In the late 1970s in Thailand, protectionist laws promoted a significant increase in films that attempted to copy Hollywood’s most popular genres, but which were pejoratively referred to by critics as “nao nam” (rotten water). Directed by the emerging Thai filmmaker Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke, who makes his debut in Curtas, “Red Aninsri” is an engaging homage to the twisted police and espionage narratives popular in Southeast Asia during the Cold War. A mysterious “femme fatale” chases another woman with a yellow suitcase. When captured, the blonde declares her name to be Ang and confesses to be a prostitute who is occasionally also a spy. Her mission is to seduce Jit, a young activist who is considered an enemy of the nation, by disguising herself as a homosexual man. The goal is to make him denounce Miss Josh, the leader of his political organization, but the plan doesn't go as expected... (PC)