The Murderer

I was surprised by this one. I thought this would be another "meh" foreign Netflix police procedural. But it turned out more black comedy than crime drama. And heavy on the comedy. I kept thinking this would be what the Cohen brothers would produce if they had their careers in Thailand. Very funny with quirky characters I found strangely appealing.

The story centers on Earl, a British man who is accused of murdering his Thai in-laws who live on a farm in rural Isan province, a rice farming region in northeast Thailand. As a farang (a white European) he is suspect right off the bat as he is somewhat exotic for this rural area, an outsider who the local detective -- who is a bit of comic relief -- seems to imbue with all sorts bad qualities. Otherwise bland, kind Earl is seen as a possibly violent, ferocious being prone to murderous rage. The detective could be a comic book like Southern sheriff with a hate for "outsiders" if this were an American comedy.

His wife, Sai, and her niece, an adorable, precocious little girl of maybe seven or eight, seem to be the only witness who can clear his name. But the story is in pieces. We see the murders from several different points of view, none of them especially reliable.

The best aspect of the movie are the characters and the actors who play them. (Sorry: but IMDB does not have a complete list of characters). There is the wife, Sai, who fled the courtly for Bangkok and a job as a travel agent. Her brother, Phett, a goofy layabout who likes to drink with his best friend who is also Sai's ex-husband. There is mom, a practical, stern, opinionated country woman. Dad, a diligent, hard working rice farmer. Sai's sister, a snippy, unlikable former prostitute who has returned home with some money -- and nouveau riche behavior -- and her farang husband, a very obese, not very intelligent guy from New Jersey who drives a jacked up yellow Toyota pickup truck. Finally, a crazy aunt in the attic.

Despite their "issues" they are all likable. The best scene is at the dinner table where most of the characters are together. Great banter. Especially funny: Phett and Sai's ex can not pronounce Earl's name. It comes out like Errrr. Phett: "What kind of name is Errr?"

The stew has large insects (grasshoppers?) as a protein so more laughs as Errr tries to hide his disgust for local cuisine and mom-in-law's cooking. This is also where hallucinogenic mushrooms are introduced which factor into the eventual mayhem and the unreliability of some of the players in the murders.

It's all great fun. I may actually watch it agin. If you love dark comedy and the Cohen brothers this is for you.

Other people on here say it's a dark comedy but it didn't amuse me in the slightest let alone make me laugh. I love dark comedy but this was just not in that category at all, it's just awful.

The acting is like something you'd see on a children's TV show, in fact it's far worse than anything I've seen on CBBC. I think the English dub adds to its poor quality but the over acting is atrocious, it's proper am-dram.

Once it was started I really wanted to make it to the end because other reviews on here say it's worth it. I ended up watching it on 1.5 speed but even at that it was hard to keep focus.

Maybe it's funny in Thai or there's some cultural sense of humour there that doesn't come across in English. It just seemed pretty racist to me, with everyone hating the white guy. Maybe it was ironic, I'm not sure.

Anyway, I'd give it a miss if I were you.

RATED 8/10 Language: Thai Source: Netflix RECOMMENDED

Based on the trailer, we can tell that the movie is a satirical take on murder night, presented in an entertaining manner. The only drawback is that it feels a bit lengthy and loses its pace in the middle.

The screenplay deserves the highest praise as it keeps the events engaging, adding layers of fun and detail from start to finish. All the actors perform admirably.

The climax provides a convincing justification for all the murders, and the final twist adds an enjoyable element. Despite being full of blood, the film wisely avoids excessive gore.

In conclusion, this is a must-watch movie.

So loved this character-driven story about the most dysfunctional family I have ever seen. The interrogator, apparently one of the biggest comedians in Thailand, is quite a powerful and hilarious presence who carries this movie with his good intentions toward solving the mass murder. I do not wish to spoil this wondrous tale by saying much more. The acting is stellar and each character is beautifully drawn. Earl is such a delight. I am now watching this again so that I can see it all in a new light. You will too. Here is the alphabet so that I may complete the minimum number of letters required to complete the review. Abcd etc.

This is a very unusual movie-or is it? I am not certain about whether this is within the realm of movies coming out of Thailand but it is a very unusual and engaging movie. Part murder mystery, part quirky family comedy, and part social commentary this movie keeps you thinking throughout. The sets and cast and cinematography all tell of a low budget movie, but it is more story and character driven and that is what is makes this a good time. The characters and the dynamics are all very animated and they are fun to watch. This one starts out at the time of the story arc and works its way back, which makes it a good moving way to spend your time. I recommend this one a lot.