4 Minutes That Seemed Like 8
Essentially, you must buy into the premise that our physical brain will cease to function after 4 minutes without oxygen. This of course, is a truism. But what this series then does is push forward a premise that during those 4 minutes without oxygen, people who are experiencing that trauma, relive ‘life’ in various manners within that 4-minute window period. For some, they can perceive events that will occur 4 minutes in the future. Why this series is so confusing is that it attempts to project too much story with too many people. Admittedly, I am old, and I have a difficult time following a train of thought for one individual and I am pushing it for two people. But when you have multiple people affected by the advancement of 4 minutes in the future with a number of different alternatives for each, my mind begins to jellify. Logic becomes inoperative here. Everything makes sense because nothing actually does. It depends upon the time frame you are currently in. Therefore, there is no logic. Consequently, I am lost.I am bemused by criticism of this series from people who state there are too many NC scenes. I did not see any, so I am not sure what they are talking about. For those who read this, this IS an adult series with an adult theme. There is nothing pornographic or even sexually offensive. If you find it so, then stop watching. Do not impose your standards on others for that will become a dangerous precedent There are way more obscene subject matters such as infidelity, murder, suicide, illegal gambling, bullying, abuse, and yet we are concerned about a few scenes of two guys laying in bed semi-naked? Incongruent, silly, and cretinous thinking.
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Picking up shredded paper
I never want to watch a show where I'm completely lost episode to episode again. This was just some pretty faces slapped under very overwhelmingly underwhelming 8 weeks... I'm not the brightest sunflower in the field, but I've never squinted my eyes and had a frown an entire TV Show in a while.I only enjoyed a handful of things like the visuals. Colors and scenes were on point to every second. Every scene was a desktop wallpaper.
Now, unfortunately I will have to say something quite controversial. Tonkla carried. His story might be extreme, and to be fair I don't even know if Dome is actually alive because I was under the impression we were watching three different timelines. An altered timeline, the truth, and the desire timeline. Idk maybe I'm too slow. So, does Dome die is all three or what? But Tonkla's story at least had something to look forward to until he was ghosted. Now, I get that people were upset about of course because he's a "supporting role" and he shouldn't have more screentime then the mains, but at least when he was on screen I wasn't falling asleep.
I'm really disappointed in BOC though. Following Bible from KinnPorshe I thought his next character would mean something strong like Vegas was, but instead it made me wish I never was roped into this show in the first place.
Really looking forward to something different, especially with Bible and possibly Jes (they were robbed out of a good execution of a story) but for now all my tomatoes have been thrown.
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Convoluted storytelling, romances fall flat
I don't have much confidence that the finale will save this series, because it has a lot of problems even outside of the hackneyed way it attempts to do things--there's a difference between a challenging, ambiguous narrative and being needlessly opaque/convoluted.I've got no reason to actually care about any of the main guys or their relationships, partly because of a severe lack of chemistry but mostly because the writing gives me nothing to hold onto (hello, insta love). For the most part, people don't act like people, they act like props. I'm always excited for ambitious Thai BLs trying to up the quality but they've got to find better writers to do it, these actors deserve better.
Edit after final episode: You have to automatically dock any Thai BL score on this site by 2-3 points to get something realistic, and it still holds true here. What in the heck was that. Hard to tell if Bible can't pull off less assertive characters when he's given little to nothing to work with. Skim through the first episode for the NC scene and pass on the rest.
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This review may contain spoilers
Not Really BL
I feel like the majority of what I watched was an action-packed thriller, mystery thing that just happened to take place with characters of the same-sex falling in love. Most stories are suppose to be the complete opposite, with it being majority BL, with the action-pack stuff being there for plot purposes, but the romance the overall goal and objective. I didn't get that with 4 minutes though.Let's Dive In.
So, 4 Minutes in a nutshell is basically about this rich college guy that (SPOILERS!!) in his moments of dying, gets to go back during these traumatic moments and look 4 minutes into the future to fix his mistakes. One of those mistakes happen to be with a gorgeous surgeon, who also has his own life problem's with Great's family business. Then there's also a side couple who is just as rambunctious and cutthroat with all of their own problems as well.
