Netflix’s Best New Movie Scored 98% On Rotten Tomatoes

I recently put together an article that highlighted some of the most critically revered movies on Netflix—the movies that scored 95% or higher on the Rotten Tomatoes system. The “fresh” certification is handed out to any film that scores above 60%, but not many make it into the 90th-percentile, and only a select few inch their way toward 100%. And today, one of those rare movies has been added to Netflix—a movie that now ranks amongst the ten highest-rated on the streaming service; a Thai blockbuster that broke box office records last year in theaters; a film that has stunned audiences with its incredible tear-inducing tale. So what movie owns this near-perfect rating of 98% on Rotten Tomatoes? Get ready for this title: How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies.

If you live in the United States, there’s a decent chance you haven’t heard of it. But if you live in Southeast Asia, then you know how this tearjerker made film history. Since its April 4, 2024, release in Thailand, How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies has earned $73.8 million worldwide, making it the biggest international hit ever produced by Thailand (it was also the second highest domestic grossing Thai film of 2024). Last year, the mega-hit would go on to break box office records in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines, all the while taking the world by storm with sold-out screenings, fan meet-and-greets and viral videos of sobbing audiences becoming commonplace.

You might think such a viral hit would own a crazy storyline. But, really, outside of its farcical nature, the story is actually very humble and, in terms of its themes, quite familiar. This film from first-time director Pat Boonnitipat begins a bit of cynicism: what if a selfish grandson only volunteered to care for his terminally ill grandmother…just to get her inheritance? That’s where we start, as M (played by pop star Putthipong “Billkin” Assaratanakul in his debut lead role), a college dropout whose only aspirations are to achieve streaming fame, eyes such a golden opportunity when his grandmother Mengju (Usha “Taew” Seamkhum) is diagnosed with late-stage cancer. As he moves into her modest home, initially to win her favor, he ends up discovering not just her daily rhythms and family history—but his own capacity for care, patience and love.

Don’t be fooled by the eye-catching title. This movie isn’t just some cheeky caper, some pessimistic mess about pulling one over grandma. No, what unfolds is a richly layered and surprisingly graceful look at how families remain bonded and strong amidst turmoil, especially when money, grief and unresolved tensions get in the way. For a rookie director, Boonnitipat displays incredibly measured direction, and his script (which was co-written alongside Thodsapon Thiptinnakorn) never reduces the characters into overplayed archetypes. The characters are human—they all want something from grandma—but none of them are villainous.

To boot, Mengju—a cranky, sharp-tongued street vendor in Bangkok’s Talat Phlu neighborhood—is no helpless elder. She goes toe-to-toe with her family, keeping her children and grandchildren constantly on their toes, adding vibrancy to the movie’s energy. Seamkhum’s performance—her first ever in a feature film—has been universally celebrated for its bite and warmth, anchoring the story in both cultural specificity and emotional honesty.

Even given its Thai-Chinese setting, How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies has struck a chord with audiences around the world. The film taps into a universal family experience, one that involves the looming specter of loss, one that invites complicated motives that surface near the end of one’s life. Whether it’s a cousin calculating who gets the house or a daughter quietly sacrificing her own health for her mother’s care, the story hits familiar beats, made all the more powerful by how gently and thoughtfully they’re portrayed.

Reviews have praised the film’s delicate balance of comedy and heartbreak. RogerEbert.com highlighted the “lived-in details” of the story and its “sunny, gracious portrait of family life,” while Screen Daily called it “a sentimental journey to redemption grounded in understanding and empathy.” Perhaps most tellingly, Film Threat said the film “brims with wisdom and insight,” capturing the unpredictable ways we grow up, and grow closer, when we’re forced to be there for one another.

It’s rare for a film to be both a box office juggernaut and an intimate, personal story. But How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies manages that magic trick. It’s not just about inheritance. It’s about attention. Presence. Time. And the quiet ways that love can sneak up on us, especially when we weren’t looking for it in the first place.