The Red Envelope Review: As Hilarious As The Original
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Down on his luck, police informant Menn (Billkin Putthipong Assaratanakul) picks up a red envelope from the ground, hoping it contains cash. Instead, he’s swarmed by a horde of grannies insisting he marry their dead grandson, Titi (PP Krit Amnuaydechkorn)! Menn refuses at first, but when more misfortune strikes, he reluctantly agrees to the ghost marriage, only to be haunted by Titi’s spirit. Together, the unlikely duo set out to discover what will finally let the flamboyant Titi rest in peace.
Directed by Moo Chayanop Boonprakob, ‘The Red Envelope’ (ซองแดงแต่งผี) is a remake of Taiwanese comedy ‘Marry My Dead Body’. The Thai version is 2-hour long and stays quite loyal to the original version, especially in terms of primary plot, comedy and themes.
‘The Red Envelope’ opens with a silly–steamy sequence of Menn attempting to seduce a suspected drug peddler at the gym, while police officers Goi (Arachaporn Pokinpakorn) and Matoom (Ballchon Tanawat Cheawaram) oversee the operation. The mission collapses in comic fashion, dashing Menn’s hopes of impressing his crush Goi and earning points toward becoming a cop. Instead, he ends up with a ghost husband, and a new case to crack, since Titi may have been murdered.
Billkin Putthipong Assaratanakul and PP Krit Amnuaydechkorn first won fans over with their undeniable chemistry in ‘I Told Sunset About You’, the coming-of-age romance. In ‘The Red Envelope’, the duo returns in a completely different register: hilarious as the “straight macho cop” paired with the “glam gay ghost,” bickering nonstop as they attempt to crack a case together. Make no mistake: this is a buddy comedy, not a RomCom, so adjust your expectations accordingly.
From competing with drag queens in a queer bar to squaring off against professional boxers in the ring, Menn embarks on a wild ride with Titi through the runtime. And in a (convenient) twist, the protagonists realize Titi’s murder is tied to the same drug ring Menn has been trying to expose.
While largely comedic in tone, ‘The Red Envelope’ also serves an emotional sub-plot about Titi’s fraught relationship with his father. The two have an ugly argument before Titi dies, stemming from a misunderstanding, so it’s only in death that he is able to understand his father’s ‘tough’ love.
‘The Red Envelope’ is pure fun, mixing ghostly shenanigans, clumsy cops, and scene-stealing grannies with a murder mystery and a sting of betrayal. As funny as the Taiwanese original, maybe even funnier, it thrives on the crackling comedic energy between Billkin Putthipong Assaratanakul and PP Krit Amnuaydechkorn. Billkin, in-fact, steals the show whenever Menn gets possessed by Titi, flipping into “Queen mode” with razor-sharp sass that will leave audiences in stitches.
Watch ‘The Red Envelope’ on Netflix.
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