agmtw logo
search
RedLife (2023)

RedLife (2023)

Two lives collide in tragedy in this grim, though aimless, melodrama

6.5

Movie

Thailand
Thai
Drama, Thriller
2023
EKALAK KLUNSON
Banlop Lomnoi, D Gerrard, Karnpicha Pongpanit
121 min

TLDR

It’s a really interesting approach for a debut feature, but it takes too long for the two storylines to intersect.

What it's about

Desperate to start anew, two teenagers cling to their romantic hopes, wishing to escape Bangkok’s underworld.

The take

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.

What stands out

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.

Comments

Add a comment

Your name

Your comment

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

Once Upon a Star (2023)

Nonzee Nimibutr’s bittersweet love letter to the Thai film industry

8.5

Miss Shampoo (2023)

Mobster drama meets quirky romance in this unique, though uneven, Taiwanese comedy

6.7

Doi Boy (2023)

Nontawat Numbenchapol dives into feature film in this stunning, thrilling debut

7.8

Heart Attack (2015)

Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit questions the exploitation of the gig economy in this sweet romantic comedy

7.8

Whores’ Glory (2011)

Three stories from three countries about the oldest profession in the world

7.4

37 Seconds (2019)

A heartwarming coming-of-age centered on a young disabled woman determined to make a life for herself

7.6

You & Me & Me (2023)

A nostalgic Thai coming-of-age drama whose twin love triangle is actually wonderfully, tenderly written

7.9

ManSuang (2023)

A stunning, but disappointing historical espionage drama that has such a confusing story

5.4

The Remarkable Life of Ibelin (2024)

A gamer with disability crafts a life and community in online roleplay in this unconventional, moving documentary

8.3

The Real Charlie Chaplin (2021)

This documentary expertly (and entertainingly) draws the complicated man behind the beloved caricature

7.8

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2024 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.