Friendzone

Either you or your friend has experienced it before. The feeling of being in a friendship that involves love that isn’t mutual. Is it worth it to cross the platonic lines and risk your friendship? Or will you just let it be? Friendzone is the latest romantic comedy to come out of Thailand as of April 2019, making waves worldwide as it boasts its number one spot in the Thai box office. The film focuses on the friendship between Palm (Naphat Siangsomboon) and Gink (Pimchanok Luevisadpaibul) as it develops for over a decade. The film opens with the two friends in their high school days, tailing Gink’s father as she grows suspicious of his ‘business trips’, going as far as booking a flight to follow her father and dragging Palm along. After finding the truth, Gink becomes emotional on the flight back and in an effort to comfort her, Palm confesses his feelings to his best friend. However, Gink only responds to him a week later saying “being friends is good enough” and reveals that she had gotten together with a random guitar-playing classmate named Luis. Hence, the title of this film. The rest of the film takes place in the present as Palm becomes acquainted with 3 men getting drinks for their crushes and bond as they relate to each other’s struggles in the friendzone. Having the longest case among the men, that being 10 years, Palm carries the rest of the movie as he flashbacks to the men of how he had tiptoed around the friend zone from 2007 to 2017.

This film’s acting is incredibly immersive with all the characters having amazing chemistry with each other making this film a rom-com standout. Pimchanok was perfect as Gink, portraying what felt like real heartbreak and a natural love for Palm. And of course, Naphat’s performance of Palm is incredible. Jealousy without entitlement, affection and care without hidden agendas, he manages to display the purest form of love that you find in fairytales in the most realistic way possible. With writing, everything they do is completely believable no matter how outrageous the situation, there is no scene that takes you out of the movie. Even the ending has an appropriate amount of closure, giving a satisfied feeling while exiting the theatre.From the laughter in the theatre to the tears on my face, to the bottom of my box of popcorn, I cannot recommend this film enough to lovers of the rom-com genre. Friendzone is a wholesome and well-paced film with great comedic timing and a romance/friendship that feel real. Seriously go watch this movie, I’d give it 4.5/5 stars.