4 Minutes (2024)

average bl drama that could have been great if executed differently

The drama started with a unique and well-executed storyline but became confusing in the second half. To be honest, I had no idea what was going on—which storyline was the real one? What was happening? In the end, it all made sense, but it was kind of disappointing. Also, they could have done a better job of editing the scenes. It is a real shame as the drama started really strong.

On the other hand, the acting was superb, especially the second leads, Korn and Tonkla, who stole the show. The intimate scenes were 🔥

Overall, it was an average BL drama that could have been great if executed differently.

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Would’ve Worked Better as a 2-Hour Movie, Story Feels Stretched

Honestly, I would’ve liked it more as a 2-hour movie rather than a series. Maybe it’s a budget thing, but it really felt like they stretched the story out.

First, the acting. Nothing felt weird or cringey—they all played their characters well. The cinematography was fine too, no issues there. But the forced happy ending? That didn’t sit right with me. It made no sense for Great’s character to still be alive, almost like he was being given a chance to redeem himself just because he’s the main lead.

I’m also confused—did I miss why Tonkla didn’t kill Title? There were also a few unnecessary characters, like Dr. Den’s female patient. And Manee, the woman Great hit, has these random scenes where she’s alive, and there’s also this mystery about her child’s death(?)Plus the temple scene. But isn’t this Great’s memory that’s supposed to be fixed in 4 minutes? It all got a bit confusing, and it’s definitely not everyone’s cup of tea.

But that’s how the real world is, right? No one’s entirely good or sinless. Nothing’s purely black or white; it’s all gray, just like real people.

Oh, and I have to mention—the product placement wasn’t smooth at all. It really stood out, especially in that swimming pool scene with the sunscreen. But, whatever.

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my remaining bit of innocence is gone lmao-

I had pretty high expectations from this show and I was certainly not disappointed. It was one of those shows that the plot was so over the place that it made me wanna watch more. I couldn’t not finish it.
Although the plot was a little questionable, like almost too abstract, it was still very good. I was never bored.
Bible is also a very good actor and I think all of them did a good job portraying their characters.
I must say though, the amount of red flags throughout this series was crazy. Literally, not a single character was even remotely nice. I’m not complaining though!
I swear though, almost every episode had an explicit scene. I felt as if I shouldn’t be watching it, if u know what I mean lmao- Like why did Tonkla always want it raw 😭😭😭?! This was one of those shows that I made sure to watch at night. The amount of questionable scenes would be too risky to watch out in broad daylight.
Anyways, I quite enjoyed this series. I have some opinions about the ending, but other than that it was pretty decent!

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Result of the combination of good script, acting and staging (First update from the original review)

