If Asian movies are any indication, you'd think people would be fleeing that continent in droves because of all the supernatural goings-on taking place there. The Maid, Singapore's first breakout horror hit, focuses upon a time in Eastern culture when the inherent spookiness reached a fever pitch. But not to worry-- if you don't get the hang of these themes the first time around, The Maid is just the sort of flick that'll hammer them into your cerebral cortex minute after agonizing minute.

Our story centers around young Rosa (Alessandra de Rossi), a Filipina woman who's come to Singapore to work as a maid for an older couple (Huifang Hong and Shucheng Chen) and their mentally-handicapped son (Benny Soh). Rosa is nervous and incredibly shy, having been away from home for the first time in her life, but she's willing to do whatever she can to help support her sick brother back at home.

It's just rotten luck that Rosa's arrived in the middle of the seventh month on the Chinese calendar, thirty days during which the gates of Hell are thrown open and humans must abide by a strict set of customs so in order not to disturb the spirits that emerge to roam the streets. Not the least bit familiar with local practices, Rosa is unaware that straying the slightest bit from tradition and performing the most innocent of actions can anger certain ghosts, which she soon discovers after being assaulted with terrifying visions of frightening specters. But Rosa starts thinking that these otherwordly visits aren't for naught -- that someone from beyond the grave is asking for her help  to right a terrible wrong.

Let's see here...

Avenging spirit motif? Check!

Arrival of said spirits with screechy orchestra cue? Check!

Wide-eyed and innocent lead surrounded by a slew of shifty supporting characters? Check!

Yep, folks, this is an Asian horror flick. No doubt about it.

The Maid follows so closely in the footsteps of brethren like Ringu and Ju-On that it's not so much a movie as a walking checklist like the one above. Asian horror is always tricky to pull off, since so many movies incorporate a similar story (a wronged ghost doing whatever it can to avenge itself), one ends up paying closer attention to the execution to find any elements of merit. The trouble with The Maid isn't simply that the story seems old hat after the recent influx of similar horror imports; it's that once the filmmakers set the stage, they keep explaining themselves over and over as if they're saying all of this for the first time. 

The mythology and the belief system is intriguing here, but not when it's played out to no end, and especially not when these ideas are parlayed into rather limp scares (oh, no, Rosa, don't wipe up the ashes!!!!). It all translates into a rather dull viewing experience, with the film spending too much time on mundane acts (thrill as Rosa hangs up the laundry to dry!) and not enough time crafting some good scares out of the story. Even the title doesn't really inspire fear within a moviegoer's heart (I can only imagine what the sequel might be called -- The Butler!). Plus, it's hard to appreciate the performances when most of the film is actually in English, but spoken with accents so thick that the filmmakers might as well have shot it in their native language. 

There's an eleventh-hour twist near the end of the movie I didn't see coming, and that managed to add an intriguing layer to the preceding events. But on the whole, The Maid is pretty lackluster as horror flicks go, ripe with promise and atmosphere but not consistent or creepy enough to hold your attention. 

MY RATING: * 1/2 (out of ****)

(Released by Tartan Video; not rated by MPAA.)