Chains of Heart Review – Train-wreck
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
First off – the chemistry between the leads Haii Sarunsathorn Tanawatcharawat and Boom Raweewit Jiraphongkanon is electric in the 2023 Thai series “Chains of Heart”. There’s plenty of romantic tension between the two and its palpable just through the glances and stars exchanged between their characters Ken and Cheng Talu, even though Haii has more steamy scenes with Kut Tanawat Sukfuengfoo who plays the other main lead. Someone should give Haii and Boom another series, one that has a better script, because “Chains of Heart” was a confusing, silly, unintentionally comic show. The two actors could’ve easily pulled of something like KinnPorsche, but sadly, their show is not even half as entertaining. It took me half-a-dozen episodes to understand where the makers were trying to go with the story, because the plot is all over the place. The series is so painfully predictable, that viewers would keep thinking maybe there are some clever twists saved for the last. There aren’t.
Directed by Term Rungradit Rungamonwanit, who doesn’t have any other titles to his credit, “Chains of Heart” has a dramatic intriguing start, but begins to lose steam as the plot unravels. Forest officer Din (Tanawat Sukfuengfoo) and Ken (Haii Sarunsathorn Tanawatcharawat) are deeply in love with each other, but their seven-year-long relationship ends abruptly when Din is chased by illegal smugglers. Din disappears after falling from a cliff and is assumed to be dead by most. When a mysterious Chinese businessman called Cheng Talu begins to passionately pursue Ken, despite being attracted to the new suitor, Ken is convinced that Din is still alive and become exceedingly suspicious of the new man in his life.
The cinematography is picturesque in parts, especially in the scenes set in the interiors of Thailand. However, the action choreography was quite mediocre. Tui Kiatkamol Lata looked menacing as the villain Inpha, a corrupt officer who makes money off smuggled wood and is after Din’s family. However, his character was generic and easily forgettable, and the same goes for all the other goons in the series. The characterization of the leads is not any better. Ken is introduced as a badass martial artist who can kick butt, but is reduced to a sobbing, dumb mess who always needs to be rescued. Cheng Talu is your typical brooding action hero who appears out of nowhere, is invincible, and it’s seriously hilarious that nobody reports him to the police for constantly stalking Ken, all the way from China to Thailand. Marc Pahun Jiyacharoen plays Din’s brother Hin, who also has a romantic subplot that could have been completely removed from the show.
“Chains of Heart” is just not able to maintain a coherent thread of events as a romantic action thriller, and one of its biggest twists is both far-fetched and can be guessed in the first episode itself. If you want to watch something in the same genre, the 2020 thriller “Manner of Death” is a far better series.
It’s a 4 on 10 from me for “Chains of Heart”. You can stream it on on iQIYI
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