What I got from the majority of the plot is: they put a lot of money and effort into the characters, story, special effects, etc., but by the 6th episode, I was honestly kind of over everything. I feel like this is the type of series you have to pay attention to, and pay attention to every single little detail, down to the time on the clock, to the writing on the wall. I think I'm just not that kind a person, to get super-duper invested in a series where I'm paying that much attention to the small, what-feels-minuscule moments to then have then be flipped, twisted, and reverse. Had I not watched this with a friend, I'd be in utter shambles trying to figure out with the hell was going on. Which brings me to my point of why this doesn't feel like a BL series. Kind of like Manner of Death, kinda sorta Triage, and other series that deal with this time-warp, time-traveling shenanigans; what they all have in common is that the main goal is for them to figure out what's going on, not within their relationship, but within these weird, mystical powers they've gain the ability to have.
Moving onto the plot twist and whatnot; I think things were handle as well as they could be with such a complex plot, but there were definitely ways I wish they would've done things better. For instance, while Great and Tyme were stuck in Great's hallucinations, we were also seeing Korn and Tonkla's story, but still set in the actual reality. Which is where a lot of the plot gets weird, confusing, and obnoxiously aggravating trying to figure out what is real and what is not. I think most people find it fun to theorize and analyze, but for me, I was just wanting answers immediately, just cause that's how I am. Again, if you're not big on paying very VERY good attention, then you will be just as lost as I was. I understood enough to get me through, but I had to read a breakdown of each episode to figure out what actually happened.
Again, since this isn't really a BL, I feel like I never really got attached to any of the couples, including the main. I think they also didn't receive a good initial start-up for us to even really enjoy the time we get with them. It's literally sex and lust immediately, quite literally on their first interactions. I feel like I didn't get "We're in love" vibes from them at all, not even at the end when they are actually happy together. I think with Tonkla, it wasn't about the relationships at all, it was literally about getting revenge for his brother, no matter who he had to sleep with to get there. I think it was genuine with Korn in the beginning, which they had a really intimate, really beautiful first time NC scene that was done so well, but after that, and with the trauma Tonkla had gone through, it just all turns to shit. His relationship with the police officer was just very hot, and that was kind of it.
This series received so much hype, obviously because of the very explicit NC scenes, which man, did they go all the way, and I mean alllllll the way. I think overall it's a good story, but I think it was one of those things where people only hyped the sex and not the story, so the cast and the crew that put forth the effort of actually trying to tell a decent story gets but on the back-burner because hot-men-naked-and-having-sex-very-explicitly was happening. Kinda sad, but that's just the reality of a series like this.
Ratings:
Story: 7.5/10 - I feel like I got lost a couple times, but overall, you can tell what's happening, you can understand how things are working, and I feel like I enjoyed it enough to want to understand it all by the end. The romance didn't romance enough for me, but I still didn't hate it.
Acting: 9/10 - The best aspect about this series. All the actors did such a fantastic job, and it also didn't hurt that they were all fine as hell. I'm actually very surprised (and worried??) that Tonkla's character was played by such a young and upcoming actor, cause he probably did the best out of everyone imo. Which feels a little weird cause I feel like his scene were the most explicit ones, but... okay.
Music: 7/10 - intro music was nice, I love a little instrumental moment. Other than that, didn't pay it any mind.
Recommendation Value: 6./10 - Eh. I think if you're wanting to jump on the bandwagon and watch specifically because they have great NC scenes, than you wouldn't be alone. The plot itself is heavy, it's complex and it's raw, which a lot of people might not be in the mood for, so it's really a BL that you watch when you're in the mood, period.
