Ghost Lab Plot Synopsis
Ghost Lab is a Thai horror/thriller exploring the afterlife and ghosts. The story centers on two enthusiastic doctors, Wee and Gla Ar-Jong. Together, they set out to try and prove the existence of the paranormal, using a litany of tools at their disposal to do so. As the movie progresses, the two take a turn down a dark path, intent on proving their research no matter what.
What is the Northern Lights Quest?
The Northern Lights Quest is the code-name of sorts to Gla Ar-Jong’s folder of ghost evidence on his laptop. He’s filmed all of his case logs up until this point, and it also features movies that Wee himself films later on. The intention here is to try and make ghosts visible to everyone, collecting up as much research as possible to prove their existence to brilliant scientific minds. As the experiments progress, Wee and Gla realize they need a sacrifice in order to take things to the next level. This comes back to the earlier equation the pair write up on their whiteboard, reading “Energy = Worries/vengeance.” The first part of their experiment sees the pair play on worries, intent on bringing familiar ghosts to our realm through a more poignant and grounded emotion. Eventually the pair grow restless and Wee decides to kill himself, working on the project from the other side instead.
Why does Wee try to kill himself?
Wee has always been the more rational character in the film, with Gla driven by emotion. This all changes though when Wee’s Mother dies. A lack of oxygen to the brain forces Wee into making a difficult decision, as he’s ultimately the one who decides his Mother’s fate. When she comes back to him one evening, whispering something inaudible (which we later find out is “What are you two doing, honey?”) it drives Wee to meet his Mother again on the other side. It’s only when he receives another vision from his Mother, uttering the aforementioned words again, that he stops himself from committing suicide. Instead, Gla grabs the gun and shoots himself in the head, right in front of Wee.
How does Ghost Lab end?
Dr Wee is consumed by grief and obsession, deciding to fall back on the original equation noted above. Instead of worry, Wee decides to center his research on vengeance instead. He drugs Gla’s girlfriend Mai and takes her to his lab. He wants to draw out Gla to his true form and after losing his little finger, remains manic and crazed. Gla eventually presents himself to his friend, inhabiting his old body after throwing Gla down to the morgue. A fire breaks out and Gla manhandles Wee, choking him into oblivion. When Wee passes out, he awakens to find Gla communicating with him in this strange realm (presumably purgatory) and telling him to stop the experiments. Eventually he agrees and Wee returns. Time passes and Wee recovers. We learn he may never practice medicine again after what he’s done, and time away from the hospital seems to have helped heal him. Wee deletes all the Northern Lights data on the laptop after receiving a rejection email from The Experiment. He eventually gives the computer back to Mai. It seems like she may never learn the truth about what happened to Gla, but she does share a big revelation as the film concludes. While passed out, Mai tells Wee about her dream featuring Gla. He was standing on a beach holding a magazine, that being “The Experiment” where he and Gla are on the front cover. This, interestingly enough, is a throwback to the cryptic messages Gla communicated with Wee, writing out “beach” several times on the laptop. While Wee interpreted this as his childhood town, it actually refers to this dream.
Whats the lesson here?
Ghost Lab’s message ultimately comes down to one of human connection. In a bid to try and communicate with the paranormal, both Wee and Gla fall into obsession and neglect their own life. Gla’s comes in the form of his obsession with work. While admirable, he forgets an important date with his girlfriend and ultimately doesn’t think of any of his family when he commits suicide. This coincides with the middle portion of the movie, as Wee is forced to pick up the shattered remnants of his friend’s life. He’s the one who witnesses Gla’s family utterly broken and devastated by their son’s decision. Likewise, Wee’s depressive state and inability to talk to anyone about his feelings serves as his undoing in the end. He’s a man clearly traumatized by what’s happened but something inside him snaps, taking a very dark path in order to uncover the truth. It’s not until he nearly dies that he finally learns to live his own life, typified by that final shot of Newton’s cradle which passes from Gla to Wee. To read our full thoughts on this movie, check out our spoiler-free review HERE!) Thanks for reading our Ending Explained article! What did you think of Ghost Lab’s ending? Did the ending shock you? Do you think there could be a sequel? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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