In 'Manner of Death', 'Triage', 'Dead Friend Forever - DFF', 'Make a Wish' and 'Bite Me' the famous Thai screenwriter Isaree Siriwankulthon (Sammon), reiterates her interest in witnessing the suspense, the alteration of the time, time loop, medical-forensic work, hospital environment, police investigation, kidnapping, murder, slow-burn romance, friendship, family relationships, school and university ecosystem, unjustly accused characters, action, political, police and business corruption, always having homosexual characters as protagonists.
For her part, director and screenwriter Ning Bhanbhassa Dhubthien has demonstrated, through the series 'KinnPorsche' (2022) and the film 'Man Suang', that both film and television language constitute a tool that she can also use at her own discretion taste, and in which, incidentally, you have the possibility of continuing working with your most recurring motifs or thematic interests.
In '4Minutes', the series in which Sammon and Ning join forces for the first time, the actions of the peculiar creatures that populate the creative universe of the Thai author duo remind us of those of some of the protagonists of the aforementioned works, bringing us closer to their characters in a very sensitive, fluid and ethereal way, recording their most banal movements and glances and turning them into revealing moments by transmitting all the intensity of love through tenderness, melancholy and an enveloping atmosphere.
Great, its central star, is one of the most striking characters to emerge from Sammon's imagination: a university student at the Faculty of Business Administration and son of a rich businessman, blessed with a gift that is also a curse, since he has the supernatural ability to know what is going to happen in the future 4 minutes in advance, always and when it affects him.
This power leads him to alter the results of many events, while the memory of what happened visits him again and again in his imagination. Thus, the story restarts from the beginning, over and over again, so the audience will have to pay attention to discover which is reality and which is not.
He a piece of character, very competently defended by Bible Wichapas Sumettikul ('KinnPorsche'), in which it could very well be the most significant role of his still young and promising artistic career, and thanks to which he unleashes fervor among lovers of the Thai dramas, especially LGBT+ themed fans.
He knows it and devotes himself with devotion to building it, polishing it, making it unique, to providing it with an empathy that overflows the screen and allows him to put himself in the viewer's pocket. His acting counterpoint with Jes Jespipat Tilapornputt ('Sassy Player', 2009), - his counterpart in 'Spaceless', a short film directed by Jatuphong Rungrueangdechaphat, also in 2024, and which serves as a letter of introduction to the acting couple - seduces and fascinates. As do the episodes that make up the drama from its beautiful presentation to the no less admirable farewell.
The friendship that develops between Great and Tyme takes them on a journey of discovery and acceptance that explores male vulnerability. However, it is not a simple story of a couple of friends succumbing to love. That is very seen and would be too predictable.
On the other hand, '4Minutes' is a more rounded, absorbing and sentimental story about two young people who find themselves involved in an exciting intrigue in which there will be no shortage of industrial espionage, murder, kidnapping, betrayal, infidelity, unfulfilled promises, political and police corruption, the proximity of death, revenge, score settlements, martial combats, and explicit sexual scenes (completely removed from the universe of pornography) and that provide absolute meaning to the characters' history .
On the other hand, '4Minutes' is a more rounded, absorbing and sentimental story about two young people who find themselves involved in a passionate intrigue in which there will be no shortage of industrial espionage, murder, kidnapping, martial combats, and explicit sexual scenes ( totally removed from the universe of pornography) and that provide absolute meaning to the characters' story.
With this premise, the director manages to develop a deep character study, investigating the existential motivations and experiences that shape them as individual beings but also as people united by an unbreakable bond. Likewise, it explores complicated relationships, social barriers, and depicts more than one gay romance while challenging social norms and embracing the power of love, acceptance, and understanding. It is much more than a simple love story.
Sammon has created a very intelligent script, in which the dialogues are the basis of the story. Through the conversations that Great and Tyme have, two characters emerge like few we have seen. The screenwriter's prose is almost lyrical and manages to capture the realism and naturalness of their relationship, friendly first, then romantic. The viewer is transported into the story, as if he had the two young people in front of him and was asking permission to jump to the other side of the screen at any moment to join the conversation.
