How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies
Written by Andreas Babiolakis
The passing of a loved one — or their impending death — is a tricky subject, but the concept of inheritance is always going to be even pricklier. There’s a little Thai dramedy that has been making waves and winning the hearts of many about this particular topic. It’s Pat Boonnitipat’s How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies: a comic yet tender look at the slow deterioration of a loved one, and what to anticipate from when they eventually pass away. Grandmother Mengju (Usha Seamkhum) has been diagnosed with terminal colon cancer and she only has a year to live. She doesn’t know this, but her family is fully aware, including grandson M (Putthipong Assaratanakul): a dropout who wants to be a video game streamer online. Hoping to get rich quickly, M opts to be Mengju’s primary caregiver, hoping to inherit the money she will leave after she dies. Her fortune is clear, given that she has already previously discussed the elaborate, expensive plot she wishes to be buried at one day.
While M’s initial motivations are really problematic (obviously, anyone who anticipates the death of a loved one in hopes of obtaining their fortune is a monster), it’s clear from the tone of How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies — even early on — that M is to have a change of heart while bonding with Grandmother Mengju, being able to get to know her more than ever before (and also facing his own eventual mortality, and the importance of maintaining yourself and aspiring for greater things). How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies is a little predictable, it’s true. Fortunately, the film keeps the characters interesting, the narrative shifts tight, and the mood and tone of the film an amalgamation of chipper and saddening. To discuss death is to discuss life, and How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies feels like a celebration — and re-appreciation — of life in the face of death.
How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies is a solid dramedy that depicts both life and death with extreme focus.
How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies never fully dives into either comedic or somber territory, as to not lose its strong blend of both comedy and drama. I never found myself full-on laughing during this film, but I did chuckle to myself in response to some of the quirks that the film picked up on that I found in my own life (some peculiar personal traits, if you will). Sure, How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies dares to embrace its sadness as well, but it’s never without appreciation for a great person having lived a full life (which, to be fair, may make the water works pour even more heavily, but that’s thanks to the beauty of being alive alongside the depression that stems from saying goodbye). It’s easy to see why this humble Thai film has made its waves in recent months as a potential awards season darkhorse: I think every viewer can view themselves and their own reservations surrounding the inevitable (our mortality); How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies turns one of the hardest discussions into an embrace that allows us to not feel alone or fearful of what is to come.
Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.