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The main couple should have been Korn and Ton Kla
4 Minutes is okay but it got me so confused of what is really happening that I don’t think that the show really worked. The story is about this rich kid and a doctor that got entangled in this crazy family drama but it is also about a character named Great, rich kid, who got the ability to see 4 minutes to the future. Now, I will have to say that the premise is good and that the premise is strong. We have a good set of characters here and they are put in the story so well that I think they were able to serve their purpose. The love story of Great and Tyme felt more secondary to the story which I won’t mind but their love story is not even as interesting as the love story of the secondary couple of the show – Korn and Ton Kla. The time travel aspect of the show is where things got a bit trippy and I feel like the execution I confusing. The story on its own is pretty good already. The story is interesting because we have a strong family drama with the story of Ton Kla and Korn. Bas as Korn is just really good. The character had a good character development and we got to see him try both options that he was put in and it is actually sad to see how his character ended because we got such a good portrayal and a good contrast to what is happening to him mentally. It must have been hard for him to be in such position where he cannot do so much but had to so many things. His relationship with Ton Kla took a very tragic turn considering that they are both cheating on each other for different reasons but they died together. They are in a very sexual relationship and we got to see the naked body of Bas in this show and I will never complain. I feel like the love story of Korn and Ton Kla had so many good scenes and the story is just more interesting. There was a point in the show that I was wishing that they could have been the leads and the show will focus more on their perspective. Compared to them, the love story of Great and Tyme fails to deliver that and the time changes were just pretty much confusing that everything that happened in the first five episodes were erased in the sixth episode as they go back to the timeline. Basically, what they did is to show how things will actually happen if the four minutes thing will not occur and the way it changed the story is not even that drastic. Therefore, the entire phenomena felt very much unnecessary as the events will all still be the same. This is what is disappointing because this just says that everything that we watched so far were erased and that we just wasted our time. It is just bad storytelling and writing in the main storyline and I feel like I invested in the wrong story considering how slow things were in the first few episodes and how quick it is for the sixth episode to catch us all up to what happened. This is all a miss and I am a bit disappointed. I also would have wanted to see more of them together because the interest with their love story never really picked up. They have few good scene here and there but they have spent most of their times apart and the romantic relationship was never really or strongly established. This is where my dismay is and I feel like the concept that we got introduced to at the beginning really meant nothing to the main story line since we just got to hear it again in the last episodes in a few seconds before the end but, other than that, there is nothing there. The story is basically just 3 episodes long and that is it. It could have been so much shorter but this could still be so much better considering that Bible and Jes have good chemistry when they are together but they failed to use this in the show to its full potential. They are also very hot individuals and we got to see it. I am thankful for that. For the story, it could have been handled and executed for so much better.Was this review helpful to you?
Whatever you do, you can't change what is destined to happen!
A story of a lost soul who tries to make things right in the present after being in the future for 4 minutes.It had a grand start filled with thrills, naked white butts, and lots of anticipation of great content. Another BL with a time travel theme got me interested in watching. It was going very well; I understood what was going on and created a link in my mind. But soon after episode 4, things started going downhill. I lost track of what was going on and totally got confused with the storyline. If I were to name a drama as a show-off, then this is the shinning example of it. Wait, this is literally synonymous to BOC now!
Even though I understood what was happening at the last 4 minutes of EP 8, in general the story feels like a fever dream where you feel like you understand the situation but still can't figure out what and why that is happening. And after waking up, you completely forgot what it was all about. The storyline is so erratic that I lost interest in the middle. There were different storylines, and they wanted to give attention to every one of them, but while doing that, they lost the actual significance of the show. Maybe it's not that complicated, but sure, it is confusing. Still, I watched it because I wanted to reach the conclusion. So I can't really point out what I liked or disliked, as I feel like I'm in a daze to conclude anything.
It had a big budget, great artists, and beautiful and aesthetic cinematography, but it fell short in terms of storytelling and binding the whole thing together. Again, it is proved that BOC failed to deliver a compelling story and tried to hide it with NC scenes and handsome faces. I had high expectations, but now I'm utterly disappointed. I can't rate this show high just because of its high content value. I do enjoy the complicated storylines, but I can't lose my brain cells over 8 episodes of content. Maybe I'm too dumb for this; it's not for me.
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script and quality
BL OF THE YEAR (until now 🫶💅I think BL delivered everything and more in this first episode, we had quality and a production of another level (which was already expected), the cast of millions and the perfect performance from everyone.
I loved the effect when the Bible went backwards in time (4 minutes) and still managed to run over the woman anyway (but it was destiny).
We as blzeiros won a lot today, because this work is incredible and only increases the level of bls (as the next ones can become, if they have quality and a good production).
Looking forward to knowing what will happen in the next episodes (because this series promises to deliver everything and more), stay tuned.
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This review may contain spoilers
A visual stunning midnight BL drama with good acting and a decent plot for a midnight drama.
Virtues:-The gorgeous cinematography.
-Jespipat Tilapornputt and Asavapatr Ponpiboon's performances are really good.
