A Review of “Poo Bao Nikah” from the Perspective of an Interfaith Family Nikah Counselor

Overall Review 7/10

Screenplay Boldness Review 12/10

(Invited to attend the press screening)

Officially in theaters December 19, 2024

⦿ As a General Viewer

I can’t avoid saying it plainly: the screenplay is rather ordinary at the start, gradually improves in the middle, and is very strong by the end. Overall, the film wraps up quite satisfyingly. Even though the script isn’t especially complex and feels thin in several stretches, when you consider that it had to touch on culturally and religiously sensitive issues, the result is still quite well done — and I think it would be hard to find someone else in Thailand who could write a script like this.

Regarding the cast, an important part of the film is the actors’ development, which is clearly visible throughout. It starts with somewhat unnatural performances from several characters, but gradually improves significantly by the end — enough that those same characters become memorably impressive, such as Bang Lee and Adul. It can be said that both of these characters had their potential drawn out to the fullest as the film moved through its middle and later sections, and I believe they will be remembered fondly, as will the other cast members.

A key factor is characters like Bak Khai and Bak Joei, who perform very naturally and pass that energy on to the other cast members — a key that makes this film complete. Their performances help ease the pressure on the other actors and lead to a good overall result. When you watch this film, don’t rush or expect too much at the start — you’ll get more out of it from the middle onward.

⦿ As Someone Who Works in Nikah and Interfaith Family Wedding Planning

Personally, I want to express my respect to everyone involved in this film, especially the screenwriter, who showed a rare kind of courage in touching on these important issues of lifestyle and religion, and telling the story in a natural, ordinary way. It has a style that lands with impact, laced with dark humor, prompting reflection on issues in Muslim society in a way that is accessible and easy to understand — and brave enough to portray the discomfort non-Muslim characters feel toward Muslims, which is very challenging for screenwriting work, especially in Thailand.

The script is bold enough to lead us to acknowledge many issues in Muslim society, such as kratom water that is easily mixed and obtained, prejudice and interfaith tension, divorce, depression in Muslim society, LGBTQ+ Muslim friends, the adolescence of Thai women living under the hijab, and the use of religion as an excuse to exclude others. All of these heavy topics are told in a way that is remarkably accessible.

It must be understood that in communicating about multicultural society and Islam, the constant difficulty is guiding people across the wall of difference, and inviting them to see the ordinary humanity in all of us — that we all have greed, anger, and delusion — and this film does that well. This film deserves support, certainly not because the script is flawless or the acting is without fault, but because it should be supported for the courage the team showed in bringing about something good for society.

In the end, this film will likely find it hard to avoid controversy or backlash of some kind, but as someone who works in Islam and multiculturalism, I affirm that this is an important step toward helping society see Muslims more as ordinary people, and it has an overall positive effect on Islam in Thailand. ARAYA Nikah Social Enterprise wants to be one of the organizations that affirms its strong support for the team and the cast, and stands as a representative of multicultural family society. Thank you for the courage that brought this good film to Thai society — whatever religion you follow, may Allah reward everyone’s good deeds, and may we all keep encouraging continued good progress forever.

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