Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Four bachelors share an apartment and make an interesting pact after a drinking party—Almond, the youngest among them, offers to cover an entire year’s rent for whoever helps him hook up with his college crush.
Spanning 12 episodes, the Thai series ‘Knock Knock, Boys!’ is a light comedy that follows the romantic lives of its four bachelor protagonists. Nokia Chinnawat Phattharathan plays Almond, a wealthy college freshman with a huge crush on his classmate Jumper (Varayu Pusomjitsakul), and hopes his flatmates will help set them up. Jaonine Jiraphat Sodjam portrays the pansexual Latte, who is both Almond’s classmate and flatmate, and one of the most likable characters in the series. Vittawin Veeravidhayanant (‘Check Out‘) plays the nerdy Peak, who is dealing with issues at home. Seng Wichai Saefant rounds out the group as Thanwa, a food blogger who loves cooking meals for his friends.
I was thoroughly enjoying the series until episode 5, which introduces an unnecessary and problematic conflict that disrupts the otherwise light-hearted tone. A clip of one of the characters in a compromising position is leaked on social media, leading to some serious misunderstanding about who is responsible. When the truth finally comes out in the second half of the series, it doesn’t even make much sense.
Nokia Chinnawat Phattharathan and Jaonine Jiraphat Sodjam are quite endearing as Almond and Latte (the names are too funny), and their onscreen chemistry is sweet. The slow, comedic romance between their characters is one of the redeeming qualities of ‘Knock Knock, Boys!’. However, Vittawin Veeravidhayanant and Seng Wichai Saefant seem mismatched—their chemistry isn’t convincing, despite their solid performances. Vittawin’s character, Peak, is particularly frustrating, as he’s an annoying people-pleaser who literally runs away from his problems. Seng Wichai Saefant is proving to be a versatile actor, from playing a crazy-creepy teen in ‘Secret Crush on You’, to being the calm, rational, and understanding Thanwa in Knock Knock, Boys, Seng displays a chameleon-like ability to seamlessly embody each character he plays.
While Knock Knock, Boys! was marketed as a fun, spicy romantic comedy about four flatmates betting on who can get Almond to lose his virginity, that plotline wraps up by the fifth episode, which is less than halfway through the series. I expected an out-and-out comedy, but it turned into a not-so-entertaining drama.
Rating: 5 on 10. You can stream “Knock Knock, Boys!” on WeTV.
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