Asian Cinema Challenge 2023 | 22/52 | Made in Thailand
Continuing with the STIC test, or Standardised Test for International Colleges, which tests general knowledge and is used to apply to bachelor programmes in the U.S., this year, the association overseeing the examination has uncovered a cheating scandal, which has led to an exam leak in various countries in Asia. Further investigation is pending…
Lincada Nilthep, or Lynn, is applying to the prestigious Krungthep Thaweepanya School. During the interview with the headmistress, her father brags about how she has earned straight A’s since Grade 1 and numerous other achievements. But when the headmistress asks Lynn if she wants to attend the school, Lynn is afraid the costs won’t be worth it. So, the headmistress decides to award her a scholarship.
At the start of the Grade 10 school year, Lynn befriends a girl named Grace — kind-hearted, good at extracurriculars, but not the best student. So, when the headmistress sets a new policy that you must have a 3.25 GPA or higher to be in the school play, Grace panics, begging Lynn to be her tutor. Lynn reluctantly agrees, and they go over a test Grace has in hand. But when the midterm arises, Grace has forgotten it all. So, Lynn helps Grace cheat.
With a high enough GPA, Grace and Lynn celebrate with Grace’s well-off boyfriend, Pat. Pat reveals that he knows about Lynn helping Grace cheat and wants to pay Lynn to help him and his friends do the same. She isn’t interested until she discovers that, despite her scholarship, the school is still charging her father “tea money” under the guise of maintenance fees. So, she develops a system where she taps out distinct segments of piano pieces to communicate A, B, C, or D.
Things go swimmingly until Grade 11, when Lynn falls for a fellow scholarship student, Bank, whose honor code accidentally reveals more than he intends. Will they get caught? Regardless, what will this cost them?
The film has such kinetic energy. The testing scenes play like a heist movie, where every moment of information exchange is tense and sweaty. Moments like running out of lead in a mechanical pencil create so much tension.
The sound design is perhaps over-the-top, feeling almost like a parody of reality television with the sound effects and score stings. But because the movie has a comedic vibe throughout, the moments play well. I could do without all the pencil scratching, though, which triggers my misophonia.
The film’s weaker spots are its interpersonal dramas, which feel forced to hit specific structural beats. These could be handled better, and the movie could get under 2 hours. Also, I just don’t understand why Lynn and Bank go through with any of the second half of the film. Finally, the ending is so syrupy that it betrays the rest of the movie’s tone.
Still, this movie had me engaged for most of it, and stressed me the hell out.
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torrentasiancinemachallenge2023asiancc2023written-by-womencoming-of-ageheist
