Contemporary Mongolian films, as a whole, still remain unknown to the international audience, with the local industry just lately making its first steps towards wider recognition. As such, it is always with great pleasure to discover interesting titles from the particular country, and even more so in the case of “Disorder”, one of the very rare horror movies to come from Mongolia.
Disorder is available from The Filmbridge
A screaming girl opens the movie, essentially setting the tone of what is about to follow. Before that, however, the actual story begins in toned down fashion, in a school that is revealed parents send their privileged but problematic children. The protagonists among the many teenagers soon come out, during a scene in a classroom. Gardi, the son of a prosecutor general and his two friends, Jirgee and Garid, who always carries a shant with him, and Enerel, a girl who, in the beginning at least, the three boys seem to dislike. A sense of disorientation about what the school is exactly about permeates the story, but what becomes evident from the beginning, is that no one can get out, and that the upcoming Test, which is obviously not a simple exam, is unavoidable. Furthermore, the director, and his number 2, Teacher Tsezen are willing to impose the rules with an iron hand, even if the latter does not exactly agree at all times. As the past and the actual current circumstances of the students are revealed, so does the role of the school, while the inevitable violence soon ensues.
Allow me to begin with the main issue of the movie. Byambasuren Batdelger and Bayanjargal Garamkhand’s script is all over the place, particularly after a fashion, with them seemingly getting lost in the overly complicated story, especially since reality and induced illusions become a part of the story. This, however, is not exactly unusual for horror films, who are not so popular for their logic, but for their overall atmosphere and the way they communicate horror.
It is in these two elements that Batdelger’s film thrives. In that fashion, the first aspect one will notice is the maximalistically decorated building the story takes place in, which looks like a boarding school with a first look, but also emits a sense that something dangerous is lurking inside. The speech of the director regarding predators and the overall attitude of Tsezen also become part of the thriller that eventually turns into a horror, with their overall demeanor, their cooperation and their disagreements being among the best traits of the movie. This element also benefits significantly from the two actors, Dashnyam Byambatsogt and Jamsranjav Oyundari respectively , who give the most memorable performances. The incidents of madness that take place throughout the first part of the story, as in the case of the intro for example, in an otherwise calm setting, also add to the atmosphere, as does the constant mention of a Test that does not seem exactly harmless.
This sense that something wrong is going on gets even more heightened when we learn more of the past of the students, while Garid’s shant music definitely adds to the atmosphere, in a tactic that is both cheeky (having one of the protagonists actually performing the music, instead of it being just heard on the background) and imposing. When the violence eventually ensues, the movie moves into almost exploitation paths, with the screams and the tortures adding another notch to the horror the narrative presents.
All of the aforementioned are excellently captured by DP Ganhuyag Guyenbaatar, who makes the most of the various settings inside the building to add to the sense of disorientation and horror that permeates the narrative. The same applies to Batikhagva Undrakhbayar’s editing, which, additionally, induces the movie with a rather fast pace that suits its overall aesthetics.
Ariunbyamba Nomin-Erdene as Enerel and Munkhbat Bat-Erin as Garid are the ones that stand out from the young actors, although their performance is definitely on a lower level than the aforementioned veterans.
“Disorder” has its issues, but the sense of disorientation, the overall atmosphere and the visual deem it a film that many fans of horror movies will definitely enjoy.
