Upcoming Thai Dramas: 2023+ Edition
I often find myself watching movies when I'm in a drama slump. When I simply cannot find something to watch and/or have so many drama options to pick from I end up selecting nothing and just moping about it. So, to pull myself out of the slump, I watch movies instead.
I mean come on, they are short and what could go wrong in less than three hours, right? Wrong! Lordy, the entire 1 and something hours could be wrong! When this happens, sometimes I'd find myself stopping the movie and pretending it doesn't exist, and sometimes... on some infrequent occasions, I find myself continuing. I know the plot makes no sense, I am aware almost every character is going to die, I don't even understand who the leads are... but I still find myself watching it... and I still find myself liking it. A lot. Yes... I must be nuts.
Now before you move forward, please know that my "so bad" doesn't make it a bad movie. This is just a subjective list. You might see some entries in this list that will make you question my sanity, and that's alright — different strokes for different folks! So I hope you enjoy the list and if you have any recommendations, feel free to leave a comment in the comment section!
(Click on the posters to be re-directed)
Year: 2011
Country: China
Duration: 1hr 44mins
Genre: Historical, Drama
Tags: Co-produced, Adapted From A Novel
Ending: Happy
Introduction:
In nineteenth-century China, two girls named Snow Flower (Jun Ji Hyun) and Lily (Li Bing Bing) are forever bonded together as sworn sisters. In present-day Shanghai, their descendants Sophia Liao (Jun Ji Hyun) and Nina Wei (Li Bing Bing) struggle with the intimacy of their own pure and intense childhood friendship. Eventually, they are separated but come together again when Sophia falls into a coma. Reunited at long last, they must come to understand the story of the strong ancestral connection hidden from them or lose one another forever in the process.
My Commentary:
+ There were times where I was confused. In fact, I think I was confused 60% of the time.
+ 30% of the time, I could just stare at the screen and take the raw angst that was being thrown at me — wondering how truly sad and different both of the friends' lives were.
+ Regardless, the movie is about true and deep friendship and in the end, it portrayed that extremely well.
Ah, you must be wondering what I was doing the remaining 10% of the time, right? The remaining 10% I was waiting for the girls to kiss. (Please direct your attention to the image on the right.)
Year: 2017
Country: China
Duration: 1 hr. 47 min
Genre: Action, Adventure, Mystery, Comedy
Ending: Happy
Introduction:
Chinese archeology professor Jack (Jackie Chan) teams up with beautiful Indian professor Ashmita (Disha Patani) to locate lost Magadha treasure. In a Tibetan ice cave, they find the remains of the royal army that had vanished together with the treasure, only to be ambushed by Randall (Sonu Sood), the descendant of a rebel army leader. When they free themselves, their next stop is Dubai, where a diamond from the ice cave is to be auctioned. After a series of drama about their past, Jack and his team travel to a mountain temple in India, using the diamond as a key to unlock the real treasure.
My Commentary:
+ Now this movie is what you can simply describe as "over the top".
+ If you're brown and/or are remotely aware of Bollywood movies, you can categorize this with the movies where there is just one punch, and everyone is flying five ft away. Just add some treasure hunting there in the middle.
+ So much was happening, it was hard to keep up. And yet at the same time, the storyline was something I had seen a dozen times before.
If you're wondering why I stuck around, it was just to witness Jackie Chen do the desi dance!
(Also Yi Xing was a big bonus.)
Name: The Village of No Return
Year: 2017
Country: China
Duration: 1 hr. 56 min
Genre: Romance, Drama, Martial Arts
Ending: Man I don't even know
Introduction:
It is an unusual day for the remote and isolated Yu Wang Village. A mysterious Taoist priest (Wang Qian) brings a magical instrument that can erase one’s memory. Since then, all the villagers have forgotten their past, living “happily ever after”, while the dangerous plot behind their back is just about to be unveiled…
My Commentary:
+ It's been months and I still can't understand what I watched.
+ Basically everyone just goes around hypnotizing the village with this angry bird's piggy looking contraption, and it's all a big mess, but a mess you can't pull out of once you're in.
This was the moment the real devil was born.
