How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies (2024): A Touching Thai Family Drama That Stays With You

As a therapist, I'm always interested in stories that explore the complexities of family, belonging, and the things we often leave unsaid. Recently, I watched How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies. It's a 2024 Thai drama that left a deep impression on me, and judging by the tears in the cinema, I wasn't the only one.

This is a remarkable film, directed by Pat Boonnitipat a young Thai filmmaker born in 1990, is inspired by his own family experiences. It offers a deeply personal and universal look at intergenerational relationships, loss, loyalty, and the emotional terrain that families often keep hidden until they're forced to face it.

The Plot (Without Spoilers)

Set in a contemporary Thai Chinese household, the film follows a family during the final days of their grandmother, or Ama, the revered matriarch and the last surviving grandparent. In many Southeast Asian Chinese families, grandparents (Ama and Akong) are the spiritual and emotional anchors, and her impending death begins to unravel longstanding family dynamics.

The central character is M, a young adult grandson who has grown distant from his family and especially from his grandmother. In an effort to reconnect before it's too late, he finds himself navigating family politics, old wounds, and the complexity of love and obligation.

Add another layer of complication to things is that what initially motivates the film's protagonist to repair the relationship with his grandmother are his hopes to receive an inheritance from her. But Ama is too wise to be swindled. To win her trust, M must learn to slow down, listen, and truly see his grandmother for who she is. But how genuine his efforts are is left ambiguous for much of the film.

Themes That Hit Home

This film had the whole cinema audience laughing and crying; no small feat in Paris. Though technically labelled a "comedy," it reminded me more of a Shakespearean comedy: laced with tenderness, drama, and aching humanity.

What stood out most was how nuanced the characters were. No one was reduced to a stereotype. As is common in Thai Chinese culture, much is left unsaid: emotions are often held close, and love is shown through actions rather than declarations. The film trusts its audience to notice the small details, and in doing so, it offers a quiet but profound emotional payoff.

As a therapist, what moved me most was how the film challenges viewers to reflect on their own assumptions: particularly around money, duty, and care within families. For those of us unfamiliar with Asian family dynamics, the way financial matters are openly discussed might seem surprising. But rather than judging, the film invites us to explore our own values through the lens of another culture.

A Cultural Portrait: Thai Chinese Identity on Screen

Another reason I found this film exceptional is its rich, respectful depiction of Thai Chinese culture. While Thai Chinese communities make up a significant part of the population (estimated at 11–15%), they remain underrepresented in international media.

This film opens in a cemetery filled with tombs built into hillsides — a unique and beautiful feature of Southeast Asian Chinese burial traditions. These visual details offer a rare glimpse into a cultural heritage that traces its roots back centuries, from the Ming dynasty's treasure voyages of Zheng He to earlier patterns of migration and trade unearthed in archeological sites in the region.

Thai Chinese culture resembles closely that of Singaporean Chinese culture in Singapore, where I lived for over 13 years, so the film was as nostalgic as it was touching for me. And the representation of how relationships work modern South East Asian Chinese families is entirely authentic. The story of the family in this film reminded me very much of those of my dear friends in Singapore.

Reflection Questions for Viewers

If you've seen the film — or plan to — here are a few questions to reflect on:

1. Why do you think Ama gave the house to the person she did? What might that decision say about her values?
2. What assumptions did you initially make about the characters that changed by the end?
3. How do you handle conversations about money, care, and responsibility in your own family? How might culture shape those conversations?
4. What role do grandparents or elders play in your own life or upbringing?

Why I'm Sharing This

Therapy isn't just about what happens in the room. Films like this can be powerful tools for self-reflection, especially when they explore emotions and relationships we can all relate to, regardless of background.

If this story resonates with you — or if it stirs up some family themes you're currently navigating — feel free to reach out. I offer counselling for English-speaking adults in Paris, both in-person and online.

And if you've seen the film, I'd love to hear your thoughts.