Tenement – Movie Review (3/5)

TENEMENT is a new Horror Thriller with a supernatural plot and a very scary apartment building. We’re talking both the place itself and the people living there. Of course, the latter isn’t obvious until it’s too late. Read our full Tenement movie review here!

TENEMENT is a Horror Thriller with a plot that plays out mostly in a very rundown building in Cambodia. However, before we get that far, the story begins in Japan, so quite a few languages are spoken in this genre movie. Yes, including English.

Fortunately, the story is of the more universal kind about fitting in and paying for the (often perceived) sins of relatives. Much of the plot in this horror thriller works thanks to the eerie feeling that permeates everything. Very efficient, even if I wasn’t blown away by it overall.

Continue reading our Tenement movie review below. Find it on VOD from October 24, 2025.

Getting back to your roots

The joy of finding surviving family members in Cambodia, obviously, makes Soriya very happy and eager to return to her home country. To be fair, it hasn’t been her home for most of her life, but there are a lot of unanswered questions that she hopes can finally be resolved.

When we meet her, she’s living as a Japanese-Cambodian manga artist in a happy and loving relationship with her Japanese boyfriend. The two are good for each other, and watching them interact puts you at ease immediately.

You feel safe that he will protect her. Of course, this is just so all the horrible things later will hit harder. Not that he hurts her (not to do spoilers, but that isn’t the plot of this movie), but because she becomes immersed in her own history.

A haunted tenement

As Soriya and her boyfriend travel to Cambodia, it’s with the intention to learn more about the country her mother fled. It’s also her hope that she can find inspiration for her next manga. Hoping that facing the trauma of her family will help unlock what’s blocking her now.

Not only does Soriya reunite with long-lost family, but she also manages to move into the apartment where her mother used to live. It doesn’t take long for the building to reveal some of the stranger aspects. Also, the residents seem very caught up in the energy and wants of the place as well.

Actually, before they ever arrive, the cab driver taking them to their new temporary home has a scary reaction to them going there. The place is infamous for being a haunted place.

Also, the title of Tenement doesn’t just refer to the building complex. Instead, it’s the evil spirit of the building, looking for a new host. Yeah, it’s exactly as scary as it sounds, and much of the movie plays out like a long and twisted nightmare for Soriya.

Watch Tenement on VOD now

The two directors of Tenement are Inrasothythep Neth & Sokyou Chea, and they also wrote the screenplay for the movie. This is very much their story and vision. One that is very efficient and strong in all areas horror-related, while the core story isn’t as powerful as the scary vibe.

You may guess some twists and turns, but they are also teased ahead of time. Foreshadowed or in some other way hinted at. Still, the ending of Tenement was strong in my book. The runtime of 88 minutes is good, but it still felt a bit too slow at times.

Not by much, but enough that I noticed, so I feel I need to mention it.

Tenement is out On Digital & VOD from October 24, 2025.

Details

Directors: Inrasothythep Neth & Sokyou Chea
Stars: Thanet Thorn, Yoshihiko Hosoda, Socheata Sveng, Mony Rous, Katsuya Maiguma