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Lynn (Callina Liang) is a brilliant student with no family money. His widowed father Meng (Benedict Wong) works tirelessly in his laundromat business. She gets a scholarship to a prestigious Seattle high school. She is befriended by rich girl Grace (Taylor Hickson) who slowly pulls her into the rich kids' world. They recruit her into passing answers to them. Bank (Jabari Banks) is the other smart scholarship kid in their class.

Apparently, this is adapted from a Thai film which I haven't seen. All I know is this movie needs a change in Lynn. I get the idea of a poor innocent Chinese girl being lured into doing bad by a bunch of rich white kids. It would be more fun if she starts the movie doing some scheme to make money. I would even accept a narration where she reads the people around her. She needs to be emotionally smart like she is later in the movie. The first thirty minutes are very standard and rather boring. It's downright uninspired. It takes a long time to get into something interesting. At times, I thought that Banks should be the lead character, but it really should be Lynn... with a change.

Remake from thai version.. even This version can't compare with original but Story look interesting.. not boring, not bad.. like i can see how to cheat exam in America version.. not much American movie doing kind of this movie much.. so it's like fresh thing to see... and movie show real life American people that people in the world always see American people rich or have money nice job blah blah but this movie show poor life, ruch life so goodd and that funny that they took thai name in to us movie.. so weird hahahahah but it's a little detail.. Actress who play lin played this movie so so gooddd.. i want to see her in next movie againn.

A high school thriller that follows Lynn (Callina Liang), a standout high school student, who devises a systematic plan of cheating on exams to bring justice to a rigged system.

Directed by J. C. Lee and co-written by Julius Onah, Bad Genius is a remake of the 2017 Thai film of the same name. A movie that takes the heist framework into the school setting. The original movie was inspired by real events involving a S. A. T. Cheating scandal. A film interested in social commentary about wealth inequality and how success is easier for some few while for most people it is a difficult and long path. Something succinctly put by its protagonist when she was talking about the S. A. T.: "It's a scam, engineered by people with money and sold to other people with money to protect their status." Mei Ling creates a system to outsmart the rigged game, as they think of it, and help not only her schoolmates but also herself and her struggling father.

Bad Genius is engaging from the start, never loses its momentum and it is full of scenes where tension is present keeping you at the edge of your seat. A movie about a reality that easily interpellates most people. A reality that uncovers a truth sometimes best left unsaid, not because it is unknown, but because sometimes forgetting is easier, that people are just a means to an end and relationships are nothing but transactions. Everything is a transaction and everything has a price, even if they hide the price tag.

A wonderful, standalone based-on remake, with so thrilling and intense situations that you could compare it to an academic entrance exam heist. Superb acting by Lynn that drives the whole movie forward. She needed a "friend and partner" as charismatic as she in the name of Banks.

The movie flew well up until their "escape" and after the ending that felt unsatisfying but universally just, we need a more intense sequel with at least three "Callina Liang". She already is a trademark.

• Screenplay/storyline/plots: 7
• Production value/impact: 7
• Development: 7.5
• Realism: 7
• Entertainment: 8
• Acting: 8
• Filming/photography/cinematography: 8
• VFX: 8
• Music/score/sound: 7
• Depth: 6.5
• Logic: 4.5
• Flow: 8
• Thriller/drama: 7
• Ending: 6.

Bad Genius (2024) is a remake of a Thai film by the same name from 2017. It uses the original 2017 as a recipe - down to the dialog, sets, atmosphere, character ambitions, even character placement on-set. It follows this recipe exactly, only straying a bit towards the end and changing a few minor elements of the original's plot. Somehow in doing so it becomes a bland, lazy, and forced experience. To understand why, we need to talk a bit about the original 2017 movie and what made it so special.

Bad Genius (2017) is a movie that I loved so much I watched it more times than I'd like to admit; so yes, I'm biased. It has its flaws - it's sometimes a bit cheesy with the sound effects and direction choices - but it lands as a successful and engaging heist movie. It was a massive hit in its home country Thailand and across south east Asia. However it was what this movie accomplished otherwise that made me so drawn to it.

The original 2017 film took on the difficult tasks of writing smart characters and putting them in an atmosphere of test-taking, that would otherwise be boring on film, while making it somehow incredibly suspenseful. It took four fantastically cast leads that had few to no previous acting experiences and made them stars. Its production was through the roof, incorporating some great effects from its soundtrack to the on-screen display of text overlay used to convey its message. Lynn was *smart*. She came across as truly smart young woman with exceptional talents that had a loving father she cared for; testaments to the original writers. Her relationships felt natural, and the supporting cast made sure of this in their acting and chemistry. Her methods and schemes were displayed via film in a satisfying and enjoyable manner. Her relationship with her father was emotional and well acted on both ends. The story had pace and purpose, but most importantly it had SUSPENSE. And it did all this filmed and produced in a country that is probably not considered a powerhouse of cinema.

Bad Genius (2024) has little to none of what it's attempting to carbon copy. The remake somehow manages to take all the right ingredients - lighting, suspenseful music, same plot points, same characters - and turn it into a sloppy rendition of what feels like a poor dub of the original. It has no grand moments. It has no charm. It has almost zero emotion. Lynn (2024) *acts* smart, but we do not feel like the character is truly a genius. The classroom scenes *feel* like they're trying to convey suspense, but just come across as mostly silly. The supporting cast is lacking. It is not in the least bit suspenseful. All we are left with that translated well is a good father figure, thanks to the great Benedict Wong, and good acting from Callina Liang who attempts to give the poor rendition any life.