As Great and Tyme connect, their relationship faces numerous complications. Great tries to understand what is causing his abnormality and how to escape it, while dealing with personal and family problems. For his part, Tyme secretly investigates criminal acts in which Great's family may be involved, especially his father, mother and older brother, Korn, played convincingly by Bas Asavapatr Ponpiboon, a character who adds greater complexity to the story.
Likewise, the stories that unite Tonkla, Inspector Win, Dome and Title, characters played by Fuaiz Thanawat Shinawatra, Jay Patiphan Fueangfunuwat, Mio Athens Werapatanakul and Jet Jetsadakorn Bundit, in that order, play an important role in the development of the series.
In this sense, a chance meeting with Great could help Tyme try to get closer to the young university student with the intention of penetrating his family circle to carry out his revenge, since he blames Great's family for the death of his parents. All this, while trying to save his grandmother from reprisals and fulfilling his duties as a doctor at a large hospital in Bangkok.
What begins as a game of cat and mouse will end up becoming a journey of no return. While Great secretly serves Tyme's interests to get even, the boundaries between sexuality and male friendship are continually compromised, with both characters drawn to each other.
The incredibly talented cast, which in addition to the aforementioned actors, includes JJay Patiphan Fueangfunuwat as Inspector Win, Fuaiz Thanawat Shinawatra as Tonkla, Job Yosatorn Konglikit as Den, Mio Athens Werapatanakul as Dome, and Jet Jetsadakorn Bundit as Title, It adds a touch of depth, elegance and authenticity to the series, and nails each scene and makes it believable.
The plot of the story is woven based on the two axes of coordinates that constitute Great's respective relationships with Tyme, a surgeon whom he knows due to his supernatural ability, and the one he has with his powerful family, businessmen they will not hesitate to commit the most terrible crimes if these help them get away with their crimes in the competitive business world.
The development of dramatic tension will be the result of both vectors, which pull Great in opposite directions, and which will narratively establish the counterweight between two categories of values, which will face each other on the stage table, and to which he must have a clear and lucid choice for one of the two: both at an aesthetic level and in content, which we will see trying to be resolved in the treatment of the psychological level and development of the characters.
In the photography of Pavarisa Tadde and Ittipong Klinchart, the exuberant beauty of colors and light of the luxurious surroundings of the Great mansion, the beautiful city landscapes, contrast with the most gloomy and degraded spaces, such as those of hospitals, also seen as a setting of pain and death, the humble house in which Tyme lives with his grandmother, since his parents died long ago, or those in which a corpse frequently appears.
In the context of Great's environment we also see how, both at the level of photography and staging, there is this significant disparity: the luminosity and brightness in the daytime scenes, with the darkest, warmest tones (from yellowish to almost reddish from inside the house); In both, he participates in the fiery internal love dynamics in which the protagonist begins to anticipate, in the form of a visual fantasy, his passion for Tyme.
The soundtrack by Terdsak Janpan fits perfectly with the moods of the characters and the tone of each moment. The music wonderfully delves into this suffocating, mysterious and at some points almost depressive character, in which we see Great's tortured spirit immersed, until he decides to free himself and surrender to his love and resolve the conflicts that surround him.
As I've probably already said in some way, the main charm of the series comes from the relationship between the two young people, who build a very special bond. The chemistry between Great and Tyme is palpable: the two transmit tenderness, camaraderie and a lot of passion. This helps a lot at a certain point in which the protagonists meet like two chess players with a board in between.
At the level of content, the struggle of opposite poles is manifested in this clash between the protagonists' will for healthy fulfillment and the suffocating reality that surrounds them.
Once again, Sammon demonstrates his good eye when it comes to finding unexpected narrative angles, building a solid network of emotions, designing fascinating characters and plots, and telling an attractive story while weaving its edges, taking his time, pampering and caring for the story, to give rise to a series that is summarized as one of the best in recent years.
'4Minutes is an emotional and heartfelt proposal that makes us forget that it is not Jespipat Tilapornputtde the actor who was supposed to play Tyme.

