Dew the Movie

Something to ride home about

This show opened with one of the most heart-breaking and upsetting moments I have ever seen in a movie. Where children are forced to register as suspected homosexuals, I swear. Not to mention they were sent to a military camp... Gay, straight or alien, bishhhh, you will have to kill me and anyone that is friends with me because you can't take them neither. MAKE MEH CARE

The story takes place in a time when homosexuality was obviously taboo to the point of it being a crime. In this we find the two main actors who literally became friends by accident and became close enough to wonder if they are just friends. The story progresses through a series of moments that are simply beautiful for anyone to experience together, I mean anyone in any type of relationship should have these moments, the cinematography wasn't top-notch but it was still captivating to see the simple yet beautiful moments these two friends shared. I loved how they were allowed to remain innocent throughout their entire screen time with some clear fan service up in the mix. They got on with being two teenage boys loving each other's company, doing what teenage boys do without being typical sex addict portrayals.

Love and family also had a good contrast here, where emotions run high and things happen and things are said that may not be true but are meant within the moment. In the heights of the drama (pun intended) everyone starts to wonder what really exists between them and one thing that leads to another results in an actually heart-breaking disagreement between the two boys. If teachers were really responsible for the mayhem that ensues, WOW you all need a jump-kick or two. However, this was not the worst part, the worst part was Dew never making it to the Phop in time. I was honestly lost for a little while during the story, but when that flashback came, I wished I was still in the dark about what happened.

These actors did an amazing job and some of their best scenes happened to involve a telephone... It made me celebrate, it made me cry, right along with them. All the actors did a great job and I believed in their story so much that I had to yell at the screen a few times. The ending wasn't what I had hoped for, but the story was worth the watch.

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This is the reason why you shouldn't trust the movie's ratings all the time!

The trailer was very misleading because you'll expect a normal slice of life, romantic, socially relevant, and emotionally appealing movie but it wasn't(partly)!

The movie showed a lot of issues in the beginning like how aids have caused stigma towards gay people, military camps for homosexuals, and teenage angst but the movie failed to use those to show the progress in their society. INSTEAD they proceeded to breaking the two main characters apart without explaining too much on what really happened and skipped to the present which is MANY YEARS after the first arc in which Dew died WITHOUT ANY EXPLANATION and REINCARNATED AS A TEENAGE GIRL.

This is quite bothering because Phop is now a teacher and Dew's reincarnated version is his female student. There's quite an uneasy feeling when a grown old man seems to look at a teenage girl with intimacy.

For the positive side:
-aesthetically pleasing scenes
-camera work was good
-The character who played phop was good.

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HATED THE GENDER SWAP BUT NEVERTHELESS A STUNNING WORK OF ART...

Wow! I was absolutely captivated by this film! I felt my entire being drawn towards the screen, hanging on to every word and emotion! I decided to watch this movie due to Ohm Pawat (whose performance was good but I felt like he was trying too hard in his emotional scenes), but fell in love with the poignant story and the immaculate directing. The themes of regret, reincarnation, love and second chances all explored with great depth and feeling. I know that this film will stay with me for awhile and I am grateful to have experienced watching it.

The only issue that I had with the film is the gender swap. Why did they decide to make the reincarnated Dew a girl instead of a guy? Was it to make it more palatable for general audiences? I'm guessing that that is the case, which is nonsensical because Love of Siam, the first Thai BL and one of the most popular Thai films, literally dominated the award season in its year.

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If you're confused about the ML's & FL's nature of relationship, please don't be, read my insight :)

I first posted this as a comment, but I was suggested by a reader to post this as a review cz it might help someone who's confused about the relationship between Pob & Lew. So feel free to go ahead and see what I think.