There is no reason to watch this. Watch the original if you haven't (or if you just want to watch it again) and thank me later.

Bad Genius is a remake of the Thai film of the same name from 2017. This remake was directed and partly written by J. C. Lee. With this remake he makes his directorial debut.

The brilliant, scholar Lynn Kang (Callina Liang) would like to continue studying at a university, but unfortunately she and her father Meng Kang (Benedict Wong) do not have the money for this. In order to get money, Lynn decides to abuse her intelligence and help other students by letting them copy the correct answers for school tests. In return, Lynn is paid by them. With this money she hopes to be able to go to university, but when she is caught for her false actions, she risks her chances of still being admitted.

This more western remake seems to modernize the film a bit, not doing much special than just copying the original version. This remake also seems to have been put together a bit too quickly, so that you do not really get to know most of the characters, so that you do not really care about them. This can make it feel a bit long-winded at times.

Due to the rushed, copied aspects, most of the cast also don't really manage to do anything special with their roles. Benedict Wong comes out best as a caring father, who tries to be there for his daughter despite his financial problems. Unfortunately, he doesn't have such a big role in the film.

I recently had the opportunity to watch "Bad Genius", a movie that tries to tackle complex themes like genius, identity, and social pressure. Unfortunately, the film falls flat due to a convoluted and misguided concept.

A Confusing and Unengaging Plot

The movie follows a high school student, Lynn, who uses her genius-level intellect to cheat on exams and become a top student. However, as she rises to the top, she realizes that her actions are not aligned with her true self. The film tries to convey a message about the importance of staying true to oneself and rejecting social pressure, but it ends up feeling like a jumbled mess.

The plot is riddled with inconsistencies and plot holes, making it difficult to become invested in the characters or their struggles. The pacing is also uneven, with long stretches of boring exposition that fail to add any real depth to the story.

A Misguided Exploration of Genius and Identity

The movie's attempt to explore the concept of genius is particularly misguided. Lynn's genius is portrayed as a means to an end, rather than an inherent part of her personality or identity. This reduces her intelligence to a mere tool for achieving social status, rather than a genuine aspect of her character.

Furthermore, the film's portrayal of social pressure is overly simplistic and lacks nuance. The movie suggests that social pressure is the primary motivator for Lynn's actions, but it fails to explore the complexities of social expectations and the ways in which they can be both oppressive and liberating.

A Weak and Unengaging Cast

The cast of "Bad Genius" is equally disappointing. The lead actress, Chutimon, fails to bring any real depth or nuance to her character, making it difficult to become invested in her struggles. The supporting cast is equally one-dimensional, with characters that feel more like caricatures than fully fleshed-out people.

A Recommendation to Avoid

Overall, I would not recommend "Bad Genius" to anyone looking for a thoughtful and engaging movie experience. The film's convoluted plot, misguided exploration of genius and identity, and weak cast make it a chore to watch.

If you're looking for a movie that explores the complexities of social pressure and identity, I would suggest looking elsewhere. There are many better films that tackle these themes in a more nuanced and thought-provoking way.

Bad Genius blew me away with its unique take on the heist genre. Instead of your typical bank or casino robbery, this film turns the world of academic exams into a high-stakes game, and the results are nothing short of brilliant. The tension is palpable from start to finish, and every scene feels meticulously crafted to keep you on the edge of your seat. I have not seen the Thai movie that it was apparently adapted from but I so enjoy this one that I think I just might try to find it and watch it was well. I always like to compare how the same story is told differently from a different filmmakers point of view.

My review should be at the top! As a Chinese American 1st gen. I related a lot. Stern father who made me so hw as soon as I am home. So it is very relatable to Chinese 1st gen girls.

Excellent movie!!

It was good !! I liked it a lot! I am a 1st Gen Chinese American girl in NY & my immigrant Chinese father def drilled college into my life.

So I related to the relationship between her & her father, it reminded me of my father and I.

I thought it was an original story line but I found out it was a remake. For the American version, it woulda been more up to date if it was like a test required to like live or a test to get into this like elite only one like this type of college. (Even magic lol). If the SATs were still important...but I guess even if it's not that big of a deal to colleges, I'm sure it's a big deal to some old school parents / care about ur education parents.

But what am I saying! I enjoyed this movie, I think the plot is original (even if this pertains to the original) - I loved the actors (esp Benedict Wong <3 ) & the actress is a stand out .. looks like a promising young addition to the "Asian Actresses" in the Hollywood community. Love that she speaks Canto.. can see her in future romcom movies & graduating to action films.

The other teen actors/actresses fit your stereotypical hs ppl, actors can be interchangeable , Where unless this replace the whole race of the character is harder to change / stand out?

We need more Asian centric movies!!

My name is Percy, I have watched this movie from Africa - East Africa - Uganda the Pearl of Africa.

LINN has difference with Professor Money Heist, Scofield Prison Break and the other Genius entirely. I really appreciate the whole team that saat and piled this movie to give us the harvests of it,what I can say is that, The group had hopes, confidence and emotional strength in what they were doing. The movie is very good and I treasure it thousand times to see that students of my age can do such interesting thing.

LINN and the group, you can still make more than this, I really admire you.

Cheers.