thai movie makes does not make the transition into American film market easily. The end result is more confusing than clarified terror. The demise of the first of the six students is also strikingly sudden and somehow out of character. At times, the movie does exhibit a terror-filled tense background and their are subtle nice flourishes of horror touches inserted throughout the movie, but they are unable to make up for the rest of the jumble of weaknesses that pervade this movie. Four out of Ten Stars.
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9/10
This movie is CRAZY scary~
Anniechih821 September 2006
Warning: Spoilers
I love horror movies and among all the horror movies I have seen,this one is definitely one of the most scary ones.OK,its about thai voodoo,people cursing each other and getting revenged,the plot is ordinary,but how they torture each other in the movie is what its really about and the scariest part is it doesn't seem surreal at all,it seems like something it might actually just happen to you if you mess with the wrong people.

I still remember after seeing the movie I was shivering all over,and couldn't get the crazy scene out of my head~it was like the first time i felt that way after seeing a horror movie,kind of cool in a way!For those horror-movie lovers out there,I'd say this one is a must see!
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8/10
6 out of 10, are you kidding me?
Dorjee_Wang6 July 2015
IMDb reviewers strikes again by the degrading quality of ratings movies. This movie is miles better than almost all critically acclaimed Western horrors in the last few years. Staying true to the Asian root, the movie explores the theme of curses and it's working. When a cursed is placed, two holes are created is the basic idea here i.e when you place a curse on someone, you get equally influenced by the curse because it links you and the one you cursed for eternity.

The plot is great with a very nice twist at the end. You end up not sympathising the protagonists at the end, but some might differ. Characters are complex unlike most Western horror (which are awfully full of shallow rehashed characters). The scares works as well, with lots of supernatural jumpscares mixed in with gore and torture images, although they are rather creepy than scary. The performance are decent. While the movie could've done better by filling in a plothole or two, it doesn't take away from the overall excitement of it. Highly recommend it, 9/10.
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8/10
Decent Splattery Thai Sorcery-Horror
EVOL66622 May 2006
Warning: Spoilers
ART OF THE DEVIL 2 is another one that I had to watch as an import VCD with no subs/dubs as the U.S. release doesn't hit til next month - so anything I say about the film is based strictly on what I "saw" - as I have no idea what anyone was saying. Also, this is about as "name only" for a sequel as it gets - as far as I can tell, this film has nothing in common storywise with the original ART OF THE DEVIL, other than the title...

The story centers around a group of kids who have a sorcerer cast a spell on some guy cuz he's a dick to them. When homeboy starts pushin' fish-hooks through his skin, his ol' lady decides to get even by casting some spells of her own. The kids take a little vacation to a shack on the waterfront - and this is where the "action" happens. There's a decent amount of gore, including the previously mentioned fish-hook death, and a particularly decent leg-blowtorching-to-flesh-removal that is pretty choice. There also seemed to be some sort of "twist" to the ending that I didn't understand...

Overall, AOTD 2 seems to be a pretty decent film, similar in vein to the 80's era Hong Kong sorcery-horror joints, but WAY better. There seemed to be a few genuinely creepy moments, and the gore was pretty heavy, though not as much of an all-out bloodbath as I was expecting from the trailer. I'll be interested to pick this one up when the U.S. release hits to see if the storyline measures up to my expectations...8/10
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10/10
Scarification shows the Art of the Devil
Xex-Arachnid4 April 2007
Cheesing heading for a review, yes I know but it was the scarification or bloody cuts on the womans back, on the DVD cover. I was going to give this movie an 8 due to it being a good movie of it's kind but now that I've just seen the whole story it's a sure 10.

As with most Asian language-edited cinema, the acting seems corny but if you can by pass that, you'd see a great story. Of course there's gore but the thing is, that it's not senseless just for schock value. If you follow the story completely to the end you'll see everything has its place.

I'm lucky to have picked this movie because with a franchise like _________________________ (insert corporate video franchise of your choice), you'd never know.

By the way, Mr. Panor is so devilishly beautiful that it's a trip to see how cold and heartless she is.
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8/10
More gore than horror
ansirahka29 September 2020
The horror was pretty basic, but for a 2005 film this might be pretty shocking back then. What amaze me the most is the writing and how (what the kids says these days) "woke" it is even by 2020 standards that there are no heroes nor villains in life.
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8/10
Stay to the end
timothygartin27 February 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I liked this movie a lot. At first, I was confused because some scenes are out of sequence with the main timeline of the movie. After the half way point, enough had happened that it was easier to link everything.

I liked the performances of most of the characters, especially the lead actress. I liked the demon as well because it became more real and understandable throughout. I also like the complexity of the story. There are a ton of stories and themes that interweave and come together in the end.
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