2023 Movie
Dir. Ekalak Klunson · Thailand · Thai
Two lives collide in tragedy in this grim, though aimless, melodrama
There’s a sense of disconnectedness in RedLife, as the film isn’t centered on one storyline, but rather two storylines that at first don’t seem connected. Ter, a young snatcher, marries a sex worker named Mild, while Som is a student who aspires to escape her prostitute mom’s poverty, especially after she falls for the more affluent Peach. At first, the film depicts their lives in stunningly framed, slice-of-life moments that captures a different side of Bangkok, one that’s tough to depict, but one people know about. But they do intersect, later on in the movie, in a series of events that leads them trapped in tragedy, despite all they did to escape it. The unexpected twist makes their lives surprisingly poignant, though RedLife’s journey might take too long to get there.
Som, daughter of a sex worker, believes that love will lead her towards a better life. Ter, a young criminal, robs just to buy love that doesn't exist. Redlife explores a world that is broken, ignored, and which offers no escape.
Desperate to start anew, two teenagers cling to their romantic hopes, wishing to escape Bangkok’s underworld.
While the plot can be cryptic and not so coherent, RedLife has pretty decent cinematography, with naturalistic, realistic scenes that are excellently framed and well lit, even in the darkness of Bangkok’s streets.
It’s a really interesting approach for a debut feature, but it takes too long for the two storylines to intersect.
Isabella Endrinal is a curator at A Good Movie to Watch. She's now free from the corporate night shift. Previous articles have been published in outlets such as NANG Magazine. She's currently catching up on some classic films… if she isn't coping with the fact that the Haikyu anime will end soon.
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