13 Beloved
A Boy Scout is standing at the crosswalk of a busy intersection in Bangkok and sees an elderly woman carrying some bags, struggling to make her way across the street.Just as the light changes and traffic starts to rush forward, the boy runs out to retrieve his phone, where he is hit by a bus and killed.The scene then shifts to protagonist Phuchit Puengnathong (ภูชิต พึ่งนาทอง)[1] (Krissada Sukosol Clapp), a struggling Yamaha Corporation salesman.His sixth is to fight with a gang of school-age thugs while riding a public bus in order to get another mobile phone.The game causes Phuchit to recall his childhood, when he was beaten by his cruel farang father, was taunted by bullies and other bad memories.Meanwhile, Phuchit's friend Tong is concerned about the strange behavior she witnessed earlier in the office and later in the Chinese restaurant, and putting together clues overheard at the police station, she goes to her computer at work and gets on the internet.Phuchit finds himself confronted by his abusive father, John Adams, who is strapped in a wheelchair, wearing a straitjacket and appears to be unconscious.Phuchit is unable to do this, recalling that what guided him through his painful childhood and disappointing life was his mother's desire that he never become a bad person like his father.13 Beloved is adapted from the 13th Quiz Show episode in the My Mania (รวมเรื่องสั้นจิตหลุด) graphic novel (or "pocket book" as it is called in Thailand) series by Eakasit Thairaat originally published as stand alone short story in monthly Thai Comics Magazine Vol.178 (No.5/ March 2003 Vibulkij).[3] Chukait Sakveerakul discovered a My Mania trade paperback from the local rent comic shop and became impressed immediately with 13th Quiz Show and wanted to adapt it.[5] In the original comics it is black comedy that heavily satire on reality multimedia or game shows like The Weakest Link that was popular in Thailand in this period.[6] Thailand's prime minister at the time, Thaksin Shinawatra, is directly referenced in the film – his photo is on the newspaper that Phuchit uses to swat a fly.[9] Commuan Studios began producing a manga version of the sequel in the leadup to the planned production, but it no longer appears to be available online."[17] Maggie Lee, writing for The Hollywood Reporter, called 13 Beloved "one of those accomplished suspense thrillers that mount the tension stage by stage without running out of steam at the end, it is also an unyieldingly cynical exploration of the human heart of darkness with an oedipal climax that makes it a field-day for Freudians.