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HBO® Asia’s Original Horror Anthology Series “Folklore”

A six-episode hour-long series, helmed by six directors and based on different myths and superstitions across six countries in Asia.

, ® Asia's first ever original horror anthology series premieres Friday, February 1st on HBO NOW®, HBO GO®, HBO On Demand and partners' streaming platforms. The series is the latest programming made available to US subscribers from HBO's international partners, and joins “Miss Sherlok” from Japan, “Golden Life” from Hungary, and “The Silent Valley” from Romania, which are available to stream now.

“Folklore” is a six-episode, hour-long series that takes place across six Asian countries – Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. Each episode is based on a country's deeply-rooted myths and folklore, featuring supernatural beings and occult beliefs. The respective episodes are helmed by a director from that country and filmed locally in the country's primary language. “Folklore” seeks to modernize Asian horror, showcasing different brands of horror and exploring societal dysfunctions in a manner that is specific to the country but possessing themes that will resonate across the world.

All The Episodes:

Episode #1: “Folklore: A Mother's Love” by (Indonesia)

A single mother and her young son discover a group of dirty and underfed children living in a mansion's attic. Upon saving them and returning them to their families, she has unknowingly snatched these children from their adopted mother – Wewe Gombel – and must now beware her vengeful wrath

Episode #2: “Folklore: Tatami” by (Japan)

A murder scene writer returns home to attend his father's funeral and begins to experience constant flashbacks of his childhood. He then discovers a secret door in the house that leads to a room that hides a horrifying secret from his family's past.

Episode #3: “Folklore: Nobody” by (Singapore)

A Pontianak is awaked when a foreman and a construction worker attempt to bury the body of a dead girl instead of burning her. A series of unfortunate events begin to occur at the construction site.

Episode #4: “Folklore: Pob” by (Thailand)

A journalist meets with Pob, a Thai ghost, who confesses to a murder. Finally finding an outlet for complaint, Pob explains how the murder happened and requests for his story to be published. However, the journalist declines and the two make a deal of a lifetime.

Episode #5: “Folklore: Toyol” by (Malaysia)

A Member of Parliament (MP) of a fishing town turns to a mysterious woman who possesses shamanistic powers in order to salvage his town's dire economic situation. She fixes all his problems and the two soon become lovers. However, the woman has a dark secret that threatens to destroy his life.

Episode #6: “Folklore: Mongdal” by Lee Sang Woo (Korea)

A mother tries to appease the moods and demands of her borderline psychopathic son. When a new girl comes to town, her son falls quickly and deeply for the new girl and is determined to win her over possibly even against her will. When things take a tragic turn, his mother will stop at nothing to make her son happy even if it means finding a bride to join him in the afterlife.

About the author

Adriana Rosati

On paper I am an Italian living in London, in reality I was born and bread in a popcorn bucket. I've loved cinema since I was a little child and I’ve always had a passion and interest for Asian (especially Japanese) pop culture, food and traditions, but on the cinema side, my big, first love is Hong Kong Cinema. Then - by a sort of osmosis - I have expanded my love and appreciation to the cinematography of other Asian countries. I like action, heroic bloodshed, wu-xia, Shaw Bros (even if it’s not my specialty), Anime, and also more auteur-ish movies. Anything that is good, really, but I am allergic to rom-com (unless it’s a HK rom-com, possibly featuring Andy Lau in his 20s)"

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