28 Apr. 2020

We continue exploring Thai films that have shaped the history of Thai cinema. Discover 4 more cult Thai films you absolutely must watch and revisit. A chance to learn more about the country's history and culture while getting a glimpse of what Thai audiences particularly love on the big screen…

Tears of the Black Tiger

Directed by Wisit Sasanatieng, 'Tears of the Black Tiger' has become a landmark of Thai cinema. Released in the late 2000s, it is even the first Thai film to be selected at the Cannes Film Festival (in 2001 in the 'Un certain regard' category). Inspired by Likay, a popular Thai theatrical genre, the film is a blend of western, tragedy, photo novel and comic book styles. The story follows the passionate love between two children from opposite worlds yet yearning for a beautiful love story. Years later, the young man, now a feared bandit known as 'the Black Tiger,' must balance between love and honor…

Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives

Directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul, 'Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives' is a Thai drama. It won the Palme d'Or at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in 2010. The film tells the story of a man suffering from kidney failure who decides to settle in the mountains to spend his final days there. One evening, he sees the ghosts of his wife and son appear and decides to venture into a mysterious cave. This cave is nothing other than the cradle of his first existence, and the journey he undertakes through the jungle to reach it allows him to travel through his past lives. As you might expect, the film offers a fabulous voyage through past, present and future while providing another perspective on reincarnation, a deeply rooted Thai belief.

Tropical Malady

Directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul with Udom Promma, Huai Deesom, Sakda Kaewbuadee, Tropical Malady is part of a trilogy (the first film in the saga is 'Blissfully Yours,' followed by 'Tropical Malady' and 'Syndromes and a Century'). It received numerous accolades including Best Film at the Turin International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival and Jury Prize at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. The film draws inspiration from old Thai beliefs that recount how men can transform into wild animals. It features two men in love who lead a peaceful life until one mysteriously disappears, prompting the other to search for him in an impossibly mysterious jungle… As a fun fact, some of the filming took place in the jungles of northeastern Thailand. These forests also allowed the crew to record the sounds of wild animals such as elephants and bears!

The Ong Bak Trilogy

Now we shift gears to a Thai action film of the kind we love! Directed by Prachya Pinkaew, Ong Bak is in fact a trilogy: Ong Bak, Ong Bak 2: The Birth of the Dragon and Ong Bak 3: The Final Battle. The story begins in the village of Nong Pradu in Thailand when the inhabitants discover that a sacred Buddha statue has been stolen (Ong Bak). Ting, a young man secretly trained in Muay Thai, then sets himself on a mission to recover it in Bangkok. What follows are intense fights and dramatic confrontations… An opportunity to learn more about martial arts, with scenes and stunts performed without special effects or stunt doubles! In any case, this is one of the major Thai box office successes distributed internationally. And we never tire of it!

Charlène Nomadays

SEO writer from the very beginning at Nomadays, now content manager and head of communications, Charlène has accompanied the adventure since its inception with passion and loyalty. After spending seven years in Asia—from China to Thailand, passing through Mongolia and South Korea—she has made travel a way of being in the world. A lover of words, nature and human connection, she strives to convey in her writing a sensitive, engaged and responsible vision of tourism. Each article is for her a bridge between curiosity, respect and wonder.