In South East Asia, where TikTokers ‘ sad actions are going viral, a Thai movie about a younger person caring for his dying mother has resonated with viewers.
Since its release in April, How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies has topped field office sales all over the area.
The movie follows M, a college student who is plotting to inherit a sizable inheritance from his cancer-stricken mother, but as he gets closer to her, he begins to question his intentions.
Viewers have been posting heartfelt video of themselves both before and after the movie, which seems to have had a strong impact on the account.
” Running through to hug my mama right now!” Extremely touching film… I was moved even more by the video because it made me think about my own marriage with my grandmother,” wrote a TikTok user named ianjeevan.
Young people have written online about how the grandmother’s painful scenes and repeated appeals to her late relatives have “take me ] with them” and how they particularly moved them.
“I cried so much that all of my make up was gone after the movie,” one TikToker said, referring to those scenes.
Another, diariesofswan, said:” After the film, scream. Just cry, when you miss someone, whom you ca n’t even hug or hear their voice anymore”.
The film was inspired by screenwriter Thodsapon Thiptinnakorn’s connection with his mother. And it is chairman Pat Boonnitipat’s second film. He told the BBC he was “really surprised” by the enormous response, and that the show’s charm lay in its ability to plug into the” confused” nature of family ties.
Part- black comedy and part- rip- jerker, the story revolves around a destructive family that uses the rich matriarch’s cancer diagnosis to scheme for her inheritance.
M, played by 24- year- ancient singer- professional Putthipong Assaratanakul, is one of them. He moves in with his ailing mother, apparently to support treatment for her.
Well informed of her mother’s intentions, the queen – M’s mother, played by Usha Seamkhum – however loves and accepts her kids.
Ms Seamkhum, 78, has recieved rave reviews for her acting debut. Film critic James Marsh called her “absolutely sensational” as the “figurehead of this morally questionable rabble”.
Different than her, the figures are far from charming- Mr Marsh described them as “loathsome” also. However, it seems that many people were affected by this story of a plotting home and a beautiful aunt.
” We love them, we even hate them, but we also have to sit with them. And occasionally, we ignore them. According to chairman Pat Boonnitipat,” This film presumably reflects the many, many different perspectives of that richness of a large relatives.”
Some viewers said the movie brought back memories of their parents or their parents who had passed away, while others said it made them think of their loved ones.
One TikTok user advised users to “bring some boxes of tissue if you are going to watch this movie.” Some online clips really show viewers receiving tissues as they enter the theater.
GSC, Malaysia’s largest theatre, has promoted the movie as a “must-see for anyone who needs a great cry,” while SM Cinema in the Philippines has concession stands selling tissues outside theaters.
Ticket sales in Thailand crossed 250m baht ($ 6.9m, £5.3m ) in the first 14 days of its release, making it 11th highest grossing Thai film.
Additionally, it has become the highest-grossing Thai film in Singapore and Malaysia and the most popular Eastern film to hit theaters in Indonesia.