First half was really good. No questions about the chemistry between Ohm and Nont. They portrayed Dew and Pob beautifully.
Second half was also quite beautiful in my opinion. I know the concern for the age gap and the pedophilia shown. But in my opinion I felt what Pob had with Lew was rather platonic. He only felt affection towards her cuz he knew she was Dew. She knew she was Dew. So no matter the denial, they were meant to be as this story is basically about star crossed lovers.
In the past they couldn't be together because their relationship was considered a taboo as they were gay and in the present they couldn't be together cz it was still considered a taboo cz of the pedophilic nature.
The story of Dew and Pob goes beyond age and gender. It's about two humans falling in love above all social norms and ethics. So it's understandable and arguable that this story may not sit well with some.
If Dew and Pob lived in the present they would've had a different ending. More happier one. They might have had the happy ending in the past too if Dew was lucky. The timing wasn't simply right for him.
In the present Lew's timing also was a barrier for her as she still couldn't be with Pob as she wanted to.
There wasn't anything sexual between Lew and Pob, Pob was still gay. He was married just to be accepted by his family and society. His wife knew his struggles and was supportive till the end.
People who are confused, what Pob had with Lew was platonic. Just cz he liked her didn't mean he became straight. He liked her because she was simply Dew in a female body. He was attracted to her personality. He never moved on from his past. He was guilty and carried a great sadness in him. Part of him never grew up from the teenage boy he once was. The scene which indicated it the most for me was when he cried hugging the teacher when he was leaving the school. He was afraid and helpless when he was young . He didn't get the support he needed. Even as an adult he still wasn't able to be true to himself.
Then came Lew, and it kinda gave him a chance to relive what he should've had. But still it couldn't be accepted cz of the nature of their relationship. It's sad.
The decision they both made in the end might have been wrong. But guess they did it for all the right reasons.
Through out the movie the concept of rebirth and reincarnation is discussed.
In the water at the last scene what we see isn't Lew and Pob but Dew and Pob. You can see they are back to being boys hinting us that they've found their own parallel timeline to live as themselves. Because they weren't drowning but rather swimming to the surface.
I was actually satisfied with the movie and it gave a lot of feels.
The cast was Amazing. All of them did exceptionally well. I'd recommend this movie to anyone who's second guessing to watch. The soundtrack was amazing as well. I loved the songs it had.
On a side note, Weir took my heart, I'll surely be checking out more of his work.

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Well done. Confusing message.

This is a powerful movie, but could be triggering for those who have experienced intense trauma.

The acting is generally great, good cinematography, pacing is generally perfect. The story is a bit problematic.

Major spoilers below. If you haven't seen the movie, STOP READING THIS NOW! Come back and re-read afterwards if you are confused or want to get a different opinion.

I had trouble figuring out what the purpose of this movie was. The plot is clear, the problem is the message. There are small messages along the way that are true enough:

People still treat each other badly
People assume the worst about others motivations and actions
Some people are nicer than others
Misunderstandings are a big source of psychological pain
People suffer due to their inability to communicate

But the overall point seems to say that union with your soulmate is more important than life itself. To achieve this they create a sort of "forbidden love" situation. While there is some implication the couple will reincarnated together in a future life, giving into desire/longing is not something Buddhism encourages. A couple committing suicide are not necessarily going to be reincarnated as a couple, or even in the same realm.

It just seems like a couple of foolish lovers running away together to commit suicide because of societal judgement: "Forbidden but noble love". Some problems
(1) The "forbidden love" theme seems to be pedophilia. Setting up a parallel between gay sex and pedophilia is completely wrong. Because both behaviors are shunned by society doesn't mean they are equivalent. The issue with sex between adults and minors is an issue of consent and understanding. Sexual behavior between adults is an entirely different situation. And, BTW, Liu is actually 15 or 16. It is still too young to understand and make an informed decision, but not technically pedophilia.
(2) The couple could simply wait 2-3 years. Pob could have gotten a divorce in the meantime. In relationship timelines, this is nothing.
(3) If Liu is truly Dew, why end it at all? Because Dew is now a female? Because of the age difference (25? years).
The two could go on existing together in the current life. So maybe if they die together, they'll get reborn as a gay couple and solve the age difference at the same time?

For me, the "forbidden but noble love" theme doesn't work at all.

I'd like to see the same first arc, but a totally different second arc where Pob is processing his grief and sense of loss, especially together with Orn. Loss is a universal human experience and life is often complicated.

Finally, if you have any personal experience with suicide, you'll know nothing about it is romantic, heroic or noble.

