If you’re going to watch a Thai film for your next movie night, it is highly recommended that you watch The Paradise of Thorns directed by Boss Kuno.
The Paradise of Thorns follows the story of Thongkam (Jeff Satur) and Sek (Pongsakorn Mettarikanon), an unmarried gay couple, who build a home and durian farm together. One night, Sek’s accident turned Thongkam’s life into despair as Thongkam’s family claimed assets of Sek. Thongkam will do everything to reclaim his and Sek’s property since he poured his heart into the durian farm.
Now that the film is finally showing in the Philippines, here are a few reasons why it made us astounded and why you should watch the film:
CHARACTER DEPTH
Thongkam’s character in this film is complex and sometimes you’ll be surprised by the decisions he made. You can see how Thongkam loves Sek that he poured his heart on to the durian farm. One thing is for sure, Thongkam will do everything just to fight for his rights as Sek’s partner as they built the durian farm together. Some of his decisions may lead to something good and also bad.
Mo will get on your nerves because of how tactless she may seem but as you dive deeper into the film, you’ll get to know the reason why she’s acting that way. Mo’s character may annoy you but there’s a reason why she’s doing such a thing, especially to Thongkam and Mother Saeng. Throughout the film, you’ll also see how Mo loves Mother Saeng as she’s always there for Mother Saeng.
Jingna at first may seem to be someone innocent who doesn’t care about someone but as you continue to watch the film, Jingna becomes an interesting character. Jingna’s character may get you shocked along the way but that’s for you to discover why when you watch the film.
Sek showed how he loved Thongkam so much when he worked on the durian farm but unexpectedly his life ended turning Thongkam’s life into despair.
Saeng is Sek’s mother and as a mother, she will do everything for Sek and his assets.
CINEMATOGRAPHY
The Paradise of Thorns showed great storytelling through its great cinematography and you’ll dwell into the film because of how beautifully created the film was. Each scene was presented beautifully to its audience making it seem that you are there inside the film with the characters.
Each scene is crafted well and you’ll be amazed with the angles and shots of the film. Not to mention their great sound effects as well because it adds depth to the scene.
CASTS OF THE FILM
Jeff Satur as Thongkam
If you watched Jeff in his previous work, in this film you’ll see a different Jeff. You will be amazed by how Jeff delivered every single scene. Aside from that, you’ll be impressed with how he expressed his emotions as Thongkam. You’ll feel Thongkam’s grief and revenge and Jeff did a very good job on portraying Thongkam.
Engfa Waraha as Mo
She nailed her character as Mo. You can feel the pain and eagerness of Mo, may it be about Sek, about Mother Saeng, or even for herself. It is great how her eyes act so much and even without lines, you can feel her emotions as Mo.
Srida Puapimol as Saeng
She delivered her character as Mother Saeng so well that you’ll get annoyed with her character and it’s a testament of how great of an actress she is.
Harit Buayoi as Jingna
The shift of Jingna’s character from being someone who seems like doesn’t care about someone to doing something for them is a testament to the great character arc and Keng did a good job as Jingna. Keng as Jingna is one of the characters in the film that you’ll surely remember.
In this film, there’s a plot twist after a plot twist so you should stick until the end to see and understand why a certain character becomes so eager and desperate with the decisions they made.
To be very honest, there are a lot of scenes that shocked us while watching the film, especially that one scene at the end when a plot twist was revealed. Also, Thongkam and Mo’s bickering with each other leads to something painful opening the wounds of the past strike through our hearts.
Make sure to ready your heart, tears, and emotions before watching this film because The Paradise of Thorns is indeed a rollercoaster ride.
Watch the trailer of the film here:
‘The Paradise of Thorns’ is now showing in the Philippines via SM Cinemas.
Review by Julienne Lee
Thaimazing Manila 