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Espetacular, diferente do que eu esperava

Comecei a assistir com receio, antes de começar tinha uma visão de q a história seria só "safadeza", mas decidi dar uma chance e ainda bem que dei essa chance!!
Eu adorei esse bl, me surpreendeu de todas as formas. Tem uma história fora do comum, muito cativante que te faz querer saber mais, uma produção incrível e uma atuação impecável de todos os personagens. Fiquei prendida do começo ao fim e não vou mentir que precisei de ver uns comentários pra entender o enredo final da série.
Não vou me prender muito sobre como é a história pq não vou saber explicar melhor do que a sinopse, mas é definitivamente um dos melhores bls do ano e que vale muito a pena assistir, sensacional!

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This was highly disappointing

I don't even know what to say about this mess of a series. I can't believe I waited this long to watch this only to be highly disappointed.

First of all, the acting is terrible. Absolutely cringe. I expected better of Bible because I just adored his character of Vegas in KinnPorsche but whatever this is was is not it.

Bible as a bottom isn't working. The new partner is very talented but it's obvious that he's having to carry Bible a good majority of the time and I hate saying that because I really did enjoy Bible in KinnPorsche.

I don't like the new ship either and it's not that it's any fault of Jes' because he's a damn good actor but there's no chemistry with Bible. And Jes has always had good chemistry with all of his costars. Why is it so different with Bible? I don't know but it isn't working for me.

Second of all, the overwhelming use of NC scenes is disappointing. There's no storyline at all. And not to mention how unrealistic the sex scenes are. Totally unrealistic. Don't even get me started on the full frontal shot. It's very obvious that the over use of NC scenes were used to draw people in to distract them from the bad acting and no storyline. The lack of facial expressions from Bible is also concerning. I don't know what the hell happened to Bible but something is off with him. Jes my guy, please go back to what you were doing before. BL isn't for you dude. You're too talented for this disaster. You shouldn't have to carry someone 24/7.

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La premisa confunde...

La sinopsis de la serie nos indicaba que Great tenía "el poder" de ver 4 minutos en el futuro, y lo hacía de una forma muy deliberada. Esto generó confusión en nosotras como espectadoras, ya que muchas creímos que estábamos viendo líneas temporales distintas o que la historia se narraba de manera desordenada.

Sin embargo, el enfoque de 4 Minutes va mucho más allá del simple uso de recursos narrativos llamativos. La serie se centra en los dilemas éticos que enfrentan las personas cuando hieren a alguien que aman, lo que estamos dispuestos a hacer bajo el pretexto de la supervivencia y el miedo a las cuestiones no resueltas ante la posibilidad de dejar este mundo.

No creo que solo Jes y Bible se hayan destacado; todo el elenco ha estado sublime, asumiendo riesgos poco comunes en la industria, especialmente en escenas NC que quizás no eran imprescindibles, pero fueron filmadas con la clara intención de satisfacer a un público internacional.

En cuanto a la cinematografía, BOC siempre sobresale.

Me entristece pensar que podría pasar mucho tiempo hasta que Bible tenga otro proyecto de esta magnitud, o que Jes solo haya firmado para este y no continúe con la dinámica del "ship"...

Pero bueno, siempre podemos volver a ver 4 Minutes.

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A Gripping Mystery That Explores Love, Regret, and the Complexity of the Human Mind

I enjoyed the show. The mystery was spot-on for me; there were no plot holes, and all the dots connected perfectly by the end. The way they revealed what "4 minutes" stands for was brilliantly executed.

However, there were some aspects of the plot that I wished had been clearer:

*The Love Between the Main Characters
While I could feel their love for each other, I struggled to believe that a week was enough time for their relationship to fully blossom. It felt rushed. I think the writer could have given them more time to deepen their emotions, which would have also allowed the audience to better understand their attraction and love.

*The Second Leads Should Have Been the Main Leads
Plot-wise, Korn and Tonkla's story was the origin of all the chaos that unfolded in the show. If they had been the main leads, the narrative might have felt more cohesive. I understand this would mean the show couldn't be titled 4 Minutes, but the second couple deserved more prominence—not just as supporting characters but as the primary focus.

*Lack of Character Depth
Most of the characters lacked background stories, except for Tonkla. This made it hard to connect with anyone else emotionally. Tonkla stood out because I could relate to his emotions and understood his motivations better. I wish the writers had explored the other characters’ backstories more, as it would have helped the audience form a deeper connection with them.

Overall, the show is a must-watch. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a series that kept me hooked from start to finish. I especially appreciated the main theme of the show: how complex our brains are and how they can create an entirely different life to help us cope with regrets. I totally recommend this show!

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started with a bang ended with a whimper

The first half of this show is immaculate. I love everything from the acting, the storytelling, the visuals, the music... I was super hyped for how the second half. And while the acting and most of the other positives carried over into the second half, there was one thing that definitely fell off. The Storytelling.

But in true shit-burger fashion, let's start with a positive first. The cast.

