One year ago, I was scrolling through TikTok when I stumbled across multiple clips of TikTok users filming themselves before and after watching the movie — every video was a person sobbing in theaters. 

What kind of movie can get that kind of reaction?

Now, after sitting on my bedroom floor with blurry vision, crumpled tissues around me and tears streaming down my face, I understand what they felt.

Streaming on Netflix, released April 12, “How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies” follows the story of M (Putthipong Assaratanakul), a college dropout, who quits his gamer life to become the primary caretaker of his terminally ill grandmother, Amah (Usha Seamkhum). Motivated by her fortune, he hopes to win her affection and inheritance before she passes. 

I loved Seamkhum and Assarantanakul’s acting. Whenever they were together, it felt like they were genuinely grandmother and grandson; the way they interacted and shared raw scenes was natural. This was even more impressive because this was Seamkhum’s acting debut. 

This film had me going through a million emotions — one moment I was cursing at the screen as I watched how mistreated and taken advantage of Amah was, and how her brother refused to help as she pleaded for money. Next, I was sobbing when Amah was alone in her house, laughing to herself one last time. That bittersweet moment is what ultimately left me breaking down. 

What I appreciate about this film is how budgetary the set felt. It reminded me of my grandparents’ home in Cambodia — the worn-out furniture, environment, structure of the house and colors are similar to my grandparents’. Thailand and Cambodia are close together, which is why I found the film to be comforting and heartfelt. 

As wild as the title sounds, the storyline isn’t far off. At first glance, it might seem like a heist film, but it is a sentimental drama that leaves the audience wiping away tears as they watch with blurry vision.