Writer: Lai Swee Wei

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Watch this if you liked: “Paranormal Activity”, “Cloverfield”, “The Blair Witch Project”

What we've learnt from watching movies like "Paranormal Activity" is that what you can't see will scare you even more as fear works best when confined in the mind. "Haunted Changi" includes some of those elements and is reminiscent of the 2006 TV programme "Scariest Places On Earth", where each episode features an ordinary family exploring a haunted location in a reality TV-style vigil. In this case, it's a four member Singaporean film crew with the guts to explore one of the world's haunted buildings close to home - Old Changi Hospital (OCH).

Similar to "The Blair Witch Project", this independent film production also uses the Internet as a marketing approach to suggest that the film was a real event. Thus, garnering several hundred thousand fans on Facebook and even secured releases outside of Singapore such as Brunei, Malaysia and Indonesia. Indeed it boasts a collection of original footage taken by the team (Andrew Lau, Sheena Chung, Farid Azlam and Audi Khalis) during their exploration at the hospital in January this year, but of course with some added spice here and there.

The film tactically introduces the building's history in which prisoners of war were captured and tortured to death during World War II when the Japanese invaded the island. From February 1997 onwards, OCH was closed for its hospital operations were replaced by the new Changi General Hospital. It got isolated and left vacant there ever since. It was a mini documentary well done complete with authentic World War II footages. The movie also includes amusing interviews with the locals recounting their supernatural encounters.

Audiences will find that the 7-storey high building is now terribly graffitied and vandalised. And as the camera zooms in on the various locations within the building, it creates a chilling atmosphere as your mind wonders of the activities that might have took place. Although the filmmakers were creative enough to utilise various camera techniques to give an eerie feel to the place, the scares are unfortunately tacky and predictable towards the end of the movie. Luckily, it takes the liberty of involving a Taoist priest and the Ghost Hunters of Singapore earlier on. Frankly, the most interesting part was when these Ghost Hunters had a child in their team as nothing beats the fright of a young kid seeing something when no one can.

Kudos to the cast for acting as freaked out as they should during the night, moreover for showing us a rather freaky infrared footage after. The pacing of the movie is well kept except for a few more tours around the building which can appear quite draggy when nothing seems to be happening.

Those curious to find out how the building looks inside out is recommended to watch this as we're given what might seem as a full tour around the place, even the reported "secret underground passageway".

The premise of using OCH is great, however the scare factor may not be a powerful element, but at least it give viewers insight into one of the most haunted places in the world.

Cinema Online, 23 November 2010