MOVIE REVIEW: THE MAID (2020)
Hello to all readers, I am a new blogger here. I have watched movies for many times, but I have never left any comments on them. This will be my first time writing a movie review. This blog will introduce you to a Thai movie on Netflix named The Maid (2020) or สาวลับใช้ in Thai, which is a suspense thriller.
The Maid (2020) was directed by Lee Thongkham and became one of TOP10 movies on Netflix in Thailand after released on July 8 as many people put their expectations on the new way of Thai movies. The movie starts with Joy, the main character, becoming a new housemaid of ridiculously lavish house where often changes the new maid. After moving to the house, the first rule that Joy needed to know was “Don’t be so nosy in this house.” This made her curious. Joy was required to take care for a youngest member of the house, Lady Nid. Once she began work, she met the strange thing in the house. Joy tried to figure out by herself and she discovered the secret collection of pictures. She suddenly knew that there was the hidden story beneath the house because the maid in the picture was her disappeared sister, Ploy.
The movie continually reveals the house’s dark secrets through Ploy’s story. Ploy used to be a maid in this house. She had a secret relationship with the madam of the house, Uma, as she was lonely and never got love from her husband, Nirach. Nirach married Uma because of business benefits. Ploy made Uma felt that she got completely the true love which could not get from anyone of the family. Ploy not only made Uma felt in love with her but also Nirach. One night, he had sex with Ploy in his working room after she served a cup of tea for him. Unfortunately, Ploy got pregnant and gave a birth her child, Nid. Uma was heartbroken as she was betrayed. While Ploy was preparing a bath for her child, she got an accident. When Uma passed in her room and saw her bleeding on the bathroom floor, she held Ploy’s child out off the room instead of helping Ploy. Everyone in the house thought Ploy was dead, so a chauffeur and other maids helped each other to dig a hole to bury Ploy’s body. She was breathing again while putting her body in the hole, but no body stopped burying her body.
When Joy knew the truth, the beginning of revenging stated. Joy hunted everyone in the house by using different killing methods such as strangling, stabbing and poisoning to entertaining herself. Joy was abnormal person and had been treating her psychiatric disorder. When she saw her doctor, she lied to her as always. She knew herself best and acted like normal people. At the end of the movie, she burnt the house and escaped away with her niece, Nid.
Thai culture and legal system reflection through the movie
Many Thais believes in supernatural things such as a ghost and the ghosts become the influence on Thai film industry. In The Maid (2020), there uses the ghost, the victim, telling the story of the crime by herself to her sister to call for her RIGHT. This cannot happen in the reality. Nobody has heard the dead victim sound only law can help his/her. If you cross Joy’s psychiatric disorder out, you will see that Joy chose to investigate and revenge by herself instead of calling help from the police or hiring detective. In reality, lawmakers are incompetence or no longer up to their task, and most of them are upper class. They do not care any of small crimes. The only way to get your right is you have money for them. About hiring detective, this cost a lot of money, so many people is unable to afford it. The best way for them is to ask help from shaman or investigate by themselves. I could say that people trusts the ghost more than the law.
Overall, The Maid (2020) might disappoint you if you are a fan of detective movies. However, the mood and tone are good to watch if you like 90s style.
By the way, I have to admit that I am not a fan of thriller movies, but I decided to watch this movie because of its poster. Please forgive me.