These actors really know how to put up a show and get you invested in the characters. Even though there were a lot of them, I was invested in them all from episode 1. So, yes, definitely a round of applause for Bible, Jes, Bas, Fuaiz, Lilly, and everyone else.

I really enjoyed what Jes did with Tyme's character, he was in no way the stereotypical brooding emotionless stone of a man. From the very beginning he allowed us to see that there is so much more to Tyme than meets the eye. Similar compliments go to Bible, of course. He proved that he has great range. Great was very intriguing, yet irritating and it was thanks to Bible that I was still rooting for him through all the bullshit he pulled. I was going through it with this man, truly.

The cinematography was stunning, as to be expected for the production company of Kinnporsche, I guess. Every shot, ever frame, you felt the love. You could randomly pause this show and it would look amazing. The special effects were underlining the emotions rather than distracting from what was happening on screen. I can't really praise this show for these things enough.

Now to the negatives.

The biggest gripe I had with this show was the ending. But let's start from least to most aggravating.

13. I know the whole thing of this show is that your brain can survive 4 minutes without oxygen when your heart stops or whatever, but--I'm not a doctor or anything--wouldn't it result in brain damage or any other lasting effects if you'd actually nope out for four full minutes? This show is like the five second food bacteria rule but for death. Like these four minutes are some sort of dream land you can go to whenever you are unconscious and only once the clock strikes 4 minutes, you are dead, exactly 240 seconds. Not a second less or more. Then again, it's a show, so, you know.

12. Why do these BLs keep shoving guitars into shows that have nothing to do with music? What was the reason?

11. While I appreciate that we have now reached a point in BL shows where girlfriends have not to be villanized, I'm not sure why Tyme had to have a girlfriend here because she was there for like two scenes(?) and in both scenes they broke up so... Idk.

10. Medical dramas or shows with medical elements are rarely 100% accurate but I still can't help but notice and nag at the little nonsensical stuff like doctors/nurses not wearing mask when they should, a doctor telling a random visitor where to find the surgeon who was performing a surgery this very second, etc.

9. Why did they randomly choose to put a very identifiable Kinnporsche song as the last song for this show? It isn't that big of a deal but I thought it was odd. Why would your last goodbye for this show be a reminder of another show?

8. The different timelines and alternative versions of reality got me tripping. What happened to Manee who had tried to kill herself in the first episode? Last we saw of her she sat in front of the TV and was smiling menacingly and and doing something at the temple. I think she died in the final timeline so that was... pointless? Or am I messing things up? (if anyone could explain this to me, I'd be forever grateful)

7. While I really enjoyed the chemistry of Tonkla and Korn, I wished we would've seen more of them. The flashbacks of their first meeting and relationship was cute but their breakup was... harsh and I didn't really feel like there was much left after they parted ways. Hell, Tonkla lost his brother and Korn didn't think about checking in on him after he threw him out? Only after his own life blew up and he was left with nowhere to turn he suddenly seemed to remember his so-called love of his life. And then they reunite and suddenly everything is well until Tonkla reveals the cheating and then Korn is ready to die with him?? I really, really am a sucker for parallels and that shot of them on the bed and the cut to them on the ground GOT ME but that doesn't erase that their reunion felt very lackluster and sudden. (also Tonkla was revealed to be serial killer but we didn't really get time to sit with that because he died a second later)

6. I don't mind explicit sex scenes, I think that in the right hands they can convey a lot and really add something to a story and the characters. (I'm not sure why Tonkla was begging to do it raw with his men but maybe it was some deeper emotional reason that we were not privy to or can only assume.) We are already familiar with the kind of explicitness BOC shows seem to come with but I was surprised just how much we got and with how many different people. And I didn't mind for the most part, but looking up the age of Tonkla's actor had me clutching my pearls, not gonna lie as he got not one but three very explicit scenes if I remember correctly (no I will not go back and fact check). I hope that he was working with a great intimacy coordinator and was comfortable because that does seem a lot for an 18 year old (same goes for the rest of the cast as well of course). I don't know why BOC feels the need to cast these very young barely 18 actors do to play these roles (at least with Barcode they kept it all PG).

