Hormones(2008) is a romantic comedy that weaves together four stories of young Love, all told in the same time frame during one school break. Each part approaches romance from a different angle, depicting the lives of Thai high school and college students quite well.

Pu (Charlie Trairat) and Mai (Sirachuch Chienthaworn) are the most popular boys at a high school inChiang Mai. They’re friends, but they’re also rivals, always trying to one-up each other—whether it’s taking tests, singing in public, or wooing girls.

Things escalate during the summer with the appearance of Nana (Ungsumalynn Sirapatsakmetha), the girl-next-door type who they haven’t seen for a long time. For the charming Nana, they set their friendship aside, because it’s time to really fight for love and capture her heart before the break comes to an end and she has to go back to Bangkok. The cheesy tricks the boys’ use to win over Nana (and her prized phone number) are funny.

The not-so-natural acting makes this segment feel a bit flat at times, but the various locations that the boys take Nana on dates are interesting.Chiang Mai Zoo, for example, is the home of the only pandas in Thailand. (It was very exciting news back in 2000s when Thailand received pandas as a gift from China. It made the front page of newspapers for like a month!). AndWat Phra That Doi Suthepis a famous temple atop a mountain that boasts stunning views of the city.

Also, we get a glimpse ofSongkran, the annual Thai New Year's Festival, which is celebrated every April with public water fights all over country, and Chiang Mai is one of the most notable areas to attend the festivities. It’s also interesting to hear the Thai northern dialect that the characters speak, contributing to the movie’s sense of authenticity.

Oh Lek’s (Focus Jirakul) story, which is set inBangkok, is different from the others because her lover, Titee (Lu Ting Wei), is not a friend or classmate but a famous pop star from Taiwan! Ahem, her dream lover to be exact—she’s never met him.

It’s not a surprise that teenagers can be in love with celebrities—it’s a common part of growing up. A high-school girl, Oh Lek is also in that stage of life, but it’s not accurate to compare her to most people. She has an obsession. Her room is full of Titee’s pictures and a life-sized cardboard cut-out, and she even starts taking Chinese language classes so she can communicate with Titee when the day she meets him finally (hopefully) arrives.

Oh Lek’s sister and friends clearly think she’s a ridiculously crazy fan girl, but, for her, her love is very real and it pushes her to do everything she can to make her dream come true.

While the premise of this segment is compelling in itself, it’s also well-acted, making it ultimately emotional and powerful. (Focus Jirakul won aThailand National Film Association Awardfor Best Supporting Actress in 2008.)

Next, there’s Jo (Ratchu Surachalas), a college film-nerd who has a crush on his friend, Cee (Chutima Teepanat). In this section, also set in Bangkok, we’re served scenes that are Thai rom-com clichés, but this is intentional, as to show Jo’s awkwardness and inexperience in pursuing a girl.

For example, the way he confesses his love to Cee is inspired by a movie (Love Actually [2003], which, incidentally, inspiredHormones). Or when things aren’t going as he expected, Jo cries fully-clothed in the shower while a sad love song plays on a stereo that’s sitting on top of the toilet. Now, if you’ve ever watchedThai lakorns (soap operas)or music videos, you would get that this crying scene is a very common trope and it’s used here as a sarcastic gag.

Jo’s story shows that, in this period of life, love is taken more seriously by some of us. We start to learn that both the joy of falling in love and the sadness of heartbreak can drive us crazy.

"Hormones" Official International Trailer w/Eng Sub

The fourth storyline focuses on the relationship between of Hern (Chantavit Dhanasevi) and Nual (Thaniya Ummaritchoti), who are both Bangkok college students about to enter their final year. Their long-term relationship is going well, but things change when Hern accidentally meets Aoi (Sora Aoi), a Japanese girl who’s on the same train he’s on, while he’s traveling to meet Nual who has an internship inTrang. This journey is an important test to see if Hern can stay faithful.

This section does the best job in showing the depth and complexity of its main character, Hern. We know he loves his girlfriend—but the appearance of this fantasy girl, along with an impulsive, romantic detour to a beach inKoh Pha-Nganfor theFull Moon Party, loosens him up in ways he might regret later. Love is not so simple when you grow older. It comes with commitment and taking responsibility for your actions.

WhenHormoneswas first released in 2008, it received lots of positive feedback and became one of the most successful movies from the Thai film studio,GTH/GMM Tai Hub, particularly because it was cast with a number of well-known actors and because Thai teens (and adults) could relate in some way to the love stories depicted.

For sure, it’s irresistibly entertaining, and it could even wring out some tears—of joy—in the end.

Thai Movie Central Rating

How to Watch the Full Movie (with Thai Audio and English Subtitles)

—Watch on iTunes (rent/buy).

Additional Notes

—The Thai title of this movie is ปิดเทอมใหญ่ หัวใจว้าวุ่น (transliteration: pid tem yai hwa chi wawun), which roughly means "big school break, hearts aflutter.")

, the highest-grossing Thai film of all time in Thailand.

—Director Songyos Sugmakanan is also known as one of the directors of the iconic Thai romance,My Girl(2003) (a.k.a.Fan Chan). He also helmed the horror movie,Dorm(2006). Both those films star Charlie Trairat, who plays Pu inHormones.Dormalso features Sirachuch Chienthaworn, who plays Mai inHormones.

—Sugmakanan also directed all the episodes in the first season of theHormones(2013) television series.

—Focus Jirakul, who plays Oh Lek, stars opposite Charlie Trairat inMy Girl.

—Ratchu Surachalas, who plays Jo, also appears in the romantic comedy,Seasons Change(2006), as Ched.

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—Chantavit Dhanasevi, who plays Hern in his film debut, also stars inComing Soon(2008),Hello Stranger (2010),ATM: Er Rak Error(2012),One Day (2016), andA Gift(2016). He is also known as a screenwriter.

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—The movie

—The theme song of the movie is อย่างน้อย (transliteration: yang noi). In English, it's "At Least." It's performed bya Thai rock band named Big Ass. Here's the music video in Thai with English subtitles:

Music Video for "At Least" by Big Ass

Credits and Other Info

—Cast:Sora Aoi(Aoi), Sirachuch Chienthaworn (Mai),Chantavit Dhanasevi(Hern), Focus Jirakul (Oh Lek), Ting Wei Lu (Titee), Ungsumalynn Sirapatsakmetha (Nana), Ratchu Surachalas (Jo),Chutima Teepanat(Cee), Charlie Trairat (Pu), Thaniya Ummaritchoti (Nual).

—Director: Songyos Sugmakanan.

—Screenwriters:Nontra Kumwong, Nitis Napichayasutin, Aummaraporn Phandintong, Thongchai Saelor, Songyos Sugmakanan, Prasert Vijitpawan.

—Genres:Comedy,Romance.

—Release Year: 2008.

—Running Time: 2 hours, 14 minutes.

—Movie Images and Video: © GTH/GMM Tai Hub.

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