Summary
Don’t Come Home fools you into thinking this is a standard horror series, but it becomes so much more.
Don’t Come Home is deceiving in many ways. It lures you into thinking that you are watching a standard horror series about paranormal experiences in a rundown house—something that we are all far too similar to in that genre.
But that couldn’t be further from the truth. The Netflix Thai limited series expands beyond typical horror fodder and provides a thought-provoking thriller series with an intriguing mystery. It’s a mystery designed to catch you off-guard.
The story follows Varee, a mother who returns to her childhood home with her young daughter, Min. She’s a victim of domestic abuse from her husband, so this is a desperate measure to get away from her married life. When moving back into the old family home, she and her daughter experience what appears to be ominous and paranormal, forming the basis of the story.
Then, one day, her daughter disappears, and the plot thickens. Captain Fah, a member of the police force, becomes involved in the investigation and unearths a compelling mystery.
Admittedly, I was preemptively bored at the start of the series because my naive, arrogant self felt I could predict the story’s outcomes. I was surprised by the intricacy of the story. I was absolutely wrong with my predictions. And in a way, I was glad, as it takes a lot to be surprised by a TV show these days.
I’m not saying the intricacy was particularly special. There are certainly more worthy and complex stories, but Don’t Come Home moves from a spooky haunted house to something meaningful.
Because the series is limited, it takes some risks, too, which I feel some audiences may criticize, especially the jaw-dropping ending, which I was pretty fond of.
The theme of motherhood is powerful in Don’t Come Home. I’d argue it’s the crux of the story. I’d go even further and say that it is the story. The power of the motherly bond can never be scientifically concluded because there’s something otherworldly about it, and the Thai series articulates it in a wonderfully dark but sometimes meaningful way.
Eventually, Don’t Come Home doesn’t feel like a horror series. It’s certainly a mystery. I can’t recall any jumpscares. The first two episodes build the tension, but it’s not unbearable. The people behind the TV show clearly wanted to write a good Netflix series.
Don’t Come Home is a well-crafted Thai thriller on Netflix that will surprise many audiences with its enticing mystery and thought-provoking themes.
