The Murderer (II) (2023) User Reviews

Be patient, and be rewarded

[lotekguy-1 · 7/10 · 30 July 2023]

This weird comedy begins in a way that may make you wonder if it will be worth your time. If you like bizarre, dark humor and some farce in your comedy, then the payoff will be coming your way.

A rural Thai family resents the hell out of a couple of Caucasian guys - an American and a Brit - who married two of their women. One night a massacre occurred around the parents' farmhouse and the Brit quickly becomes the main suspect. The local police chief has already made up his mind about the guilt of this outsider. The early part of the movie is his grilling the survivors, pushing hard to confirm his conclusion. Most of that unfolds as a semi-zany version of Rashomon.

The last 20-30 minutes are golden in unraveling the absurd chain of events that ended with such a liberal scattering of corpses in an unlikely setting. Very cleverly written and staged in building to its highly entertaining conclusion.

A Funa and Unusual Movie

[tkdlifemagazine · 7/10 · 31 July 2023]

This is a very unusual movie-or is it? I am not certain about whether this is within the realm of movies coming out of Thailand but it is a very unusual and engaging movie. Part murder mystery, part quirky family comedy, and part social commentary this movie keeps you thinking throughout. The sets and cast and cinematography all tell of a low budget movie, but it is more story and character driven and that is what is makes this a good time. The characters and the dynamics are all very animated and they are fun to watch. This one starts out at the time of the story arc and works its way back, which makes it a good moving way to spend your time. I recommend this one a lot.

Funny dark comedy, better than expected

[khemass · 7/10 · 30 September 2023]

I didn't expect much from Phetthai's movies, which are usually just a try-to-be-funny, but this one is better than what I thought. Overall, the movie is entertaining and really funny at times.

First of all, I'm impressed with the camera work. It's stylish and there are scenes that are impressively beautiful like the flashback when the police talked about the origin of his scar and the first ride to the village under the grey sky amidst the green field of Thai Northeast countryside. The computer graphic and make-up were effective; I particular like the cloud turning into comic characters at the final part. Some corpse look scary and some look funny. The use of Esarn music in some particular scenes made me burst out laughing because it's just so ironic when played in that scene. Very creative use of the soundtrack like this. The editing works as well, it keeps the story moving fast but everything is easy to follow.

Talking about the cast performance, I think all of them did good job. I especially like the performance of Little June and the fat Farang husband.

The plot are creative and good for this type of investigation / dark comedy film. However, there are moments so unrealistic like when people see a dead body and still don't think she's dead. Oh well, the later half are presented in a very comical way so that passed and we just laughed instead of thinking about that. I think the twists at the ending is smart, but I don't recommend your young children to watch this film, really.

pretty good in the end

[LetsReviewThat26 · 7/10 · 31 July 2023]

The movie was alright to start with. The only thing that slightly ruined it was the english dub which was very strange, as even earl was dubed too. But getting back to the movie. Earl is accused of murdering the in laws and the only witness is his wife and mai his niece. Thre detective in charge is a little odd but I liked his characters and all the characters had a certain quirkness that brought this from being just another murder mystery to elements of almost comedy and it worked. It made the movie overall enjoyable it had a good cast and the characters were written well enough so you could understand. Overall pretty good.

Should have titled "Farang"

[singakd · 1/10 · 30 July 2023]

The "Farang" is the main theme of the movie whereas the murders should have been. One truly cannot focus on the movie as all they talk about is "farang this" "farang that" and thats all the god forbidden time! On top, the Irle character is the dumbest one I have ever seen. I get you are a foreigner but you cannot be this naive, stereotypical and what about all the overacting. Running around like a lunatic in the fields half the time. The premise was interesting and I'm all up for murder mystery with dark humor but this was just plain silly. Childish at best but does speaks volume of Viet caliber around policing and treating foreigners.

What a hoot!

[susan-bednar · 9/10 · 3 August 2023]

So loved this character-driven story about the most dysfunctional family I have ever seen. The interrogator, apparently one of the biggest comedians in Thailand, is quite a powerful and hilarious presence who carries this movie with his good intentions toward solving the mass murder. I do not wish to spoil this wondrous tale by saying much more. The acting is stellar and each character is beautifully drawn. Earl is such a delight. I am now watching this again so that I can see it all in a new light. You will too. Here is the alphabet so that I may complete the minimum number of letters required to complete the review. Abcd etc.

A quirky dark comedy: think Cohen brothers do Thailand

[lee-96696 · 9/10 · 6 August 2023]

I was surprised by this one. I thought this would be another "meh" foreign Netflix police procedural. But it turned out more black comedy than crime drama. And heavy on the comedy. I kept thinking this would be what the Cohen brothers would produce if they had their careers in Thailand. Very funny with quirky characters I found strangely appealing.

