Haunted Universities 3 - Spooky Stories From Campuses

It's a spooky season!

As much as I proclaim myself a horror-averse, I still love watching horror films from time to time. In fact,it is one of my main genres to watch at the theatre.

But let me tell you something: Nothing beats the ambiance of the unexpected sound of a baby wailing for no reason while you're watching horror. It really adds a twist, especially while you’re waiting for the jump scare scenes or a ghost to pop up on screen!

It was all thanks to my niece who happened to visit me as I was watching this Haunted Universities 3, an anthology movie by four talented Thai directors: Sorawit Meungkeaw, Aroonakorn Pick, Nontawat Numbenchapol, and Aussada Likiboonma. My niece was crying for no reason in the middle of me watching this horror movie. My mom tried to soothe her but it was to no avail. So, I ended up watching the film with her cries echoing the room and it adds terrifying twist to the background sound in the movie.

Haunted Universities 3 is an anthology film released in 2024 which is set in various locations inside a university and has 3 standalone stories revolving around Thai folklore and urban stories.

The first series involves the enchanting and spine-chilling folklore story of a figure known as The Princess and the mystery surrounding the tale. Being the first of the anthology, this part serves as the introduction that sets the haunting vibe for the rest of the film for the audience. With a slasher theme woven into its narrative, it was meant to keep the audience on the edge of their seats and not turn their focus elsewhere.

The second anthology still revolves around campus but it talks about the issue of toxic hazing culture on campuses. We will be introduced to a student named Earth, who has a strong aversion to this form of hazing. This segment was a lot less scary than the first one and gave us a moment to breathe after the gory, chilling, and terrifying tale of the first anthology.

The final anthology was a mixture of folklore fused with modernity. It serves as an epic reminder that these stories are somehow intertwined. It involves this folklore that basically mentions we shouldn’t misplace things and should never take things that aren’t ours.

The last anthology is called “Invisible Shrine” featuring a skeptical character who somehow doesn’t believe in spirits but is well-versed in the spirit realm. It starts with a couple whose girl wanted a garland and the guy had to steal it from the “invisible shrine”. Legends said that once you hear stories of these invisible shrines, you will never be able to see them again. During the Halloween celebration, the story was announced by the speaker and everyone including the couple heard it. There’s only one person, who didn’t hear the story and was still able to see the shrine. It turns out that the spirit wanted their help to rearrange their house as there is an object that shouldn’t be there in the first place.

The last anthology will have you laughing, sighing in relief, and forgetting the terror that the first anthology offers. It was an epic roller coaster ride where by the end of the ride, you’d feel thrilled, less scared yet nostalgic for the suspenseful journey. The film wraps up nicely and this is what makes Thai horror never fail.

Just as typical anthology works, Haunted Universities delivers epic story exploration and wraps them up with shared style, theme, and settings. In my opinion, using the university as the setting adds a unique haunting atmosphere — Think of old-style dilapidated buildings, dense mini forests nearby, and lining narrow hallways. This choice of setting amplifies the sense of dread as it captures the lingering fear within these seemingly ordinary spaces.

Since there are too many actors that are featured in this anthology, I have to say that I can’t review them person by person. However, in general, all of them were successful enough in creating the haunting and chilling atmosphere that this thriller horror film tries to convey.

This story truly takes me back into nostalgia. During freshman year, I was also told about various horror urban legends as well as folktales in the university. Where I am from, we heard stories of a female student who died of suicide and frequented the campus during certain hours. Before the renovation, our campus building was pretty old and we often stayed until late at night. Since we’ve heard the stories over and over, my friends and I are actually terrified. Thankfully, we have never encountered this spirit 😆

For those of you who heard of such stories during your university years, this movie is nostalgic. It transforms you back to those times, relieving moments of chilling and horror tales from all across campuses. But for those who have never heard of such stories, Haunted Universities 3 offers an invitation for you to an eerie world of campus urban legends, folklore, and spine-chilling stories for the first time.

Enjoy the trailer here