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1ST HALF STELLAR ! 2ND HALF HOT MESS

Giving it a 7 because the first half of this morning was just stunning.... the minute the ages up the main character the story went downhill... the age gap between him and the girl was cringey to watch and I hated that he was reincarnated as a girl .... I think it's a bit ridiculous... I don't think the time jump was needed.. the story could have ended beautifully with his death and the reactions to it and I WOULD have easily given this show a 10.. ohm pawat is slowly becoming one of my favorite BL actors.. he adapts to his role so well in everything I'VE SEEN HIM Play.

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my problem with this and why I liked it anyway

Well, my main problem was not the age gap, but the fact that IMO reincarnation does not work like it was shown here. It is not our task to find people from our past lives and to have the same relationship with them. It happens naturally that the souls meet and if someone was your lover in the past life, he can be now your brother or mother or child etc. So, it does not mean (s)he has to be your lover in his/her next life. I believe that if it happened like that, her task was not to have a relationship with him and to die with him to become a couple in next life again. They may be born as close relatives, for example. And also, if you had a certain disposition in your past life, it does not mean you will be the same this time. We have different tasks in different lives. It had a meaning that they were born this way and they should not have thought that they were "born wrong" and end their lives. I do not think that was the purpose why they were born. Also, I think that Pob saw Natcha as the man he loved in a female body, although she definitely felt like a girl, not like a transgender man. The screenwriter probably wanted to say that geneder does not matter at all but if it was like that, people would not have different sexual orientations and nobody would have the need to change his/her gender.
But I cried anyway and a lot. When you don't think about that too much and accept the screenwriter's way of thinking, you will most likely enjoy it. What I really liked was the acting (and directing) in this movie, it was exeptional. I felt like the actors actually were the characters they played.

Note: Sorry for my English, I'm not a native speaker.

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didn't find this as depressing as the OG Korean movie (this was adapted from), maybe cause here at the end, both mains were alive. so didn't get why they chose to bungee jump other then the fact, it was written in the OG movie.

the start was cute, very adorable if u put aside how gay people were treated in Thailand in the late 90's - the fact that cause of Aids all the gay students were rounded up to get abused = "treated" for their "affliction", with the approval of their own parents, was horrifying. so in the midst of this, seeing Dew & Pob's love bloom was beautiful & yet terrifying. the out come wasn't shocking - one or the other would be more worried about getting outed.

get & yet don't, Pob lashing out at the one person that was in the same boat as him. but maybe it was convenient to put the blame on Dew, then he could wash his hands off his sexuality & put it behind him. find it ironic that both times Pob was the one making the decision, that Dew paid for.
Natcha told him she wanted to lead a normal life & Pob should've stopped then & there (especially if he loved Dew & felt guilty for what he had done) but Pob is selfish & he couldn't see beyond his own wants & needs. twice Dew had to pay the price. (even if Natcha doesn't die at the end - like i assume. she can't go back to her life as if nothing happened - cause of the clip of her hugging her teacher).

as in the OG movie i think that Pob (his character) should've take this opportunity to help the person he loved without disrupting their lives, if they recalled their past life that is something else. but actively hounding them & then choosing to destroy his own life & theirs isn't love. love is sacrifice, love is giving - he should've taken this opportunity to help Natcha/Dew achieve everything he couldn't in his previous life. & if in another life they were meant to be together, maybe this sacrifice (on his part) would bear fruit & they would end up together & have their happily ever after.

this a one off, even though enjoyed this don't feel like i wanna rewatch...

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DIDN'T SEE SOMETHING I DON'T THINK WAS COMING FR!!!!!

