This Thai film is going for that crime and romance mix inside the BL space, trying to blend coming of age struggles with gritty gang violence thrown in. Honestly, this movie really didn't need to exist. It grabs actors straight out of BL shows that you'll recognize instantly, then tries to drop them into this gritty setting with a story that just doesn't land. Even if there was some kind of heart buried in here somewhere, the way it's actually put together feels pretty amateur. Kheng comes from a rough background and has his heart set on studying in China, so he's grinding hard trying to land a scholarship. We don't get much of his backstory, but he's living with his friend Tai, who I'm pretty sure has feelings for him too, and Tai backs him up in every way he can. One day Kheng witnesses a group of thugs beating up a guy named Boang, who turns out to be a drug dealer, though Kheng has no clue about that at the time. He ends up saving Boang's life an...
Jamal is promising college basketball player almost on the verge of signing up a professional contract at nationals level. Trevor, is a reporter on the college's TV channel who frequently interviews Jamal following a game. One night the pair meet via online gay dating app having not seen each other's face. They are surprised to see each there but have a good time and they start secretly meeting every night. Initially Jamal is in denial of his sexuality but eventually embraces it. Even though his mother pressures him for marriage and grandkids, she is eventually supportive of him at the end. We have Trevor's abusive father and supportive mother, who add a bit of drama to the narrative. We also have Trevor's cameraman, who is also his best friend going through depression who eventually kills himself (and this part of the story has absolutely no relevance to the overall narrative structure). Towards the end, the management agent who was trying to sign up Jamal for an international team expects physical favors from Jamal who refuses. The duo finally leave for Chicago for their studies as a couple.
Let's start with story and screenplay. The script is utterly terrible and so basic as if it was being written in the 90s. It stumbles across every cliché in the book, finding no depth in its characters or any potential in its narrative. For a story in which a lot happens, we never really get anywhere. It tries to cramp up topics like racism, mental health, closet sexuality, abuse, love, absent father, future but never really goes anywhere with them. And to top it all, the enormously exaggerated score serves only to make you squirm in your seat. He songs are randomly thrown any moment the characters experience emotion. I am not even sure why is it called 'modern musical'. The acting is bad, like real bad especially Jamal's mother and Trevor's father. Oh and that mental unstable friend was so atrociously bad. At some point I was so embarrassed that I was just laughing at the absolute absurdity and stupidity of how badly things were happening before me. Good Enough is absolutely not good enough at all. Not even close. Stay away. This would have been bad even if this was no a musical. (2/10)
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I hereby solemnly swear to take your advice for real and stay away. Amen.