Final Score

I saw this movie when it was released in 2007. It follows a group of students preparing for their college entrance exams. Now, in 2013, looking back I can still remember the uncertainty and fear in the students followed by the documentary. Although this movie is not entertaining storytelling, it is, in fact, a great documentary of the lives of young people showing the enormous pressure to perform in a society that values conformity and acceptance above all. I am still struck by the pressure to excel felt by these young people as compared to regular students. This is a must see film for those wishing to understand the differences in attitudes between top tier and regular Thai students.

What does it mean to be 17, carrying the weight of a nation's obsession with university entrance exams? Final Score (365 Wan Tam Tid Cheewit Dek En) captures this tension with raw sincerity, though its execution sometimes stumbles under the burden of its own ambition.

Directed by Soraya Nakasuwan, the documentary-style film follows four Thai high school students over the course of a year as they prepare for the grueling university entrance exams. The narrative structure is observational, combining interviews, everyday footage, and intimate glimpses into family life. It highlights how personal dreams collide with parental expectations, social competition, and the unforgiving system that reduces potential into a single test score.

Analytically, the film succeeds in portraying the universality of academic pressure, transcending Thai culture while still rooted in it. It gives voice to adolescents caught between youthful curiosity and societal obligation, and its cinéma vérité approach lends authenticity. The camera lingers on small details-late-night studying, emotional breakdowns, family dinners-providing a mosaic of the exam culture.

Yet, the film's strength is also its weakness. By juggling multiple storylines without a deeper focus on individual arcs, it risks diluting emotional impact. While the exam system is criticized implicitly, the film could have benefited from sharper analysis or contextual framing to broaden its relevance. At times, the pacing drags, reflecting observation rather than interpretation.

Rating: 6/10.

Summary: Final Score is an earnest and relatable look at the high-stakes pressure of Thai entrance exams. Insightful but uneven, it captures the stress of adolescence without fully transforming it into a powerful cinematic statement.