-The 4 minutes concept and the near death experiences theme.
-The mix between the mistakes of the past Great wished could fix, the raw and messy reality the characters lived and the things that never happened to Tyme but wished would have happen, all of this three timelines told with the central context of being on the verge of dying.
Flaws:
-Some events happen out of the blue, with a poorly elaborated build up, so the development and the characters' relationships, actions and reactions lack credibility at certain moments of the story, special mention to episode 6.
-Some scenes, like the one when Tonkla has the camera right in front of his face to show he's succumbing to his dark side born from his traumas, the one when Great and his father "argue" about the video or the one where Tyme comfronts Great's father are badly directed and filmed, and therefore, acted.
-Sammon repeats things she'd already used in previous plots without giving these resources proper personality.
-Some sequences feel like being watching a TV spot, a beautiful advertisement or a promotional ad for the actors. Including all that in a series is perfectly fine and common, but you must know how to integrate those promotional things in the general story in a proper manner. Unfortunately, here and in Thai series in general, they just throw the promotional things to one's face, which took me out of the story more than once.
To sum up, 4 MInutes is an interesting and enternaining midnight series that is not perfectly written, but is still worth watching if you're looking for a decent BL to watch.
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the masterpeice
If german has darkif america has breaking bad
if korea has mouse
if spain has the invisible guest
then thailand has 4 minutes (the masterpeice )
this is not only the best bl but also the best series from thailand and one of the bests from asia in my opnion .
people hating on this and saying it is only s*x should better go and watch their nonsense cringy bls with the story they they may haved watched it in more than 100 shows .
the s*x scenes were the best ever seen in a bl drama ,not even westerns can make a scene like this .
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Sadly lacking real story and development.
The actors are good, I enjoyed the 2nd pairing but the main pair are not for me. The series is lacking chemistry and strong story. Especially when all they do is use NC sex for story that makes no sense. It feels like sex is all they want to focus on for lack of acting and story line and plot that does not make sense. Sadly disappointed. Feels like characters are one dimensional and typical with lack of growth. Please focus more on storyline next time instead of their NC moments. Especially since call their trailers only emphasize on the intimate moments just to try to get fans on board.Was this review helpful to you?
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Disappointed 4 Minutes
First off the acting was superb. Second there was a lot more ass on display than I care for and I am not opposed to nudity when warranted. It wasn’t but not to say it was done in poor taste. I am just not an ass person. So it just looked like it was done for shock value than needed scenery. If they showed back or abs it would be more pleasant for me. But that’s just a style choice the director. The sex scenes were definitely soft porn. It looks like they were really doing it.The chemistry was there for all 3 couple. The main couple. The second couple. The cheating half of the second couple with the officer. They really deliver on the sex and kissing. That 17 year old actor was not a frigid actor who have qualms about kissing and nudity. I know people are mad about him being young and doing it with older actors. I don’t know about y’all but 17 year old boys are full of hormones and a lot have sex at this age. Women need to stop portraying girl’s safety issue of rape and pregnancy into gay male norms. It stigmatized gay boys with straight girl social norms which is what most of the BL fandom consist of.
Anyway, I am disappointed with this series being in a loop of 3X. I don’t know if this is an alternate universe series or whatnot but I feel cheated of a good beginning middle and end series. I don’t know what I expected but this was not it. I don’t think I had any expectations other than to see a well written series. I feel like this series was a screenwriter writing the same idea of a story and the rewrote it 2 times more. This was the result. As someone who use to write stories this was something did a lot. This was very reminiscent of that writing exercise I did in creative writing class.
This is why I gave it a low rating in story but high marks for acting. In the end I was very disappointed with this series. Not the actors.
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4 Minutes
I will keep it short simply because I just couldn't get into the story. At times I was lost but did carry on watching the whole series. The acting was good. the script was OK but the MLs.. only my opinion didn't connect for me. Yes the Sex scenes were there in all there glory. Tonkla and Korns sex scene at the beginning was well acted but after that we didn't see them till much later as Korn was playing the field so that turned me right off him. Great and Tyme were the other MLs but nothing really happened between them that stood out. Series could have been a lot better. There were to many storylines to follow for me and at times was a frustrating watch.Well worth watching to make your own take on the series as to some it was great series.
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