Homestay is a 2018 Thaidramathrillerfantasyfilm produced by Jor Kwang Films and distributed by GDH 559. Co-written and directed by Parkpoom Wongpoom, the film is based on the Japanese novel Colorful by Eto Mori. It stars Teeradon Supapunpinyo as a spirit who gets to inhabit the body of Min, a teenager who recently committed suicide, and bring him back to life. The film was released in theatres on 25 October 2018.
The protagonist wakes up in a hospital morgue. Confused, he attempts to escape, but is confronted by several people who reveal themselves to be "the Guardian", and tell him that he is a spirit who has been given a second chance at life in the body of Min, a teenager who recently committed suicide. The Guardian tells him that he has 100 days to discover the reason for Min's death, or die permanently. Reluctantly, the spirit assumes the role of Min, going home with his mother. He meets his brother Menn, who does little to conceal his dislike of Min, and his father, who had quit his job as a university lecturer to pursue a multi-level marketing career selling supplements. His mother, an engineer, soon returns to work in a distant province. At school, he discovers that Min has few friends, Li being his only close friend, and that he has a crush on Pi, his elder tutoring peer who is a top student.
The spirit gradually adjusts to Min's life, and begins to feel comfortable, but as his relationship with Pi develops and he attempts to delve into Min's past, he discovers the many problems he had with his family and friends. His brother hates him for being the problem child, his father ruined the family's finances, and his mother is having an affair. Pi was allowing a teacher to molest her in exchange for academic opportunities. He realizes why Min would want to leave this life, and tells the Guardian that all of them contributed to Min's suicide, but the answer was rejected, wasting his only chance.
Resigned to the final days of his life as Min, several events lead him to notice the love and support others have offered. Seeing things in a new light, he tries to make the best of his remaining days, addressing past conflicts and tying up loose ends. On his last day, he and Li watch rehearsals for the school's card stunt competition, for which Li had submitted one of Min's old designs (from before his suicide). As the card stunt is shown to be identical to a design the new Min recently drew, he realizes just as time runs out that he was Min in his previous life, and past memories come rushing back to him. He sees the Guardian one last time, and tells the Guardian that his death was his own fault, as he refused to see the positive things in life. The Guardian reveals to him that the test was a trick to make him realize, and that he can now enjoy his new life.
Eto Mori's novel Colorful was first published in 1999 and translated into Thai in 2003. GDH spent almost eight years to secure the rights for a Thai film adaptation.[1] It is the novel's third film adaptation following a 2000 live action film and a 2010 anime, both titled after the novel.
The project was first helmed by GDH director and executive Yongyoot Thongkongtoon, but after a year of development, was handed over to Parkpoom Wongpoom in 2016. Parkpoom had previously co-directed the 2004 hit horror film Shutter and some other anthologies, but Homestay was his first solo feature. He spent nineteen months further developing the script.[2]
Teeradon was cast in the lead role, while Cherprang, who is also "captain" of the girl idol group BNK48, made her acting debut in the film.[3] The actors spent three months in acting workshops and another three in actual production.[4] The film involves several shots featuring extensive computer-generated visual effects, which Parkpoom expressed difficulty working with.[1][2]
The film was marketed to international buyers at the Filmart event in Hong Kong in March 2018. Originally described as a fantasy drama,[5] later marketing material opted to promote the film as a thriller fantasy instead. The film was announced on 19 September, with a press event held on 2 October.[6]
Release and reception
The film was released in Thailand on 25 October 2018. It earned 37.49 million baht (US$1.14million) over its opening weekend, placing first at the box office for two weeks.[7][8] By 18 November, it had earned 66.58 million baht ($2.02million), a moderately respectable figure.[9] The film was screened in several international markets, beginning with Hong Kong on 6 December 2018.
