Delete (Netflix series, 2023)
Delete is a romantic thriller series from Thailand in which the lead characters, who are romantically involved, can use a mysterious phone app to delete people from their lives who are getting in their way.
If writer Aim and his lover Lilly would post their relationship on Facebook it would definitely say ‘it’s complicated.’ But as they are trying to keep their relationship a secret, they probably shouldn’t.
So if deleting people from their lives is easy, well, that would seem like an ideal solution to keeping their relationship a secret. Or it it?
Delete is written by Tossaphon Riantong, Parkpoom Wongpoom and Jirassaya Wongsutin and directed by the aforementioned Parkpoom Wongpoom.
The roles of the secretive couple are played by Nat Kitcharit and Sarika Sartsilpsupa, while Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying, who astarred in the recent Netflix hit Hunger, is also part of the cast.
Conceptually, Delete, is a very interesting series. It is so High Concept that I wouldn’t be surprised to see a Hollywood remake at some point in the future.
But, you may ask, is Delete actually any good? It takes time to build up the drama. We not only get to know Aim and Lilly, but also Lilly’s husband who is rich and owns a ranch and has given Lilly her own gallery to run. But he is jealous.
Meanwhile, Aim’s girlfriend Orn is a photographer and she definitely suspects something fishy is going on as she stepped in one of Lilly’s pointy rings in the shower and her foot bled.
I like the way the series is set up. The pace may seem slow, but to me it feels deliberate, cause there is already a lot of intrigue and I was curious to see where the story was going even before the delete app was introduced.
Apparently, the app is part of a rather unique phone and as the eight part series develops, there are some interesting questions to be asked: what happens to the people who are deleted? Can they come back? And if Aim and Lilly can use the app to delete others, what happens if the phone is actually used by others? I’m not saying all questions will be answered, but things do get clearer along the way.
The actors are very good at internalizing their emotions, while the cinematography is quite stylish, as are costuming and production design.
So as far as I am concerned, there is no reason to Delete this series from your playlist. Enjoy!