Lately, movie fans have been getting their share of films revolving around or having a key character be a grandma. A few that come to mind are Minari, The Farewell, and Thelma. They  are all different kinds of films, but they have that one thing in common. The latest movie that features a grandma in a prominent role is How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies. It’s a sweet dramedy about a Chinese woman and her children as well as her grandson. I’m sure many people around the world, myself included, can relate to this kind of story.

M (Billkin) is a young man who lives with his mother and plays video games. He should be going to school or working, but he’s basically a slacker. After attending the funeral of his grandfather, he connects with his cousin Mui (Tantawan Tantivejakul), who tells him she got everything after he passed away. He wanted to know how, and she said all she did was care for and about him in his dying days. So he decides to do the same for his grandma amah (Usa Semkhum), who is in a similar state. It’s easier said than done, though, as she has a specific way of doing things. And she has children of her own who are suspicious of him wanting to help her out. He starts to realize caring for her means more to him than he would originally have thought.

I’ve been around kids my whole life, whether it be my own nieces and nephews or kids I was around during my coaching career.  More often than not, they can be selfish or self-centered.  They think about themselves most of the time and not others or how they can help others. The grandson in this movie is no different than so many others I’ve seen. He has an ulterior motive in wanting to be help or be around his grandmother. He is even grossed out by her when he has to help her with her bath. As he works with her on her little job selling things or takes her to her appointment, he starts to care about her more and get attached to her. This is the crux of the story. It is very impactful.

When family members see that a loved one is about to pass away, they tend to see the dollar signs in the form of belongings, properties, and cash that might be socked away. That’s the case with the grandmother’s kids, except for. They want to push the grandson and his mother out of the picture and take everything for themselves. One even comes into the home to help her and steals from her in the process.  Being truthful and caring is the way to go. These adult kids don’t see it that way. Greed gets in the way of caring. That even turns into lies and deceit. It’s a pretty ugly situation.

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I watched the dubbed version of this film, but it is a Thai film with subtitles. The dubs weren’t bad, but it’s hard to translate everything in the proper way. This story is very relatable, though, so no matter what language it’s in, I’m sure people will be able to understand the circumstances. I have an elderly father of 87, and he needs help . I find myself not wanting to answer the phone when he calls and not wanting to see him because he usually asks me for help or whatever. Mainly, we talk about sports or movies. There is no wealth to be had from him, so I should be more likely to help him out than not. I make excuses, though, about my job and how busy or tired I am. I need to make more time for him before he’s gone, though.

The director Pat Boonnitipat infuses this film with some funny moments, which gives the movie a lighter feel at times. This is a dark comedy of important subject matter. He cast a good group of actors who do a great job getting to story and script across on screen. The cast from big and small roles all bring a fantastic level of acting to their roles. The actors who play the siblings and other relatives are all very realistic to what the director and writer are going for. I honestly believe these people would do the things that happened in this film.The dubs threw me off a little, but that’s a minor quibble. This is a well-made , written, and acted movie all the way around.

How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies is streaming on Netflix

4 stars

Dan Skip Allen