(glances at the lady on my right)
Year: 2010
Country: Japan
Duration: 1 hr. 58 min
Genre: Drama
Ending: ...Happy
Introduction:
A young woman (Shibasaki Kou) in her mid 20's becomes so heartbroken she loses her voice. To recover, the woman decides to go back to her hometown and stay with her free-spirited mother whom she has not been very close to in the past. The young woman then decides to open a restaurant that accepts only one customer a day, allowing for thoughtful preparation for that customer.
My Commentary:
+ Pet piggies. Flying piggies. Dead piggies. Yes, I believe she kills her pet piggy for her mum's funeral.
+ The movie is, in perspective, a beautiful movie. However, it is quite ... weird in a sense. Not entirely the plot but how it's shot and produced.
+ Still, there is a lot of lessons to take from this. Especially Rinco and her mum's angle.
Pet piggies. Flying piggies. Dead Piggies.
Pet piggies. Flying piggies. Dead Piggies.
Name: Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum
Year: 2018
Country: South Korea
Duration: 1 hr. 34 min
Genre: Suspense, Thriller, Mystery, Horror, Supernatural
Tags: Tragic Past, Ghost, Based On True Story
Ending: Ha. What do you think?
Introduction:
In 1979, 42 patients at Gonjiam Psychiatric Hospital killed themselves, and the hospital director went missing. Rumours and strange stories about the now abandoned Gonjiam Mental Hospital abound. An internet broadcaster (Ha Joon) and 6 other people decide to enter the abandoned hospital to experience unbridled fear. They begin to stream live video from inside the hospital.
My Commentary:
+ If you haven't already noticed, this is a horror movie. One with an absolutely stupid basic plot.
+ A couple of kids go into a haunted building planning on recording their experience. Then what happens next is history.
+To be honest, I understand the desire to get into haunted buildings — but my dudes, why a haunted mental asylum?! Those folks had psychological issues in their physical life, to begin with, AND now they are ghosts! Come on! A+B = NOT A GOOD IDEA!
When you watch idiots go into a haunted mental asylum, and you're like "Go. Go die. Go."
Year: 2015
Country: Philippines
Duration: 1 hr. 50 min
Genre: Comedy, Romance, School, Youth, Family
Tags: Wager Relationship, Family Relationship, High School, Male Chases Female First, Strong Female Lead, Adapted From A Novel
Ending: Happy
Introduction:
In love, the stakes are high. When you live for no one... or when you have almost no one... will you still bet your all? The story follows a popular guy named Drake Sison (Enrique Gil), who makes a bet with his best friend to make the nerdy transfer student, Sophia Taylor (Liza Soberano), fall in love with him in 30 days. Once she falls for him, he must confess that it was all a bet.
My Commentary:
+ This was originally a Wattpad book. A teen-fic Wattpad book. Absolutely nothing was groundbreaking in this movie. The male lead makes a bet to seduce the new, awkward, 'ugly' female lead and ends up falling for her in the process. But then she finds out eventually and boom clap the sound of my heat the angst goes on and on and on and on.
+ I watched this when I was relatively younger (than I am now)... and at that time even though it wasn't something amazing, it was adorable. Why? Cause love.
Hey, at least it's a better book and movie than that world-famous AFTER. That, and look at that revolutionary hairstyle the male lead had going on. Classic!
Year: 2017
Country: Japan
Duration: 1 hr. 39 min
Genre: Romance, School, Youth
Tags: Reverse-Harem, High School, Adapted From A Manga
Ending: Happy
Introduction:
Setoka (Tsuchiya Tao) is a high-school student who got dumped by twelve boys. Her big brother, Haruka (Katayose Ryota) looks like a delinquent youth, but he cares for Setoka so much. Setoka doesn't know that they are not blood-related.
One day, Setoka starts to get guys' attention, but her big brother Haruka tries to interfere every time!
My Commentary:
+ Before some of you start asking me to admit myself into a mental asylum because: incest — then let me tell you THEY ARE NOT BLOOD-RELATED and the dude knows. Although I don't know what that speaks about the girl since she didn't know and she still fell for the brother ehem.
+ Okay now that we have that out of the way — what a mess this was hahaha... but I couldn't stop laughing my ass off! It was so funny!
Come on, if you don't want to watch it for anything else at least watch it for my main man here ->
[Please note that this movie is not a stand-alone, you get the back story in a 5-episode drama series.]
