How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies
Pat Boonnitipat (director)
Jor Kwang Films: 2024
.

What if a classic romantic comedy plot was reimagined to depict familial love between an Asian grandmother and her grandson? That’s the unexpected premise behind 2024’s Thai film sensation How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies, or Lahn Ma (Grandchild) in its original Thai.

How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies tells the story of M, a twenty-something wannabe video game streamer, portrayed by the popstar Putthipong “Billkin” Assaratanakul. M lives in Bangkok with his extended Thai Chinese family. Inspired by a cousin who was ‘rewarded’ with a generous inheritance left by her grandfather after she’d taken care of him, M decides to ‘invest’ in Amah, his maternal grandmother, after she’s diagnosed with late-stage stomach cancer. M buys Amah her favourite fried fish, takes her to early morning doctor’s appointments and moves into her home without invitation. Amah, played by Usha Seamkhum, is the type of woman who wakes up at five every morning to sell congee on the street and prays to Guan Yin several times a day. She isn’t impressed by M’s advances at first, but he chips away at her gruff exterior and slowly wins her over.

• Tags: Catherine Wang