This Thai film is going for that crime and romance mix inside the BL space, trying to blend coming of age struggles with gritty gang violence thrown in. Honestly, this movie really didn’t need to exist. It grabs actors straight out of BL shows that you’ll recognize instantly, then tries to drop them into this gritty setting with a story that just doesn’t land. Even if there was some kind of heart buried in here somewhere, the way it’s actually put together feels pretty amateur.
Kheng comes from a rough background and has his heart set on studying in China, so he’s grinding hard trying to land a scholarship. We don’t get much of his backstory, but he’s living with his friend Tai, who I’m pretty sure has feelings for him too, and Tai backs him up in every way he can. One day Kheng witnesses a group of thugs beating up a guy named Boang, who turns out to be a drug dealer, though Kheng has no clue about that at the time. He ends up saving Boang’s life anyway, and now the drug gang is hunting down both of them, convinced the stolen drugs are with either Boang or Kheng since he’s the one who stepped in. The gang shows up at Tai’s place and trashes the shop and everything in it, which leaves Kheng feeling guilty enough to run off in the middle of the night. Boang tracks him down and offers to let him crash with him until he sorts out a place of his own. The two of them start getting closer, and Boang promises to keep him safe. Kheng opens up about how people used to call him names and how he used to wish he could just kill them for it. While the drug crew’s still hunting these two down, Kheng ends up passing his scholarship exam, but around the same time, someone starts going around town killing off the guys who used to bully Kheng. Eventually it comes out that Tai’s the one behind those killings, driven by how much he cares about and loves Kheng, but by that point Kheng’s already fallen for Boang instead, and the two of them end up together.
The execution here is so rough that I honestly don’t even know where to start. There’s not a single scene or moment that actually builds any sense that Boang or Kheng are developing feelings for each other. It’s only near the end, once Boang goes missing, that suddenly Kheng’s declaring his love out of nowhere. Meanwhile you can’t help but feel for Tai, who’s been loyal and present through all of it. And for a film going for this gritty tone, the choice to cast these polished, pretty boy BL actors just doesn’t work, none of them feel right for these rough, lower class roles they’ve been handed. Everything about how this film was shot, acted, and put together just feels off. I read somewhere that it’s based on a true story, which I’m skeptical about, but even if it is, this version doesn’t do it any justice. Honestly, I wouldn’t waste any time on this one. (1.5/10)