This title is just absolutely solid at least the first half which is very promising. The plot got confusing in the latter part which is a plot twist. When I was really watching it, I was so glued at anything happening between young Phop and Dew and how just their homophobic town came crushing gays like homosexuality is an epidemic. The part where homosexuals were blamed bcuz of the STDs rampant presence in their town and forcing gays to be straight. It's just disturbing and sad to see that, especially when Phop participated in the so-called treatment. The bruises he got from the "treatment" is cruelly sad and I got infuriated. The story was so compelling. The moment of spending with each other and running away from their homophobic hometown together. I really sobbed at that entire first part. The plot gotten confusing. It's like "what in the world??!! Am I still watching the same movie?!!??” This became another story of a forbidden love between a teacher and his student. The reincarnation thing made me realize that I was still watching the same movie. Not really a fan of gender swap here. It would have been better if Dew reincarnated as a boy. It became like a weird connection between the two.
Even they ended up together I still think there still some things left unanswered like his wife, Liu's bf and anything I forgot to mention. I assumed that when they bungee jumped they died from drowning bcuz apparently the harnesses weren't attached to them.


I like the cast especially Nont and Ohm. Actually they are the reason why I watched this. I think they served a raw and pure talent and effort which paid very well. I love how intense the drama here. It really encouraged my senses about hatred toward homosexuals. I think this movie do a lot better if the another lead is not female. Didn't have any other issues except to the loose ends it left in the end.

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From my point of view, I feel that this movie is quite a reflection of Thai society in the past and present. Because in the past, LGBTQ+ relationships were considered unacceptable. So we have seen family quarrels and see how characters solve their problems. Personally, the theme of the story is about unrestricted love. Because when Dew died, he was reborn as a woman named Lew. Phop still feels in love with the same person. which means that Phop doesn't love someone by their gender but Phop loves someone from what they really are. That allows us to really see the essence of love without having anything else to do with it. Personally, I think the movie is well designed. The way the story was run was neither too fast nor too slow, the location used for the shoot was consistent and very realistic. And most importantly, all the actors in the story portray the characters very well. Dew made the audience believe that Dew can love Phop unconditionally. They just want to be together and that already makes Dew happy. The reason that Phop resists his feelings with Dew is one of the impacts of Thai society in the past that did not accept LGBTQ+ but when Phop grew up. He understood and sought out some truths that he should have known.Make the audience believe what the movie tells. Overall, This movie is therefore a movie that both tells a love story and reflects society for the new generation to see at the same time. I watched this twice because I want to keep all the details. In fact, this movie has a lot of hidden meanings that the director wants us to see. It is highly recommended to go and see how good this movie is.

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When the trailers for this came out last year I was so excited to watch it but now we are here and are disappointed with the story. The first part of the story was good but confusing in terms of the behavior of the students towards Dew even though some of the students were gay. Also, I don't know if some things were lost in translation because I thought the training camp was to "reeducate" the gay students and "turn" them straight and not a military like Phob's dad called it. Another annoying thing was that the story and some things that happened were just too convenient and I think some parts of the story were not effectively resolved (his wife). Furthermore, Dew's death was a stupid plot addition. Were they trying to say that a car will hit someone, stop, and then continue on to kill them? Seriously?
In addition, it was quite disconcerting to see adult Phob with a 10th grader (16 years?). Lastly, was the ending just for shock value or to highlight that the "relationship" was doomed from the start or to finally rest in peace together as Phob probably wished he did.

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=== STORY===
I love the plot of the story, but only the first half, and then I got disappointed especially at the ending.

And there were questions that were not answered in the movie. Who's Lew? We know nothing about her except that she is the reincarnated Dew. Does she have a family? How old is she? Who is she? What happened at the night when Dew chased Phop? What happened after he was hit? What happened to Dew's Mom? Phop's family? How can Lew just appear like that and make the audience feel that she's Dew?

I swear I could go on but these were just the few that bothered me the most. It would be better if this was made as a series instead of cramping everything in this movie because I swear it would make so much sense when everything is explained even if it takes months to do so. It's not a wasted opportunity, but a missed one because they didn't emphasize on the intricate details, which I'm positive, makes everything so much better.

===ACTING===
I LOVE THE ACTING 10/10 especially Ohm. He's going to be very successful with his acting skills. Also with Nont. They both portrayed the characters so well that they made the audience feel everything so real. Kudos to everyone!

===MUSIC===
...I don't honestly know about this because I was too hooked up on the story. I love the sounds though when events get tensed up or something like that lol.

===REWATCH VALUE===
I would rewatch this again but maybe just once just to flashback all their moments and cry like a river again. After that, it would just ruin the effect of the movie.

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