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Breathtaking masterpiece
The Paradise of Thorns" is a breathtaking masterpiece that masterfully intertwines beauty and sorrow, leaving the audience captivated from start to finish. The film's visual splendor is matched only by its deeply resonant storytelling, delivering a narrative that is both poignant and thought-provoking.What truly sets The Paradise of Thorns apart is its ability to balance moments of heart-wrenching intensity with scenes of quiet, poetic reflection. The cinematography is a work of art, with every frame meticulously composed, and the hauntingly beautiful score elevates the emotional weight of the story.
This film is a rare gem that lingers in the mind long after the credits roll. The Paradise of Thorns is not just a movie; it’s an experience—one that challenges, inspires, and ultimately reaffirms the power of cinema to touch our souls.
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Raw Despair in Hell on Earth
I would love to write an essay on this movie, but I’ll try to restrain myself. I don't know much about the severity of the poverty depicted in the film, so it would be hypocritical to overly judge or overly analyze the characters.This movie touches on all aspects of social issues, and I never thought I would lose my mind over it or share the same rage (among all the other emotions, and I mean all emotions) that is so often felt by the audience. The mixture of primal urges to survive, seek pleasure, and inflict pain and misery just to rise above one’s own struggles made this movie difficult to watch. At the same time, it is a brilliant and over-the-top film. As someone said, "They overdid it" — and they did, but it’s impressive.
Jeff Satur is probably an even better actor than I originally thought. Have in mind that I truly idolize him—putting him on a pedestal, in a way. I could also sense how this role was initially meant for PP Krit. The entire cast did a great job, and I don’t think I’ll soon forget the pain and raw despair portrayed by both the male and female leads.
Please consider watching this movie, but be warned: it is not an easy watch, though it is well worth it.
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This review may contain spoilers
A Masterpiece of Chaos, Longing, and Emotional Depth
The Paradise of Thorns is an intense emotional journey that explores themes of love, loss, and revenge. Thongkham, played by Jeff, is a chaotic and despairing character who loses his love for Sek and must care for the orchard, his mother, and his non-blood sibling Mo. Mo, played by Engfa, is a tragic villain with a tragic plot and self-pity. Both characters are obstinate and egotistical, but they both have a goal of revenge. The film is stunning, covering family issues, LGBT+ community representation, emotions, and traditional ceremony depiction. The atmosphere of the film is superb, making it a must-watch for those seeking emotional and heart-wrenching experiences.Was this review helpful to you?
IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE EVERYTHING IS GONE
What would you do if you suddenly lost your partner to a sudden accident, and with them, everything you had worked for vanished in the blink of an eye? Would you fight to reclaim it, or would you walk away?This movie truly captures the lengths people will go to in order to regain what they’ve lost and the sacrifices they make for a better life.
I loved everything about this film, the cinematography, the performances, the storyline, and the ending.
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This review may contain spoilers
amazing movie
"The Paradise of Thorns" is an exceptional Thai film. I don't know if it actually reflects only the Thai world or if it is simply a universal film about survival in poverty, about hope for a decent life, hopelessness, frustration, a lot of frustration... I think this can be found anywhere in the world. It seems to me a film about feelings, experiences, not about same-sex love, it could be any couple, it could be man with man, woman with women or man with woman, this film seems to be more of the inner life of some characters more than the fact that the main couple is gay.What I liked the most is the relationship of growing hatred and frustration between MO and Thongkam. The actors played absolutely superbly ... brilliantly ... I really felt all the hatred between them.
Then I also liked it, although it is ugly and painful for the characters, but I liked that "Sek" took a wife to take care of his mother and a husband to work and make money for him .... so the screenwriter is absolutely brilliant ... I really liked this duality and use, even though he died in a stupid accident, but ... in the end poverty pushes you to do bad things, and the thing in the end that Sek loved Thongkam didn't convince me 'cause he used his money for the land ... for his land ... so ... he used him ...... I really don't think SEK loved anyone but himself. But the ideea of the movie is great.
What I regret is that the relationship between Jingna and Thongkam was not developed. Somehow the whole relationship was in a hurry, and even if Jingna had some feelings of love for Thongkam, he was still on MO's side when Thongkam was at the temple, and flooded the durian plantation.
Somehow the film talks about duality, everything seemed to me to be about duality ... I love you, but I have to do what my family tells me because I have moral obligations to them ... actually you don't even know what the real feelings are, because everything is an abstinence and a frustration.
The landscapes were beautiful and the music actually completed this carousel of feelings.
Unfortunately the ending was quite bad, it left me with a taste of .... why so? ... the way Jingna died is quite stupid, MO's new husband doesn't even make sense to talk about him. It would have seemed fair to me for MO to stay with the land, ok, and for Thongkam to leave as he did, to start his life from the beginning, but with Jingna ... it would have been a fair balance ... at least he would have something left ... 'cause otherwise in the actual ending Thongkam loved SEK, who actually used him, he gave his money to buy SEK's land and in the end he loses the durian plantation and the new lover dies, he leaves beaten ... we don't even talk about frustration anymore, we're heading for depression. I mean why is Thongkam such a loser in life ... why life hates Thongkam? he lost 2 lovers (they both died in a stupid way), he lost all his money, he lost the right to the land, he lost evrything ... but why?
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The brilliance of this film lies in how its characters lead us to reflect on different facets of love and loss. It transcends its initial premise around LGBTQ rights, pushing us to think about what truly matters in life. It’s intense, with a heavy storyline, yet at the same time, it’s captivating and moving, leaving you with a persistent feeling of unease.
