13: Game of Death

Chit is a desperate guy : he has debts, his car has been seized, he lost his job and his love life is no better... He then receives a call to participate to a game show, with enough money involved to solve all his problems. 13 tasks, more money every time. How far will he go for 100 million bahts?

The main actors are good, the humor (at the beginning) is nice, with a bit of gore it makes a really nice mix. And asks some question about the evolution of the Thai society, which are also valid everywhere. Probably the best Thai movie I've watched so far, and just a very good movie.

Movies about money versus morality are my favorite. Giving the characters options that decide their own or other's fate and potential demise is what I enjoy most in film. With that being said, this is the first ever Thai movie I have watched in full, I did not know it was a Thai movie going in and saw the American remake first. If you don't mind subtitles, this film is a comedic psychological thriller in which the storyline will have you not only glued to your seat but also questioning if things like this happen in real life especially in Hollywood (I'm sure you have heard of the Illuminati). The main character is given 13 challenges to complete and if successful, will receive enough money to have made it all worth it. However, what starts off as an easy task eventually leads to what could potentially be the hardest task he has ever faced in his life. Is it worth sacrificing all morality to attain this life-altering money or will he have a change of heart? The acting cannot be judged as it is not only terrible but so bad it makes the film seem purposefully funny (especially with the low budget special effects) but the focal point of the film is the plot. You will be guessing what comes next but never be right and the ending will have your surprised as well. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and hope you will as well.

A surprisingly decent little Thai thriller that comes across as a mix of FALLING DOWN and DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE, 13: GAME OF DEATH is unique in that it offers something from a country that we haven't seen before. Most Thai movies I watch are typically poor vengeful ghost style movies that lack a single iota of originality, but this film has a lot more going for it. It's pretty well made too, with director Chookiat Sakveerakul eliciting plenty of suspense from his premise and a fair amount of good twists as the narrative progresses.

This isn't a perfect film by any stretch of the imagination. The script is fast-paced and witty, yes, and the liberal sprinklings of blackly comic humour definitely add to the experience to make it more palatable. You may be inclined to think there's at least one too many twists come the unsatisfactory end, though. In addition, and this comes as no surprise, the characters are underwritten; the writer allows Krissada Sukosol's protagonist to develop through the nature of his experiences, but it's not enough to elicit any sympathy in the viewer in the same way as, say, Michael Douglas's character did in FALLING DOWN.

Still, there's plenty of intensity here, and the anything-goes premise means that we're in for plenty of incident even if some of it is lacking. The 'well' set-piece, clearly derived from RING, is a real stand-out, while the restaurant scene will be sure to test the stomachs of even the toughest viewer, coming across as an extreme and timely version of a certain reality TV gameshow, I'M A CELEBRITY...GET ME OUT OF HERE! There's also at least one ultra-gory CGI effect that had me genuinely shocked with its realism and effectiveness. No, 13: GAME OF DEATH isn't perfect…but it is a great deal of fun, and one of the freshest and most inventive Thai movies I've seen in a while.

A surprisingly excellent production from Thailand. This movie tells the story of a loser/loner who just got fired, had his car repossessed, is in credit card debt, and has an overbearing mother who needs money and suddenly gets a call inviting him to play in a game that could make him rich. The game consists of 13 challenges, the completion of each entails a money transfer into his bank. If he completes the final challenge he would get a very large sum of money. But he has to complete all challenges and not try to find out who is behind the game.

The challenges range from mild to disgusting to violent. While initially the movie doesn't seem to fit into the "Dimensions Extreme" line because for a good while it lacks gore, nudity, violence that are required for a good horror movie, this one is a little more psychological and a lot more story-based. Also at some point you start wondering what the point of all this is and then the movies gives a hint, a glimpse into out character's childhood that will be important for the end of the movie. Speaking of the end, it has a couple of surprise twists and explanations. The man's childhood and family will be key and are related to the final challenge. In addition there is some sort of revealing of who's behind all this that isn't entirely satisfying, but the point here is to get the audience to imagine...what if...and what our price would be, if it is true that we all have a price and also how far we would go for money.

The movie succeeds in creating a very likable character that you root for. There's an obligatory female who falls for him and tries to help him, rescue him. And you will also dislike the cruel villains in the shadows. The movie, however, is not a noir film despite the hopelessness of the situations. In fact, there's a good dose of humor here and there in terms of how other characters react to what is going on and how our friend deals with the crazy things he's asked to do. This movie looks very good. Unlike American movies that rely too much on artificial colored lighting and effects like grainy looks or discolored film or disco-type lights, this one looks bright, crisp, and naturally lit. It also sounds good and has good subtitles. Recommended as a different type of horror/ psychological thriller that is effective and funny and makes you think.

Putting the quote 'From the makers of Ong Bak and Chocolate' on the front cover has no doubt led many fight fans to believe that this is another action-packed film from Thailand, but unfortunately, that is not the case. Instead we are given one of the best Thai films in recent years - a twisted thriller, filled with dark comedy and violence galore that takes the Baa-Ram-Ewe Studio to another level!

I really like 13: Game of Death. Its been a while since I first watched it, and actually forgot how well made, directed and entertaining it all is. Like a ramped up version of Michael Douglas' fantastic film, Falling Down, this Thai flick starts off on a light jog then doesn't take long before breaking into a full sprint - shocking and surprising its audience along the way as poor Chit accepts challenge after challenge, with each one getting worse along the way.

Each role is pretty well acted, but main star Krissada Sukosol owns it. He plays Chit perfectly, full of emotion and keeps you glued to the screen every second he's on it - seeming like he is channelling the energy of a young Another Wong from the golden years of Hong Kong cinema! While only having appeared in a handful of films as I write (this being his third), I'd like to see Krissada go a long way and make a bigger name for himself.

A lot of the time, Thai comedy doesn't translate too well to the Western audience, but with this, most of it actually works and comes across quite funny. I don't want to give too much away about it as the shock value and twists will be spoilt if you haven't already seen it, so go find yourself a copy of 13: Game of Death and enjoy one of Thai cinema's better offerings before someone ruins it for you...

Overall: Fast paced, shocking and funny, 13: GOD is one of the best films to come out of Thailand to date!