‘RedLife’ Netflix Movie Review - It’s A Bleak Bleak World

There is a nice scene in Ekalak Klunson's Redlife where Ter (Thiti Mahayotaruk), a robber, tells his girlfriend, Mild (Karnpicha Pongpanit), to leave prostitution. She replies, "Can you feed me?" Of course, he cannot, and this simple line cuts his male ego down to size. Most men in this film are lowlifes. They are losers filled with pride. They are dependent on women for freedom, for pleasure and still like to tell them how to live their lives. Ter wants Mild to quit her job, but he doesn't have any decent, stable source of income. Meaning: He cannot take care of Mild. Ter's partners in crime ask Ter not to break up with Mild as she helps them get bail through her sexuality. An old man offers Aoi (Krongthong Rachatawan) and, by extension, her daughter, Som (Supitcha Sungkajinda), a chance to move in with him. His suggestion, however, contains rapey appetites.

This doesn't mean that women are any better than the men. Som's senior, Peach (Sumitra Duangkaew), manipulates Som for her benefit. Everybody looks dishonest; everybody cheats. When Ter is arrested at one point, one of his partners starts dating Mild. What's more, that man simultaneously has an affair with another woman. Ter's biggest obstacle is his ego, his jealousy. He is unable to find work, and when he sees Mild with customers, he becomes angry. Ter is frustrated because he cannot save his wife. Mild marries him to wipe out his insecurity, though nothing fruitful comes from this choice. Ter, in a fit of rage, steals a car, beats a man, and steals from people on the streets (not necessarily in this order).

A gay man talks about love in this dastardly world where everyone is mean. He dies because there is no place for warmth in this bleak setting. This character, who waits for his boyfriend, is filled with stereotypical mannerisms and clichés. Peach and her friends are also treated as rude, rich people. Peach sees Som as a fascinating toy - or does she? The movie tries to add layers to this character, but it only makes her more impenetrable. This attempt at creating a character with complexity doesn't land successfully because of the lack of layered, clever writing (Klunson, Aummaraporn Phandintong, and Jiraporn Saelee serve as the writers). Som asks Peach whether whatever they had between them was real, and you, too, wait for an answer. While watching the latter's sad face during this scene, you wonder if she is being genuine or just performing. Ambiguity doesn't suit this film. That final shot - a hug between a daughter and a mother - leaves you more puzzled than satisfied.

Redlife collapses whenever the filmmakers try to make a Great Movie. It would have been better if more moods were present in the film. The gloominess is engaging but becomes monotonous occasionally. As a result, you are not thoroughly involved in the story. The actors are fine. Sungkajinda, however, stands out and sucks you in. Her melancholic countenance makes her look like a lost soul searching for comfort and peace. There is an emptiness within her that works like a black hole, pulling in all the negative things. Ter makes bad decisions; Som attracts bad things. The two characters, in their own ways, destroy their lives. Happiness, in Redlife, looks like an unattainable object as well as a distant memory.

Final Score- [6.5/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times