Monkey Twins is a Thai-language crime/martial arts series picked up by Netflix in 2018. In the main roles, we have a few actors who have worked with Tony Jaa, known for Ong-Bak and The Protector. Monkey Twins is what you would get if Tony Jaa either produced a Netflix show or his films were spread into TV shows.
Season 1 Review of Monkey Twins
This is a story of three characters with agendas that cross at the same point in the Thai underworld. We’re first introduced to Mawin, an undercover cop who can hold his own. His duty brings him into contact with the other two via a shared enemy.
Recently released, Neua was wrongly accused of the death of his girlfriend. He is attempting to move on with life after the legal system failed. When he isn’t playing Hanuman in the family’s khon dance street show, he boxes for money.
Lin-In left her family’s xiqu—Chinese opera—after failing to receive training and work as a singer. Instead, she studied stunt work which turns out to be useful as the season goes on. Her sister dated Neua before her death and Lin-In wants answers. The target of anger changes as the story develops.
So, there are three storylines but actually it’s one, straight-forward, interconnected story.
Verdict: 6 out of 10
There’s a lot of action, smooth fight scenes that don’t look hyper-rehearsed, and some romance and drama on the side. I would say this is one of the closest shows to being what I look for balance-wise. The only problem with Monkey Twins is the pacing.
I can excuse how bad the gunfire sounds or the outrageous chases and fight scenes. However, this show is heavily action and for some reason, it seems to go on for a long time. This isn’t a slow burn into an explosion of a climax. Monkey Twins really seems to drag to the point a 53-minute episode feels like an hour and 30.
The pacing doesn’t have to be perfect but I shouldn’t feel burned out to the point of not wanting to watch more at the moment. This show would’ve been higher but instead, I have to put on the outskirts of “Check It Out.” I wouldn’t say chuck the series down but know that these eight episodes can be a time investment.
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