Bad Genius

bad genius

Bad Genius, known in Thai as Chalard Games Goeng (ฉลาดเกมส์โกง, rtgs: Chalat Kem Kong),[a] is a 2017 Thai heist thriller film produced by Jor Kwang Films and released by GDH 559. It was directed by Nattawut Poonpiriya, and stars Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying in her acting debut as Lynn, a straight-A student who devises an exams-cheating scheme which eventually rises to international levels.

Inspired by real-life news of students cheating on the SAT, the film transplants the heist film structure to a school-exams setting, and features themes of class inequality as well as teen social issues. The young main cast consist of relative newcomers Chanon Santinatornkul, Teeradon Supapunpinyo and Eisaya Hosuwan as Lynn's classmates Bank, Pat and Grace, while Thaneth Warakulnukroh plays her father. Filming took place on location in Thailand and Australia.

plot

Lynn, a straight-A secondary school student living with her father, is accepted into a prestigious school, earning a scholarship for her academic achievements. There, she befriends the good-natured but academically challenged Grace. Lynn begins helping Grace cheat in exams after finding out that their teacher has been leaking questions in private tutoring sessions. She is then approached by Grace's rich boyfriend Pat, who offers payment in exchange for also helping him and his friends. Although at first reluctant, Lynn agrees when she finds out that the school took payments of "tea money" from her father, who earns a modest income as a teacher. She devises a system of hand signals, based on certain piano pieces, and uses them to send answers during exams. Her base of clients eventually grows; however, her cheating is inadvertently revealed by Bank, another top student. She is reprimanded by her father and the school, which suspends her scholarship, as well as her chance to apply for an international scholarship at the university level.

Lynn is brought back into the cycle when Pat and Grace ask her to help them cheat in the STIC—an international standardised test for university admissions. Pat will recruit enough clients to earn them millions of baht from the scheme, which involves Lynn flying to Australia in order to get a head start on the exams—which are held globally on the same day—and send back answers. However, Lynn tells them that she can only do it with Bank's help, and Bank would never consider such dishonesty. Incidentally, though, Bank—who is from a poor family and is staking his future on the same university scholarship—is attacked by thugs in the street, and misses the exam. Lynn approaches him with the offer, and Bank reluctantly agrees.

Together, they make preparations for the final operation. Lynn and Bank will memorise the answers to the test and send them via text message during each break session, using phones hidden in the toilets. Pat and Grace will then print the answers on fake bar codes, attach them to pencils, and distribute them to the clients before sending them off to their test centres. However, on the eve of their flight, Pat lets slip that it was he who ordered the thugs to beat up Bank, forcing him to join their scheme. Enraged, Bank attacks Pat and leaves, and Lynn, shocked at the revelation, begins rethinking her actions. However, Bank returns to confront Lynn, telling her to take responsibility for the situation and finish what she started.

Lynn and Bank's relationship further develops as they fly to Sydney. On the day of the STIC, they complete the first sections of the test according to plan, but Bank is overcome by anxiety and is caught. Lynn struggles to memorise the final section herself, but pulls through by imagining the choices as musical notes. She is pursued by the test administrator after feigning illness and leaving the test centre early, but is released when Bank tells the staff he doesn't know her.

Returning home, Lynn finds that their scheme was great a success, but, broken by the experience, turns her back on her co-conspirators. Some time later, she visits Bank, who has invested his share in revamping his mother's laundry business. Bank, now changed, invites Lynn to start a new, different scheme. She turns him down, telling him that she's made her choice. Lynn finally decides to come clean, tearfully confessing to her father, who comforts her and helps her redeem herself by submitting a formal confession to the STIC organisation.

   
         

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