New releases that hit Thai cinemas for your viewing pleasure.
Hoon Payon or Pluk Payon
Directed by Phontharis Chotkijsadarsopon
Who's in it?
Phuwin Tangsakyuen, Kunatip Pinpradab, Poompat Iam-samang, Bhuripat Vejvongsatechavat, Thasorn Klinnium, Pannawit Pattanasiri, Waratthip Kittisiripaisan and Phongsakon Michai.
What's it about?
The film’s story involves a man who travels to a village in a border region where his brother, a novice Buddhist monk, has been accused of murder. As more bodies pile up, the man questions the villagers’ blind faith in a supposedly protective dolls aka “payons”.
Why watch it?
Though the film had a successful world premiere on March 7 in Bangkok, Thai censors intervened to demand five scenes be cut and to impose a 20+ rating on the movie. The scenes that caused offense involved the monk in the movie engaging in heated arguments and accepting the embrace of an older woman, who may or may not be his mother. The rating means that viewers must be above the age of 20, thus excluding the film’s key teenage demographic. Hoon Payon receives 20+ rating while tamer cut Pluk Payon receive 18+ rating.
65
Directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods.
Who's in it?
Adam Driver, Ariana Greenblatt, Chloe Coleman and Nika King.
What's it about?
After a catastrophic crash on an unknown planet, pilot Mills quickly discovers he's actually stranded on Earth, 65 million years ago. Now, with only one chance at rescue, Mills and the only other survivor, Koa, must make their way across an unknown terrain riddled with dangerous prehistoric creatures in an epic fight to survive.
Why watch it?
Driver clarifies that there is no actual time travel in the action-packed sci-fi movie, even though there are dinosaurs.
Suzume
Directed by Makoto Shinkai.
Who's in it?
The voices of Nanoka Hara, Hokuto Matsumura and Eri Fukatsu.
What's it about?
A modern action adventure road story where a 17-year-old girl named Suzume helps a mysterious young man close doors from the outer side that are releasing disasters all over in Japan.
Why watch it?
Shinkai conceived the idea for Suzume while he was traveling around Japan and noticed that there were more abandoned areas due to the country's declining birth rate, so he thought of writing a story about "mourning deserted places”.
Renfield
Directed by Chris McKay.
Who's in it?
Nicholas Hoult, Nicolas Cage, Awkwafina, Ben Schwartz, Adrian Martinez, and Shohreh Aghdashloo.
What's it about?
Renfield, Dracula's henchman and inmate at the lunatic asylum for decades, longs for a life away from the Count, his various demands, and all of the bloodshed that comes with them.
Why watch it?
Nicolas Cage spent three hours in makeup each day to transform into Dracula.
Im Hero The Final
Directed by Oh Yoon-dong.
Who's in it?
Korean singer Lim Young-woong.
What's it about?
In the winter of 2022, “Im Hero”, Korean singer Lim Young-woong's encore concert, heated up the Gocheok Sky Dome. It now comes to cinema screens through ScreenX, which will recreate the thrill of the grand finale.
Why watch it?
Filmed with 14 cinematic cameras, the recorded concert will provide a special viewing experience with angles that can only be seen in cinemas.
