Doi Boy Review: Starring Awat Ratanapintha, Arak Amornsupasiri, Aelm Thavornsiri, Bhumibhat Thavornsiri, Panisara Rikulsurakan, Ornjira Lamwilai and others, this drama-thriller film is written and directed by Nontawat Numbenchapol. The film, aka ดอยบอย, has a runtime of 98 minutes.
Sorn runs away from his home in war-torn Shan State in Myanmar and starts to build a life in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Unfortunately, without documentation, he is unable to take up anything other than sex work. Without much of a choice, he finds himself daydreaming and imagining the lives of his clients, eventually finding himself in rough waters after he starts a complex relationship with one of his clients who is investigating a political activist.
– The Review Does Not Contain Spoilers –
When Doi Boy starts off, it feels like it’s going to be a gritty and thrilling ride. However, right after that, it becomes a confusing watch which will leave you wondering what this is about and who we are following. It finds its footing, however, just a while later when you realise that this is a social drama peppered with thrills about people whom every society abhors but never wants to help. From there on, things fall into place.
I think calling this movie a thriller is very generous in the traditional sense. This is a slow-paced drama about different people who only want peace and to live in harmony with everyone. It’s also about finding a place to call home, wherever that may be. The film has its moments of profoundness, and throughout the runtime, Sorn’s journey (as well as many like him) will leave you feeling uncomfortable about his fate. You feel some sort of way emotionally for the characters and find yourself wanting the best for Sorn. The morally grey characters portrayed here will leave you in a dilemma, especially Ji, who is given a task that he really doesn’t want to fulfil.
Either way, Sorn’s relationship with Ji turns out to be a rather freeing and emotional moment for all involved, and we are given a backstory of why these people feel and act the way they do. Although they are technically strangers to each other, they trust each other and go on a journey that turns out to be one of self-discovery… almost. Are they successful in their goals? I guess that’s an answer you have to find at the end of the runtime, which, I must say, turns out to be quite baffling. With only 15 minutes remaining on the clock, one might expect all the thrills to be ended, but that doesn’t turn out to be the case.
It’s a slow-paced journey of a person’s life, and it delivers on those promises well, with a side dish of society and its dark underbelly. In the end, this drama feels like a small window into a person’s life who finds himself facing something bad at every turn. As he is caught between a rock and a hard place, Sorn’s choices and the experiences that he goes through are what make this film truly compelling. The political and social undercurrents will leave you with many feelings, much like Sorn’s daydreaming for a better life will leave you emotional.
I don’t think this movie is for everyone, which is fine. However, if you’re looking for a little disturbing story about a man who goes to any lengths to make a living with gorgeous cinematography, this might just be your cup of tea. The difficulties refugees face anywhere are always a gut-wrenching reminder that all is not well in the world at all; add to that the random disappearances, and you will have a film that promises to leave a mark.
Awat Ratanapintha is praiseworthy in this role as Sorn as you follow his journey as he finds himself out of the mess that he has found himself in. He’s a protagonist who makes you want to follow him and root for him. He’s compelling in this drama as the man who just finds to find his footing away from the mayhem but is constantly pulled in unfavourable directions. Everyone else is also great in their roles, but Ratanapintha will leave a mark on you.
Doi Boy Review: Final Thoughts
This film, although not your “traditional” thriller, will leave you with many aching questions. This social drama, focusing on refugees and a broken system, is worth a watch for those who like gorgeous visuals and a man’s constant battle to fit in and find peace in a constantly evolving and cruel world.
Doi Boy is streaming on Netflix.
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