A visually stunning and melancholic tale on inequality
The Paradise of Thorns is the feature film debut of Boss Naruebet Kuno who is known for the hit show, I Told Sunset About You. Starring Jeff Satur and Engfa Waraha in lead roles, the movie is a suspense drama complete with family politics, marriage inequality, mind games and betrayals. With fans waiting with bated breath since last year, it is finally out for global viewing on Netflix in January 2025.
The Paradise of Thorns begins with Thongkam and Sek, a gay couple pooling their resources to run a durian orchard. With Thongkam’s money, they buy back the land that belonged to Sek’s father and register it under Sek’s name. Unfortunately, they are not able to enjoy the fruits of their labour for long as an accident costs Sek his life.
In comes his scheming mother, Saeng and her caretaker, Mo who is like a daughter to the old lady. While Thongkam accommodates them in good faith, he soon realises that they are trying to take his durian orchard. And with Thailand yet to legalize gay marriage (don’t worry, it has been legalized now), it isn’t looking good for Thongkam as anything that belongs to Sek, goes to his next living relative – his mother.
Right off the bat, we know that we are in for a visual treat. Set in the small town of Mae Hong Son, Thongkam and Sek’s durian orchard is a vast patch of greenery with a tiny, rustic house, standing tall on a hill, and the source of everyone’s greed.
While paired with saturated colour grading, it takes a harsh tone as Mo and Saeng’s true colours come to light. Where even the night has a warm, romantic tone during Thongkam’s honeymoon phase, the lighting becomes harsh and yellowish, almost jaundice-like as if the happiness is leeched away.
Colours continue to play an important role as Mo switches between muted and bright pink shades, representing her journey. However, Thongkam constantly stands out with his out-of-place aesthetic, leather jackets and bright tops in the same way society doesn’t accept his out-of-ordinary relationship with a man.
We cannot forget the OSTs, brought to life by Satur himself as he collaborates with Vichaya Vatanasapt who also happens to be responsible for the heartwrenching music of I Told Sunset About You.
The Paradise of Thorns’s melancholic music adds nuance to Thongmak’s plight as he helplessly watches his beloved orchard slip from his grasp. But as the movie switches to a black comedy as he fights back, so does the music change, bordering on suspense as it gets viewers excited for what’s in store.
It also taps into Thailand’s rich culture with events such as monkhood ordination, first rain and traditional weddings. However, culture isn’t just a visual trope for the stunning cinematography that we get from this film. It is also used as the crux of the conflict.
While there is no overt homophobia, it’s the societal inequality that gay couples face that is brought to the front. At the same time, it also sheds the plight of women like Mo who have no chance to climb up apart from marrying into a wealthy family or resorting to devious tactics.
The direction is seamless and clever while ensuring that the movie isn’t too didactic with its themes. From the little gestures such as Mo trampling on Thongkam’s shirt to a moth sitting on Thongkam’s nose, The Paradise of Thorns is abundant with symbolism. We particularly loved the moth scene, usually a metaphor for transformation as Thongkam decides to get ugly, almost bordering on cruel.
The narrative is quite fast-paced as it gets right into the action with the death that is the catalyst to all the events in the movie. Jeff Satur’s Thongkam is the antihero – while we feel sad for him, he changes as he realises the world won’t be kind to him. Similarly, Mo and Saeng start off as the bad guys but soon we see that things aren’t so black and white.
And while the movie does get dark at times, Mo and Thongkam’s rivalry keeps it entertaining. While they are foils to each other, an opportunist and selfish caretaker vs a desperate and romantic farmer, as they start playing each other’s games, we realise that they are quite similar.
With a bitter but realistic treatment of the subject matter, the small-town aesthetic of the movie and the character dynamics win over viewers. All in all, The Paradise of Thorns is an achingly beautiful movie that many of us will be able to relate to as greed and lack of resources tear relationships apart.
Read More: The Paradise of Thorns Ending Explained
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Verdict - 9/10
9/10