Revisiting the Genius of “Bad Genius”
Making a splash in 2017, this film flew into my radar when it was showcased at the 2019 TIFF: Next Wave festival — a great experience for anyone in Toronto looking for some international films to view for free! Perhaps my initial enjoyment of this film was also enhanced due to warm memories with friends downtown, but it was just as good a second and third time on Netflix.
This was a movie that had me on the edge of my seat. It’s a heist-type formula, but the scheme is not your typical robbery. What started off as Lynn (Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying) helping her friend Grace (Eisaya Hosuwan) and a handful of rich kids pass math, catapulted into a nation-wide scandal which sees Lynn and another genius, Bank (Chanon Santinatornkul), flying to Australia to pull off a mega-cheating operation for the all-important SATs. It’s a fast-paced, brilliantly planned, and stressful film to watch.
The reason I speak highly of this film and its enjoyability is because of the feelings that it was able to invoke throughout its scenes. It’s near impossible to remain passive as a viewer, despite the schemes starting off as relatively “mundane” cheating plans as opposed to grand heists or great escapes that a film of this genre might have. The film uses visual and audio effects to amplify the intense feelings of stress for the students in the situation. The clock ticks incredibly loudly, things move in slow motion, and every little movement from their fellow peers or the teacher is magnified. It’s these details that have you gripping the armrests of your seat, hoping that the characters don’t get caught because it feels like you’re right there with them.
But it’s not just a bunch of wonderfully edited cheating scenes. The story behind every single person, their relationships with each other, their morals, and the role of money are all highlighted. As the movie progresses we see development in each character (sometimes not for the better) and no character’s arc feels complacent. Every single one has their own charming points and brings something new to the table.
In between all of this are comedic scenes, mostly courtesy of my favourite character, Pat (Teeradon Supapunpinyo), that provide light-hearted breaks between the intense and high-stakes cheating sequences. The film moves at a catchy pace that doesn’t slow for a second, keeping me entertained and thoroughly stressed.
