Tropical Malady (2005)
82%RT Audience Score: 77%
Awards & Nominations: 7 wins & 8 nominations
Tropical Malady is a film that transcends the boundaries of traditional storytelling and takes the viewer on a journey through the wilds of the human psyche. With its stunning visuals and adventurous style, this film is a feast for the senses. While some may find the plot meandering, it is actually a deliberate choice that allows the audience to enter a dreamlike state where nothing is quite as it seems. The film explores primal urges, identity, and the nature of self-discovery in a way that is both fresh and honest. It’s a visionary work that is required viewing for anyone who appreciates the art of cinema.
Tropical Malady is a wild ride that takes you on a journey through the jungle of self-discovery. It’s like a fever dream that you don’t want to wake up from, with stunning visuals that will leave you breathless. Sure, it might be a bit confusing at times, but that’s part of the fun. And let’s be real, any movie that’s required gay viewing is a must-see in my book. So grab some popcorn, sit back, and let Tropical Malady take you on a trip you won’t forget.
Production Company(ies)
Zanuck Brown Productions, Universal Pictures,
Distributor
Strand Releasing
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
2004
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital Dolby SR
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 58m
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Language(s):Thai
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jun 29, 2005 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 1, 2005
Genre(s)
Drama/Romance
Keyword(s)
Tropical Malady, Drama, Romance, Thai language, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Charles de Meaux, Alex Moebius, Banlop Lomnoi, Sakda Kaewbuadee, Dolby SRD, Flat (1.85:1), Strand Releasing, $46.7K, reviewed by Kent Jones, Nick Schager, Desson Thomson, Jeff Shannon, Jessica Reaves, Kevin Thomas, Mattie Lucas, Chase Burns, Paul Dale, Kelly Vance, Fernando F Croce, Donald J Levit, 79% Tomatometer, 77% Audience Score, soldier, Thai village, lost boy, jungle, vexing spirit, dreamlike, surreal, atavistic, identity, primal urges, LGBTQ+ themes, experimental, mythological, patient, symbolism, haunting, abstract, reality, mythology, unique, visionary, enigmatic, controversial, provocative, challenging, social protocols, morals, auteur’s vision
Worldwide gross: $46,750
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $73,747
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 3,055
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 8,042
US/Canada gross: $46,750
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $73,747
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,708
US/Canada opening weekend: $270
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $426
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,860
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Sakda Kaewbuadee – Tong
Huai Dessom –
Sirivech Jareonchon –
Udom Promma –
Apichatpong Weerasethakul – Director
Director(s)
Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Writer(s)
Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Producer(s)
Charles de Meaux, Alex Moebius
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
7 wins & 8 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (47) | Top Critics (19) | Fresh (37) | Rotten (10)
Image for image, this hour-long stretch provided the Cannes competition with its most rarefied and ravishing experience.
April 11, 2018
Kent Jones
Film Comment Magazine
TOP CRITIC
As stylistically striking as it is adventurous.
December 20, 2005 | Rating: A-
Nick Schager
Lessons of Darkness
TOP CRITIC
The film evolves into something deeper, a story about the atavistic wildness within people.
September 2, 2005
Desson Thomson
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
For an exquisite taste of sensory cinema, look no further.
August 19, 2005 | Rating: 3.5/4
Jeff Shannon
Seattle Times
TOP CRITIC
Some fantasy films make the leap from reality to reverie relatively seamlessly, hopscotching between the two states without leaving the audience behind. Tropical Malady is not one of those.
August 18, 2005 | Rating: 2/4
Jessica Reaves
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
Tropical Malady is the work of a visionary fabulist.
July 21, 2005 | Rating: 5/5
Kevin Thomas
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
A film about primal urges, identity, and the sometimes terrifying nature of self discovery.
June 26, 2022
Mattie Lucas
From the Front Row
It’s fresh and honest. It’s required gay viewing.
February 1, 2022
Chase Burns
The Stranger (Seattle, WA)
Unlike anything else you are likely to see in the near future, Tropical Malady is a dreamy, enigmatic treat.
April 25, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
Paul Dale
The List
What initially appears a vague and meandering plot line is actually our introduction into a sort of dream state where nothing is what it seems on the surface.
May 5, 2010
Kelly Vance
East Bay Express
Humid transcendence
September 5, 2009
Fernando F. Croce
CinePassion
Camera work in the first half of ‘Tropical Malady’ appears jumpy and interrupted by confusing cuts and artsy tricks.
July 12, 2009
Donald J. Levit
ReelTalk Movie Reviews…
Plot
Tropical Malady follows the story of a soldier stationed in a Thai village who falls in love with a local boy, but the film takes a surreal turn when it splinters into a story about the soldier searching for a lost boy in the jungle and encountering a vexing spirit.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Nothing to add here about Tropical Malady.
Apichatpong-Weerasethakul.jpg