The story centers on Earl, a British man who is accused of murdering his Thai in-laws who live on a farm in rural Isan province, a rice farming region in northeast Thailand. As a farang (a white European) he is suspect right off the bat as he is somewhat exotic for this rural area, an outsider who the local detective -- who is a bit of comic relief -- seems to imbue with all sorts bad qualities. Otherwise bland, kind Earl is seen as a possibly violent, ferocious being prone to murderous rage. The detective could be a comic book like Southern sheriff with a hate for "outsiders" if this were an American comedy.

His wife, Sai, and her niece, an adorable, precocious little girl of maybe seven or eight, seem to be the only witness who can clear his name. But the story is in pieces. We see the murders from several different points of view, none of them especially reliable.

The best aspect of the movie are the characters and the actors who play them. (Sorry: but IMDB does not have a complete list of characters). There is the wife, Sai, who fled the courtly for Bangkok and a job as a travel agent. Her brother, Phett, a goofy layabout who likes to drink with his best friend who is also Sai's ex-husband. There is mom, a practical, stern, opinionated country woman. Dad, a diligent, hard working rice farmer. Sai's sister, a snippy, unlikable former prostitute who has returned home with some money -- and nouveau riche behavior -- and her farang husband, a very obese, not very intelligent guy from New Jersey who drives a jacked up yellow Toyota pickup truck. Finally, a crazy aunt in the attic.

Despite their "issues" they are all likable. The best scene is at the dinner table where most of the characters are together. Great banter. Especially funny: Phett and Sai's ex can not pronounce Earl's name. It comes out like Errrr. Phett: "What kind of name is Errr?"

The stew has large insects (grasshoppers?) as a protein so more laughs as Errr tries to hide his disgust for local cuisine and mom-in-law's cooking. This is also where hallucinogenic mushrooms are introduced which factor into the eventual mayhem and the unreliability of some of the players in the murders.

It's all great fun. I may actually watch it agin. If you love dark comedy and the Cohen brothers this is for you.

Hilarious, twisted and Lengthy

[m-ramanan · 8/10 · 31 July 2023]

RATED 8/10 Language: Thai Source: Netflix RECOMMENDED

Based on the trailer, we can tell that the movie is a satirical take on murder night, presented in an entertaining manner. The only drawback is that it feels a bit lengthy and loses its pace in the middle.

The screenplay deserves the highest praise as it keeps the events engaging, adding layers of fun and detail from start to finish. All the actors perform admirably.

The climax provides a convincing justification for all the murders, and the final twist adds an enjoyable element. Despite being full of blood, the film wisely avoids excessive gore.

In conclusion, this is a must-watch movie.

An exhilarating comic mystery about a family reunion gone very wrong

[Ansango · 8/10 · 4 August 2023]

THE MURDERER is a wild trip, and I am not saying it as a figure of speech, it truly is a mad trip as literal magic mushrooms are present in the film and are even responsible for a large chunk of the story. The writing is just flawless, and the direction is marvellous. It tells a story of a mass murder from multiple vantage points, and its narrative is so dense and wacky at the same time, that you can't help but marvel at its intelligence, both in storytelling as well as in its clever subversion of tropes. The film constructs an interesting fish-out-of-water scenario and cleverly subverts conventions where rather than the white man being the saviour, he needs to be saved. If taken at face value, the story is pretty straightforward, but it's narrated through a very fractured and non-linear style. It's as much a hilarious comedy as an intense murder mystery, and both genres merge perfectly in this madcap tale. Also who could have thought that a mystery comedy can teach such a valuable lesson about prejudice, preconceived notions and their adverse role in our life?

The film manages to wrap its wonderfully intermittent narrative nicely by the end, and the moment you think it's over, the film throws another curve ball, which makes the whole thing a bit murky and the circumstances involving a lot of happenings slightly convenient.

Technically, the film is also competent with awesome cinematography, brilliant all-around ensemble performances and superb sound design. This film was a pleasant surprise for me and easily among my favourite films of the year. Go watch it, it's a great idiosyncratic non-linear comic mystery thriller about mass murder, a family with lots of issues, an unfortunate white man, lots of inherent biases, a few misunderstandings, some drugs and either a very clever or a straight-up psycho person.

Enjoyed this crime comedy

[loris-francoletti · 9/10 · 13 April 2024]

Come on people, don't be too harsh on this movie! It is a funny cool crazy movie. Not an arthouse masterpiece! It is perfect to distract and relax on an evening with popcorn and a beer or whatever you would like to drink. I am sure that anyone who has been on holiday or worked in Thailand is going to enjoy this movie a lot. You are going to understand many of the jokes about farangs. If you never set foot there maybe you will find it less funny. It is part crime, part comedy. The plot is kinda cool, with a final surprise. I am not going to reveal anything. There are couple of weaker moments - fillers, especially the final reunion husband and wife. But still I enjoyed it and you should give it a go too :)