The Paradise of Thorns
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“People like us are stupid about everything.”
Overview
Fresh from its international premiere at TIFF 2024, The Paradise of Thorns is a heartfelt drama that morphs into a daring revenge thriller, set on the eve of same-sex marriage becoming legal in Thailand. Thongkam (Jeff Satur) and Sek (Pongsakorn Mettarikanon) are a loving couple who live and work on the durian farm they spent years building together, until Sek is killed in a tragic accident. His grieving partner promises to take care of Sek's mother and siblings, but once the family realises they can claim the farm for themselves Thongkam will have to resort to increasingly desperate measures to hold on to what he has left.
Why You Should See This Film
Anchored by an assured performance from heartthrob musician-actor-model Jeff Satur, writer/director Boss Kuno's debut feature deftly handles the nuances of family loyalty, bigotry and greed as a tender queer romantic tragedy gives way to something far darker. Kuno uses a framework of classic melodrama to explores the ways poverty and gender disparity can force marginalised people to compete with even their closest loved ones in an attempt to survive an equal society, with enough potent narrative turns to keep it driving towards the startling finale. Lush locations, stunning visuals and a flair for infusing genre stories with rich cultural meaning— The Paradise of Thorns is another gem of contemporary Thai cinema.
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