The performances are nothing short of incredible. The actors embodied their characters with such precision that I genuinely felt their emotions as my own. I have to say I consider Jeff Satur the most complete artist of today. He sings, he dances and he acts. And does it all with remarkable perfection. His portrayal of Thongkam was outstanding, perfectly capturing the vulnerability of his character.
Engfa delivered an acting masterclass, and I honestly can’t imagine anyone else playing Mo as brilliantly as she did.
The final scene was executed with such skill that I needed a moment to compose myself afterward. The cinematography is stunning, and the soundtrack is absolutely beautiful. After watching the movie, Jeff Satur’s song “Rain Wedding” took on an entirely new meaning for me.
This is undoubtedly one of the best films I’ve seen in years. Thai cinema continues to win me over with its masterful storytelling.
The Paradise of Thorns is a film that will stay with me for a long time. I highly recommend it!
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Bring tissues
I knew this film would not be sunshine and rainbows from the synopsis/trailer, but my god. This is a devastating look into the tragedy that LGBT+ people face when their union is not recognized by the state (Yay for Thailand for legalizing same sex marriage!) Jeff Satur is fantastic and you feel Thongkam’s pain as he sees everything that he and his partner built together ripped away from him by his partner’s family who can hardly bother to hide their contempt for him. A devastating but important watch. 9.5 ⭐️Was this review helpful to you?
I can't find the right words...
(only minor spoilers) This film was phenomenal, really. It was engaging and emotional. It was sad. It started sad, it ended sad. Jeff Satur is such an amazing actor and he really sold his character to me. Keng was a ray of sunshine and I loved him. The visuals were very good and the OST was beautiful. Jeff Sutur's Rain Wedding is beautiful. That said, I probably won't watch this movie again. It was very sad and aggravating at some points. In the end, there was no winner in the feud. The end of the film shocked me into silence for a good while. I still haven't quite processed what happened. 10/10 but I don't recommend to people who are extremely sensitive.Was this review helpful to you?
A Heartfelt Masterpiece
As someone who enjoys stories that blend genuine emotion with cultural depth, this movie hit all the right notes. It’s more than just a film about love—it's a tale of resilience and the quiet battles people face in their pursuit of happiness - even though at the end, the "happiness" is indeed a question.The story is deeply rooted in the cultural backdrop of a durian farm, which adds a unique charm. It’s not just a love story—it’s an exploration of identity, societal expectations, and the courage to live authentically. The visuals are stunning, with lush farm landscapes that contrast beautifully with the characters' tumultuous inner worlds.
Jeff Satur as Thongkham is the soul of this movie. His portrayal felt so real that it was easy to forget I was watching an actor. The way he captured Thongkham's inner struggles—his vulnerability, strength, and determination—was breathtaking. Jeff’s expressions and body language spoke volumes, even in moments of silence. It’s clear that he poured his heart into this role, and the result is nothing short of mesmerizing.
The soundtrack sung by Jeff Satur himself is another star of this movie. It’s beautifully intertwined with the narrative, amplifying the emotions of each scene. Jeff Satur, being a talented musician and songwriter, brings an undeniable magic to the musical elements. The hauntingly beautiful tracks stayed with me long after the credits rolled, becoming a part of the emotional journey the film takes you on.
This movie invites you to reflect on love, acceptance, and the price of staying true to oneself.
This isn’t just a movie—it’s an experience, one that lingers in your heart and mind long after it ends.
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This review may contain spoilers
must watch if you want to cry your heart out
absolute peak cinema. the acting, the colour grading, the cinematography, the script, they did not miss ANYTHING.i love angst and this is literally what i reach for whenever im sad and need an outlet. i can't cry easily just from my feelings but this just opens the floodgates every time.
jeff and engfa literally KILLED IT in this movie. while this movie can't be called comforting AT ALL, it's become my comfort.
really shows the struggle that queer people went through JUST TO GET BASIC RIGHTS and still a majority of them in most of the countries don't have the same rights as the others. this world is such a unfair place, there's so much to hate in this world and people decided to choose to despise love, just because it doesn't look like THEIR definition of love.
i hope other countries become open to queer people and let them live and love however they want. while thailand has made queer marriage legal, most countries (including mine) are literally destroying what little rights queer people have, and it's so messed up.
this movie is a GREAT GREAT take on this inequality and it's definitely worth giving a watch even if it's not someone's usual style. kudos to the director, the actor and everyone else involved in the making of this film, i hope it gets more recognition in the further days.
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A film that stays with you
The Paradise of Thorns is not just a simple Thai movie, it reflects society and dives deep into the layered emotions of each character. Mo, especially, made me feel love, hate, and pity for her all at once. A powerful film that lingers, making you carry its emotions long after watching. Really a great movie!Was this review helpful to you?
Everyone should watch it once!
This is such a good movie. I believe that everyone should watch it once and once only because why are making yourself go through all that again. If you're a rewatcher, you're just inflicting pain on yourself.I love how you can see the issues same-sex couples have legally (as this was made before the law passed) and that hit me like a truck. Especially the hospital scene. The grandma felt a little annoying.
Thongkam deserved so much better. I was rooting for him throughout the movie except for one scene at the end which disturbed me a lot. I felt bad for Jigna. I felt like he got dragged into something he didn't need to be dragged into and then had a short span of happy moments.
The mosquito net scene was just <3
I loved Thongkam's piercings and the aesthetic even when he shaved his head. Jeff and Keng looked so freaking good together.
Overall, I'd love to rate it exactly 9.9 because that 0.1 is for that ending but I don't really have that option here so I have settled for a 10 instead.
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