By Afifah Adi
Edited by Nadya R.
Have you ever used your dead friend’s story to create a film to win a contest and get into university? I believe many don’t, but Pae did, and that’s basically how it goes in the Thai film ‘Not Friends’ released in 2023. So, here’s an adequate review from me to (hopefully) draw you into watching the film. Good news: No major spoilers ahead!
Thailand has produced many remarkable series and movies of various genres over the years, and ‘Not Friends’ is definitely one of them. It revolves around the theme of friendship, which follows Pae, who transfers to a new school and becomes Joe’s deskmate. Just as Pae begins to warm up to Joe’s friendly nature, Joe dies in an accident after just one month of their friendship. Following the incident, Pae decides to make a film about Joe for a short film contest that, if won, enables him to get into university without having to sit for an exam. This project leads Pae to form connections with other students and reflect on his own conscience and motivations.
The film starts off almost comical, treating Joe’s death lightly with some flashbacks of Pae and Joe’s brief friendship. The story might seem like an average high school plot, but it is more complex considering that Joe has died and Pae doesn’t know him well enough to make a film about his ex-classmate—hence the literal translation of the film’s title: ‘Not (Close) Friends’.
Conflicts arise when Bokeh, who was once Joe’s friend since primary school, questions Pae’s intention, knowing he isn’t making the film to honour Joe’s death like he tells the whole school. Despite Bokeh’s discontent with it, she agrees to help Pae and finds a small team to make the film a success.
The team of six students works together on the filmmaking, producing results that look really dope for high schoolers (I don’t think any real high schooler could pull off something of similar quality, but I guess that’s why they’re not real). They come up with brilliant ideas and props that add a nice touch to the “film within a film” concept the movie is going for. The vibrant choice of cinematography makes the scenes all the more stunning, and I believe you would enjoy seeing the process of it.
Grief and regret are also central themes in the movie, as the characters navigate their emotions and relationships following Joe's death. The story as a whole plays around the question of what it takes for you to become someone’s close friend, or how long should it be before you are counted as one. Midway through the movie, an unexpected twist leaves Pae feeling conflicted between saving Joe’s image or pursuing his own interests, making you question if Pae truly values Joe as his friend.
As someone who has experienced loss, I always feel like there’s a simmering anger and resentment within me when I think about their death, and I often get hung up over what could have been and what they would say if they were still around. Pae and Bokeh’s dynamic somewhat mirrors those feelings, particularly during the fallout between the two of them and the decision Pae takes towards the end of the movie.
All in all, ‘Not Friends’ is a simple story about friendship with a simple plot set in high school that many are most likely to have seen before. It is a little dramatic at times with all the usual Thai slapstick comedy bits, yet it manages to touch on the many perspectives of a friend towards a friend—as a short-term friend, a fallen-out friend, and as a friend of a friend—and how even a brief encounter could impact one’s life.
If you enjoy friendship stories in a school setting, you definitely should give it a watch! Click here to watch the trailer for ‘Not Friends’.
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