The 2023 Taiwanese horror film Antikalpa was directed by Philip Wen-Han Shih. It tells the story of high school kids who, while trying to indulge in their personal fantasies, unintentionally come in contact with evil forces through an occult ritual. The movie revolves around themes such as youthful naivety, repercussions of meddling with hidden evil, and crossing cultural boundaries.

Plot Overview

Ah-Dai, who comes from a family running a well-known orthodox temple, gets into a dangerous predicament when his childhood friend Yu-Fan asks him to help her search for her missing aunt. In a bid to help, Ah-Dai decides to partake in a ritual which his classmates are sure will help them get their wishes. Little do they know, they are set up to send for malevolent spirits. With his classmates slowly dying in. mysterious ways, Ah-Dai is forced to use his exorcism skills to battle the evil and save those he loves. The visit of a completely demonized Yu-Fan is the climax, challenging him to save his community from destruction.

Character Descriptions

• Ah-Dai (Huang Kuan-Chih) is a baffled successor of his family temple who has unique exorcism talents and becomes the primary character shifted in combat with the unleashed evil.
• Yu-Fan (Regina Lei): A childhood sweetheart of Ah-dai desperate to find her missing aunt that leads her to partake in the dangerous ritual and ultimately becomes a vessel for dark forces.
• Supporting Characters: The film brings some of classmates and family members which add spice to the evolving drama, each one having their own motivation and goal in the story.

Themes and Style

Antikalpa seeks to look at the combination of traditional beliefs and carelessness found in youth, showing how dangerous mixing with the taboos can be. This movie absorbs certain aspects of Taiwanese folklore and religious practices, however critics are still to come to terms with while the mockumentary tries to tackle something refreshing the lack of depth surrounding the ritual and the reasoning to its origin alongside character motivations did soften the blow.

Conclusion

The intention of Antikalpa is to merge coming-of-age story encapsulated with cultural horror but did not deliver on fear or intent. The film intends to tackle Taiwanese folklore which may prove to be less entertaining when it comes to suspense or character development. For those who take a keen interest in horror specialize in folklore may find this film appealing however it doesn’t get close to providing the scare one would want.