The Murderer

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.

The movie was alright to start with. The only thing that slightly ruined it was the english dub which was very strange, as even earl was dubed too. But getting back to the movie. Earl is accused of murdering the in laws and the only witness is his wife and mai his niece. Thre detective in charge is a little odd but I liked his characters and all the characters had a certain quirkness that brought this from being just another murder mystery to elements of almost comedy and it worked. It made the movie overall enjoyable it had a good cast and the characters were written well enough so you could understand. Overall pretty good.

This weird comedy begins in a way that may make you wonder if it will be worth your time. If you like bizarre, dark humor and some farce in your comedy, then the payoff will be coming your way.

A rural Thai family resents the hell out of a couple of Caucasian guys - an American and a Brit - who married two of their women. One night a massacre occurred around the parents' farmhouse and the Brit quickly becomes the main suspect. The local police chief has already made up his mind about the guilt of this outsider. The early part of the movie is his grilling the survivors, pushing hard to confirm his conclusion. Most of that unfolds as a semi-zany version of Rashomon.

The last 20-30 minutes are golden in unraveling the absurd chain of events that ended with such a liberal scattering of corpses in an unlikely setting. Very cleverly written and staged in building to its highly entertaining conclusion.

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.

Come on people, don't be too harsh on this movie! It is a funny cool crazy movie. Not an arthouse masterpiece! It is perfect to distract and relax on an evening with popcorn and a beer or whatever you would like to drink. I am sure that anyone who has been on holiday or worked in Thailand is going to enjoy this movie a lot. You are going to understand many of the jokes about farangs. If you never set foot there maybe you will find it less funny. It is part crime, part comedy. The plot is kinda cool, with a final surprise. I am not going to reveal anything. There are couple of weaker moments - fillers, especially the final reunion husband and wife. But still I enjoyed it and you should give it a go too :)