OH MY GHOST! OH MY GOD! (怎么可能我家的祖先是你家的鬼) (2026)

Genre: Comedy/Horror
Director: Su Ta
Cast: Watanabe Naomi, Jasper Liu, Esther Huang, Su Ta, Sakinu, Vivian Hsu
Runtime: 1 hr 33 mins
Rating: PG13 (Horror and Some Mature Content)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 22 October 2026

Synopsis: Japanese pop star Juliet travels to a village in Taiwan to fulfil her late mother's final wish of reconnecting with her ancestral roots. She embarks on a journey into a sacred mountain with her childhood friend Amuy, Amuy's boyfriend, and her sceptical manager. After unknowingly violating ancient taboos, the group gets trapped in a mist-covered forest where vengeful spirits prey on their deepest fears. To escape, they must confront both the ancient spirits and the truths they have long tried to bury.

Movie Review:

There are two types of movies that Taiwanese filmmakers have done particularly well over the years: hardcore scare fests like The Rope Curse and The Tag-Along, and horror comedies like Marry My Dead Body and Dead Talents Society.

Oh My Ghost! Oh My God! falls somewhere in between. Unfortunately, it is neither particularly scary nor particularly funny.

Japanese comedian Naomi Watanabe plays Juliet, a Japanese-Taiwanese pop singer who wishes to visit Lake Spirits, where her late mother once lived. Along with her manager, Guo (Jasper Liu, last seen in Mediacorp’s In His Hands), Juliet ropes in her former classmate Xin-lan (Esther Huang) and her love interest Wei-de (Soda Voyu, who also co-wrote and directed the film) to accompany her on the trip. Tagging along is Zu (Sakinu), a gender-fluid villager.

Off they go into the deep forests, where the indigenous community believes an evil entity known as the “huni” preys on those who harbour dark secrets. Coincidentally, Wei-de is haunted by the death of his grandmother (Viven Hsu in a cameo), who was a shaman in the village. Xin-lan has a secret of her own, and, yes, the same applies to Juliet and Guo.

Oh My Ghost! Oh My God! starts off promisingly, establishing a sense of dread and suspense while introducing indigenous supernatural beliefs. The prologue tells of an evil entity lurking in the forest that preys on young children and sucks their blood. We also learn about Wei-de’s shamanic family background, while Xin-lan appears to experience hallucinations involving a young girl. With Naomi Watanabe hamming it up on screen, we assume we are in for a wild ride.

Unfortunately, none of these promising elements quite gets off the ground. Sure, there are a few laughs early on, particularly when Zu tries to seduce Guo. There is even an absurd karaoke session smack in the middle of the field trip. You know the jokes are lame, but you go along with them anyway. Meanwhile, Soda ensures that something sinister is lurking in the eerie, mist-covered forest, as his character turns to indigenous prayers and chants to protect his friends.

With the help of CGI, we are treated to repeated attacks by the “hafune”, a flock of creepy, red-eyed birds. By this point, however, the laughs have all but disappeared, and we are bombarded with a series of confrontations and demonic struggles. Unfortunately, none of them is particularly terrifying. Instead, they come across as downright silly, especially when it comes to what happens to Juliet and Guo.

Oh My Ghost! Oh My God! could have been a little funnier and a little scarier, considering the potential of its material. After all, it is not every day that we get to see Taiwanese indigenous beliefs and practices explored in a horror movie. Unfortunately, the shoddy makeup and CGI do little to help matters. Despite the limitations of the script, Naomi Watanabe still delivers a serviceable performance, bringing her trademark brand of comedy to the proceedings. Nevertheless, the film is far from being an outstanding horror comedy in Taiwan’s cinematic landscape.

Movie Rating:

(A strictly OMG effort that is neither funny nor scary enough to warrant a viewing)

Review by Linus Tee