#SHOWBIZ: Saw to cut a swathe with horror genre in 'Laknat'

New Straits Times

28-05-2025

LIKEABLE. Composed. Charming. You would not associate this person with an interest in freaky scares, and things that go bump in the night.
Yet, award-winning producer and director Saw Teong Hin is all set to premiere his first horror movie, 'Laknat', next month.
"For me, what is fascinating about the horror genre is how people behave when confronted with something like primal fear.
"Do they lose it or keep it together? Behave badly or do the right thing?," he says during a late-night chat with NST.
'Laknat' tells the story of a man who goes off the rails when his sister meets a violent death.
He turns to the dark arts for vengeance, explains the 63-year-old Penang native known for directing the Malay language epic fantasy film 'Puteri Gunung Ledang' and 'You Mean the World to Me', the first Malaysian production filmed entirely in Hokkien.
"I have been looking for a solid horror script for a while. However, I did not come across any that I felt I could do something with. Then, one day, I was approached by an old collaborator with the 'Laknat' script.
"With 'Laknat', I found an interesting way to tell a horror story in a genre that has already been so heavily mined."
The movie, set for a June 5 opening, stars a talented ensemble cast that includes Aeril Zafrel, Puteri Balqis, Jalik Hamid, Amerul Affendi and Umie Aida, among others.
There were some challenging scenes to shoot, he says.
"The scenes are mainly set at night, and shooting through the night for long periods is particularly weary. Also, night shoots offer shorter productive hours. It is a challenge, so we had to be really efficient, focused and thorough with our shoots."
He adds that one particularly challenging scene involved young actress Puteri Balqis at a river.
"Shooting at the river at 4am with a large crowd was one challenging scene, particularly for Puteri Balqis, who had to be immersed in the cold river water. She was a real trouper."
Saw shot 'Laknat' mainly in Banting, Selangor and Sungkai, Perak.
"These were carming locations with friendly, helpful locals. They were cooperative and turned up in force to help as extras on the set.
"We stayed with the community instead of travelling up and down from Kuala Lumpur and other places for the shoots. The food we catered was lovely."
So, one wonders, did any odd things take place during the filming on site?
"During the shoot, aside from the occasional inexplicable chills, smells and sounds, a member of the crew fainted during a night shoot, which was worrying. Fortunately we had both first aid and an ustaz on set for any eventuality."
Saw feels 'Laknat' will appeal to Malaysians because of the strong cast and the solid storytelling.
"The cast are good actors who well represent their generation, and many of us will appreciate their talent. I also feel the way the story in 'Laknat' is told is intriguing," he says confidently.
While 'Laknat' awaits moviegoers, Saw himself is looking for his next project.
"I never know what's next. I tend to alternate between film and theatre, then film and theatre. I like both. One informs the other.