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How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies Movie Review

How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies is a 2024 Thai drama film directed by Pat Boonnitipat and starring Putthipong Assaratanakul and Usha Seamkhum. It’s such a sweet film.

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“Sons inherit the goods,

daughters inherit genetics“

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A man quits work to care for his dying grandmother, motivated by her fortune. He schemes to win her favor before she passes, but eventually his motivations become more genuine and admirable. This movie was a huge hit at the box office in not just Thailand, but the whole of Southeast Asia, and it’s easy to see why. It’s a truly touching, wonderful movie that is universally appealing beyond just its region.

While some may categorize this movie as a comedy, I would call it a heartwarming drama with some smaller comedic bits in the first half. The second half turns fully dramatic, sad and serious for better and for worse. The ending truly touched me and it almost made me cry, especially that flashback that is emotionally revelatory and by far the most crucial sequence in the entire film.

But still, there is no doubt that the movie was a bit too emotionally manipulative at times, not just in its music, but also its tone and dialogue. They clearly wanted to make you cry, which they did succeed doing to most people, but I would have personally gone a more subtle route to telling this story.

How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies is a funny title for a movie, but not this one. It’s simply not apt for such a dramatic and heartbreaking story. They should have translated it more closer to the original. The performances here are lovely, especially from Usha Seamkhum, whose grandma was genuinely grounded and so endearing.

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The dynamic between grandma and her grandson is so strong and beautifully developed that it took away from the development of other characters quite a bit. The cinematography, score and editing are all pretty good and the movie is solidly directed, but it should have been shorter and brisker overall. But this drama had such a universal appeal and such a big heart that it is difficult not to love it in spite of its flaws.