I Am with a Monk

On the run from local thugs, a fugitive finds shelter under the care of a wandering monk. Together, they traverse the Thai backwaters – a terrain rife with ruffians who need pacifying, and endless opportunities to put the monk’s patience to the test. Their journey swiftly turns into a series of absurd encounters, brawls, and unexpected lessons in self-discipline.

I Am with a Monk is a wild blend of action cinema, slapstick comedy, a Buddhist parable on karmic relationships, and a spaghetti western set in rural Thailand. The film stars two legends of Thai cinema, Sombat Metanee and Sorapong Chatree, with Khom Akadet – one of the key directors of the genre's golden era – behind the camera. Long, brutal fight sequences sit side-by-side with light-hearted humour, while the violence is defused by the figure of the monk, whose primary weapon turns out to be patience itself.

The subversiveness of I Am with a Monk elevates Khom Akadet’s story beyond the scope of ordinary, if spectacular, action cinema – it stands as a cult, eccentric, and transgressively energetic showcase of genre-bending filmmaking. Restored by the Thai Film Archive, I Am with a Monk offers an immersive dive into Thai pop culture at its most unapologetic and unpretentious.

 

age rating: ages 12 and up
trigger warnings: violence