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Yes, I Can See Dead People
Movie

Yes, I Can See Dead People

2008 • Unknown

Woke Score
1
out of 10

Plot

Nam is not your typical teenager. Sure, he spends a little too much time on his computer, and tries a little too hard to meet the gorgeous stewardess who lives in his building. But recently three of Nam's friends have committed suicide, which isn't all bad since, as the title implies, he sees ghosts. However, these suicides only foreshadow weirder things to come. Soon his brother Tung, along with Chee, his stewardess crush, begin to act strangely, while his visions of ghostly children and other phantoms grow more frequent. With aid from his brother's girlfriend Charlie, Nam sets out to investigate his haunted building's past and help these malevolent spirits cross over.

Overall Series Review

Yes, I Can See Dead People (2008) is a Hong Kong horror-comedy focused on traditional East Asian spiritual beliefs and local ghost lore. The story centers on the protagonist, Nam, a slacker teenager, who must accept his inherited power to see ghosts after suicides and possessions threaten his brother, his crush, and his community. The narrative is driven by Nam's personal choice to embrace his family's generational gift and learn the responsibility that comes with it from a mentor figure. The central conflict involves investigating the local history of his apartment building to help the malevolent spirits find peace. It uses a mix of horror, comedy, and drama to explore themes of spiritual duty and familial bonds. The female characters, while not central to the supernatural gift, are active participants in the investigation and aid the male protagonist. The movie features a structure rooted in the resolution of a spiritual and moral problem, resulting in a low 'woke' score across all metrics.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics1/10

The movie is a Hong Kong production with an entirely East Asian cast, and the conflict is purely supernatural and personal. Characters are judged by their competence and willingness to accept their spiritual duties, adhering to a universal meritocracy of the soul. Race is not a factor in the narrative or character's moral standing.

Oikophobia1/10

The plot is steeped in traditional, local Hong Kong/Chinese ghost lore, where Nam's gift is an ancestral inheritance, and a mentor explicitly instructs him on the family's generational responsibility to use the power correctly. The story centers on resolving a problem in the immediate community (the haunted building's past), showing respect for the local spiritual heritage and familial lineage.

Feminism3/10

The male protagonist, Nam, is initially a slacker, and his brother Tung is a victim of possession, portraying the men as fallible or incompetent. However, the female characters, such as Charlie, the brother’s girlfriend, take on a competent and active role as Nam's partner in the supernatural investigation. The women serve important, active roles, but the narrative focuses on a quest to save the nuclear family unit and community, and there is no overt anti-natalist or 'Girl Boss' messaging.

LGBTQ+1/10

The narrative centers on heteronormative relationships, specifically Nam's attempts to connect with his crush, Chee, and the relationship between his brother Tung and Charlie. The core conflict is the preservation of the traditional family unit against a spiritual threat. Sexual or gender identity outside of this traditional pairing is not a feature of the plot or thematic commentary.

Anti-Theism1/10

The movie is predicated on a transcendent spiritual reality, where ghosts, a spiritual gift, and a moral obligation to help the dead exist. The entire plot is about solving a supernatural problem by adhering to a higher moral law—helping malevolent spirits 'cross over.' This directly acknowledges objective spiritual truth and duty rather than moral relativism.