Year: 2016
Country: Japan
Duration: 1 hr. 33 min
Genre: Romance, School
Tags: High School, Student, Adapted From A Manga, Possessive Male Lead, Childhood Friends, Love Triangle
Ending: Happy
Introduction:
Akabane Yu (Komatsu Nana) moves to a dormitory room after her father's transfer from work. She is excited that she will live in the same dorm as Shirakawa Takumi aka "White Prince". (Chiba Yudai) Yet, Kurosaki Haruto (Nakajima Kento) aka "Black Devil" kisses her as punishment for going against him. It is Yu’s first kiss. Since then, she becomes obedient to Kurosaki Haruto.
My Commentary:
+ Starts giggling like my sixteen-year-old self watching Edward Cullen asking Bella "You're exactly my brand of heroin."
On the side note, can we all please bring our attention to the blaring fact that Edward Cullen was a crack-head?
+ Okay, seriously though, this was not a healthy relationship. The male lead bullies the girl, kisses her whenever he wants, bites her earlobe in class, leaves a hickey on her neck!? Exhibits behaviour that would be screaming red signals to us in real life. Stay away from guys like this in real life, ladies and lads!
Although please feel free to stare at them and giggle in front of your screens cause all is fair in love and fiction!
[Please note that this movie is not a stand-alone, you get the back story in a 2-episode drama series.]
Year: 2016
Country: Thailand
Duration: 1 hr. 53 min
Genre: Suspense, Horror, Comedy
Ending: Happy
Introduction:
Star (Margie) is a popular influencer, but she's not really smart in English; therefore, she keeps failing that class. When she once again fails a test, the vice-principal (Nino) forces her to take extra classes in the old building of the University that has been shut down after a series of deaths occurred there decades ago, or else she can not graduate. Star is really scared to attend the class by herself, so she recruits a bunch of people through her social media to attend it with her. But then there is this quiet guy (Tae Darvid) in class as well...
My Commentary:
+ It's a Thai horror movie. Honestly, if you're like me and watch a lot of Thai stuff... you know that except for Shutter and Coming Soon... Thai horror is more comedy than horror. Trust me, my bestie and I watched this at night. Past twelve. And we laughed our asses off.
+ Still, the background story of this was very nice. The messages about education and friendship were really nice. It was also nice seeing Tae on the screen as well.
Although aside from Tae, the main man of this movie was this little pervert here ->
Support talent, support Toni! hahahaha.
Year: 2019
Country: Thailand
Duration: 2hr 01min
Genre: Thriller, Horror, Romance, Supernatural
Tags: Folklore, Interspecies Romance, Based On A Legend, Ghost, Love Triangle
Ending: aha ha ha ha ... ha -_-
Introduction:
In a far-away village, lived an innocent teenage girl, "Sai" (Minnie) who later discovered herself inheriting the curse of "Krasue". At night, her head would detach from her body and hunts for flesh and blood. Villagers are terrified by the deaths of their livestock, and that is when the Krasue hunt begins. "Jerd" (Great), a friend, joined the hunt for an unknown reason, while "Noi" (Oab), the childhood friend who had just come back to the village, decided to stand beside Sai despite knowing the horrifying truth.
My Commentary:
+ Those of you who have watched this movie must be thinking "Soju, how dare you?! How dare you put this in this list?!" My reply is "I never said I was fair okay!! Let me vent!!" *sobs* The premise of this movie was very confusing. It took me and my best friend half a drama to even figure out how the girl got the curse. Did she contract it or was it inherited?
+ "Who? Why? What?!" These questions continued until the movie ended, and the credits started rolling. I'll admit, this movie is not that bad, if bad at all — but it is hard to move around, and that's the reason why it's number one on this list. Not because it's the biggest "so bad" but the biggest "so good".
Also, Jerd is the real man. *starts crying again*
Well, that's it... my 10 "So bad but so good" movies. I really tried hard not to give spoilers, and that's why I didn't push in too deep with exactly what the problem areas were. Maybe this way you can watch them and decide for yourself? *winks*
Also, feel free to read part one of this article which was the "So bad but so good" dramas.
Although I suppose I should really update that list since I wrote that article 2 years ago.
Anyways, I hope you had fun reading this, and you can find some good movies to watch through this list!
See you again in some other article!