The film was met with mixed reviews. While most reviewers commended Teeradon's acting, which capably carried the story, some found the screenplay to be lacking, noting that the climax lacked emotional heft and appeared too easily resolved. Time Out Bangkok's review said, "The screenplay has its flaws ... but is thankfully overshadowed by James' surprisingly powerful performance,"[10] while MThai's review noted that "the events that take place in the film don't lead as far as they should."[11] On the other hand, a reviewer for the Daily News praised the script for its "seriousness, drama, and reflection of various issues,"[12] and Khao Sod's reviewer found no fault with the film and called it "excellent".[13] Internationally, James Marsh, writing for the South China Morning Post, gave the film 2.5 out of 5 stars, summarizing that the film "rides on charm of its stars, [but] falls on its clumsy script."[14]
Shahkrit Yamnam is a Thai film and television actor. He has acted in numerous popular lakorns, sitcoms and commercials. He is also credited under the stage names Shahkrit Yamnarm, Charkrit Ngamengarm and Krit.
Thanapob Leeratanakachorn also known by his nickname Tor, is a Chinese-Thai actor, model and singer. His most notable dramas and films are Hormones: The Series (2013–2014), May Who? (2015), Leh Lub Salub Rarng (2017), Project S: The Series (2017), In Family We Trust (2018), Man of Vengeance (2019) and The Last Promise (2020). He is a former member of the Thai boy group Nine by Nine.
Bad Genius, known in Thai as Chalard Games Goeng (ฉลาดเกมส์โกง), is a 2017 Thai heist thriller film produced by Jor Kwang Films and distributed by GDH 559. Directed by Nattawut Poonpiriya and co-written by Nattawut, Tanida Hantaweewatana, and Vasudhorn Piyaromna, it stars Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying in her feature film debut as Lynn, a straight-A student who devises an exams-cheating scheme which eventually rises to international levels.
Teeradon Supapunpinyo, also known by his nickname James, is a Thai actor, singer, and model. He became known for his role in the GTH television series Hormones, and has starred in the films Bad Genius (2017) and Homestay (2018).
Nadao Bangkok Co., Ltd. was a Thai media company in operation from 2009 to 2022. It did business in artist management and television and music production. The company was headed by Songyos Sugmakanan, its largest shareholder and CEO, and was a partially owned subsidiary of the film studio GDH 559.
Cherprang Areekul is a member of the Thai idol girl group BNK48, an international sister group of the Japanese idol girl group AKB48. She is one of the first-generation members of the group, and is also the first captain of the group and the current general manager of the group.
Great Men Academy is a 2019 Thai drama series starring Chanyapuk Numprasop, Teeradon Supapunpinyo, Krissanapoom Pibulsonggram, Lapat Ngamchaweng, Chonlathorn Kongyingyong, Jackrin Kungwankiatichai, Sivakorn Adulsuttikul, and Paris Intarakomalyasut. It aired on LINE TV from February 6 to March 27, 2019 and has 8 episodes. The series is produced by Nadao Bangkok and Line Thailand, and written & directed by Wanwea and Weawwan Hongvivatana.
Stay: Saga...Love Always is a Thai miniseries produced by GTH and Nadao Bangkok as a special project for the Line TV application, sponsored by LINE Corporation (Thailand) Co., Ltd. The series was written and directed by Songyos Sugmakanan and filmed in Japan's Saga Prefecture with support of the Saga Prefectural Government and the Saga Prefecture Film Commission. It is a love story of two Thai people living in Saga, a small province with hidden warmth. The series was aired on Saturdays at 20:00 on the Line TV application from 21 February to 14 March 2015, for 4 episodes. It was re-run on satellite/cable television on GMM 25 and GTH On Air beginning 27 June 2015.
References
1 2 Mahavongtrakul, Melalin (26 October 2018). "Like teen spirit". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
1 2 Pajee, Parinya (9 October 2018). "On Borrowed Time". The Nation. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
↑ Chaiyong, Suwitcha (26 October 2018). "Here to stay". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
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