5. I'm not really sure how I feel about the way Tyme's arc ended, to be honest. While I was on-board with everything else, I am not a huge fan of "let go of revenge" trope. Because I am petty and if someone not only killed my parents but also killed my grandma aka my last living relative, you know it's on sight. "You forgive someone not for them but for yourself, you have to let go to be free, if you lose yourself in revenge you will always be trapped" okay maybe that works for you but I can only know peace if they suffer for what they did (for legal reasons this is a joke). I guess that they sort of had to go down that road for Tyme to be still considered a "good (enough) person" and because of the doctor ethics thing they sort of had to do that, but it felt.. easy. I mean this guy was doing it all from revenge porn to willingly have a victim of abuse go back to her abuser to gather information for him, etc. I'm just saying that sometimes you have to let your characters go apeshit and let them own it, and sometimes you have to go a little less apeshit if you want them to still be seen as these Good People TM.

4. I think that applies to Great as well. While I appreciate Great going to the police to "own up" to what he did to Dome and help covering up his murder but the "pep talk" from Tyme felt very tone-deaf. What Great did was bad. You don't cover up a murder accidentally. There is no way to "well, actually" it. What baffled me is that in the OG timeline he decided to leave this woman he ran over to die and somehow that didn't bug him as much as the Dome-thing. Interesting.

3. While I understand that in the end the people Great saved by his 4 minutes power had to die, since it was all in his head, but it felt a bit... comical almost? These people were dropping like flies in what felt like minutes (I was binge watching this show so maybe that's on me). First Manee, then Dome, then Nan, then his mother, then Great himself, then Tyme, then Tonkla and Korn, etc. Like, at some point I wasn't sure who HADN'T died.

2. Like I mentioned, I was going through it with Great. His character was fine in the first few episodes when he had the "look into the future" power (which was in the end meaningless because it was all in his head and nothing of that happened but at least he regrets his actions I guess), but as soon as that fell away and we saw what really happened, he was really messed up. He ran over a woman and left her to die, was friends with a guy who kept his girlfriend locked in his room until she took him back, witnessed him killing a classmate and then helped him hide the body and watch another woman get killed right on front of him without trying to intervene. There's so much blood on his hands, I'm not sure his good deeds could ever outweigh that in the slightest. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate him or anything, but if he had died by Tonkla's hands, I wouldn't have felt sad or bad for him at all.

1. The way this show cut between the in-their-head 4 minutes and the real world timeline without any context or change of color or filter or anything (as a lot of shows do to make it easier for the viewer to differentiate) had me confused big time. I don't know why they decided to cut back and forth like that especially because they decided to show some scenes twice to help you catch up to where in the timeline we are right now but on the other hand decided to change or leave out other scenes and you had to sort of piece it together yourself what had happened like in Great's 4 minutes timeline and what had happened differently in the OG timeline. I think there was a better way to tell this in a less confusing way with a little "Great's 4 Minutes" or filter or color grading thing, but I guess a lot of the "plot twists" and "shockers" were sort of depended on having you think this was real or not real, so maybe they did want to confuse us, I don't know... In the end 4+ characters had their own 4 minutes going on, so that didn't really help at all. During episode 8 my brain was just dial up sound on a loop. I'm sorry, maybe that's a me problem and it actually is super logical and all that time I wasted on that clock app finally caught up to me, but come on.

And to complete the shit-burger and end this review on a sweeter note, let's have a look at another positive: The Chemistry. No matter if it's the main course or the side dish or the desert, it was definitely filled with chemistry. The tension was so thick you could have cut it with a knife. I don't know what BOC is doing to these people but keep it going.

To sum it all up: 4 Minutes was a show with an interesting concept with an amazing cast and crew that started out great but eventually fell off due to confusing storytelling and disappointing character arcs and ending.

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