4Minutes (Sultrier Version) (2024)

Strong start average finish

4Minutes actually started out great but the last 2 episodes were not impressive. There are a few unanswered questions and the final episode has a few confusing moments which don't make sense unfortunately or at least they were quite ambiguous and just leave the audience to fill the gap.

I ended up starting the sultier version and it is definitely graphic. There is partial nudity especially involving a minor (at the time of shooting) so it is good that there is a censored version as well. Watch whatever you are most comfortable with.

I rarely watch BLs but the plot summary and title were what intrigued me. I enjoy mysteries and it was definitely fun trying to decipher the clues in each episode before the clarity of the situation finally hits. So that's where it started to be less enjoyable. There are a few editing issues that didn't make sense but don't affect the plot. I was still surprised these things weren't caught.

The show really was a 9/10 for me midway so I expected a strong finish but sadly they were unable to deliver. I felt disconnected from some of the characters by the end because their actions/reactions seemed strange. And some characters don't have the chemistry we were expecting so it feels unbelievable. It is sad because they really could have done well if they covered all their bases and hadn't skipped crucial moments and elaborated things further. I feel disappointed because I had higher hopes but it is worth watching for the suspense.

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So amazing, but the last episodes were weak

This show is definitely worth watching. I loved the plot that just kept you on your toes, and the amount of theories I created was not healthy. I just felt like the last two/three episodes were in stark contrast to the rest of the show and much weaker.

Positives:
- Bible's acting! He was once again just convincing, natural, and just truly a great actor
- The plot. The writing of the plot progression was super interesting, how they kept dropping hints and kept us guessing. The characters were also super interesting, especially how they were morally grey, flawed, and complex.
- The NC scenes. Even though I wasn't the biggest fan of the pairings in this, they're chemistry wasn't AMAZING (but that wasn't the point of the show at all so it's fine), all the NC scenes were full of chemistry, incredibly nuanced, natural, and well-used as storytelling devices. Probably my favourite NC scenes ever.

Negatives:
- The last two/three episodes. The dialogue felt off/forced. The acting suddenly felt unnatural. They tried to wrap up/explain the previous plot in a way that made it feel silly, that dissolved all this great tension they'd previously built in an insignificant way. Truly am a bit disappointed.

All in all, still an amazing series. Maybe not that much rewatch value since it lives off the plottwist. Truly could've been a 10 star if they'd kept up the theme with the last episodes.

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Interesting...

((MAJOR SPOILERS))


First things first I want to applaud this show for being probably one of the few that actually has me hooked till the end in these past months I’ve watched BL, it wasn’t that hard to finish, I think the fact that it has 8 episodes which is a perfect amount plays a part too, because god… 12 episodes is so much and a lot of shows have that amount so they really stretch out the story to the point it gets boring midway. But this show had me hooked, I think the way they made each episode flow was very helpful too. They made sure to confuse the fuck out of everyone in each episode enough to make you wanna continue to the next so your questions can be answered, and trust me if you’ve watched till the last episode, all of your questions will be answered. So there really is no reason why people should be confused. But if you still are, I’m going to explain what this story was about in my words. If there’s anything I misinterpreted or missed then I’ll take the blame lol. But so far what I got was in the first couple of episodes it shows Great and his experiences, at first it shows him living that 4 minutes life, but in reality he’s really in the hospital having a near death experience, then between the middle it shows more info about other characters and then it shows the reality of Great, so basically what Great actually experienced, where he actually runs over the girl and all that. Towards the end it shows Tyme and his near death experience, and he was also experiencing the same thing as Great in the sense of the 4 minutes and such. Then at the end they recover and live happily. So what is there to unpack here? This whole show was based on 2 people who were experiencing a near death experience, and once you’re dying I guess you just relive what you’ve experienced, any guilt or regret you have will transform into the opposite in your brain, that’s why Great could see 4 minutes into the future and basically fix his mistakes, and that’s why Tyme had a whole different life with Great during his 4 minute experience, he had a good relationship with Great and they were dating. But in their actual reality, Tyme didn’t have the best relationship with Great and he treated him pretty badly, so when Great got shot, that guilt stayed with him. And Great regretted running over the girl, and also “helping” or not doing anything to stop Title from killing Dome and more interactions or decisions. So this whole near death experience was a way for the brain and body to cope with the regrets of life and they kind of created their own reality that’s why both Great and Tyme have a whole different view/perspective on how they met and the experiences they had together, but the reality isn’t even close to what they both created. Thankfully both survived and lived to what seems to be happy (YAY), everything seemed to be resolved. Sadly Dome, Korn, and Tonkla passed away. Honestly, they all deserved better. And the fact that Korn killed himself after Tonkla died makes this an even more depressing love story between them. And poor Dome, he was so innocent and kind based on what we saw. He didn’t do anything. And the cop Win, idk I did ship Tonkla and Korn but I first saw Fuaiz (Tonkla) and JJay (Win/Cop) in DFF (Dead Friend Forever) and they were a couple there so this is what I was kind of hoping would happen here too. But I guess in either shows do they have a happy ending T-T. Poor JJay. But yeah this is pretty much it, I also have to applaud those NC scenes, omg… it was giving KinnPorsche. But nothing beats KinnPorsche. Anyway, the only things I would switch about this show is probably making it a little less confusing for the viewers, I like the fun in looking forward to the next episode but they really had me confused for a couple episodes until the end where I was like “OHHHH”. And I guess include a little more romance in it, I know this is a specific genre and the romance is there, but just a tiny bit more would make this show a little more enjoyable. But overall pretty good. In my opinion, this show is good to watch once, I probably will never rewatch, but to give it a try, I will for sure recommend.

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This was sooo good!

I really liked this drama, already watched twice to wrap my head truly around it. I like a good drama bl or not, and a bl that does to need all tropes to be successful. This was thought provoking about redemption and trying to get it right.
The actors were excellent in making the characters pull us in, great job. When you hurt for a character, even if they are flawed, you know they have done their job. This may not be for everyone, this is not the fluffy love story, you need to think. I would say the rewatch factor is high, not just for nc scenes, but the story.

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Confusing, but somewhat gripping

It was a really great watch - to begin with. And then in the gap from episode 5-6, it was like a whole different storyline was happening for no reason, and even when the reason was revealed later on I still didn't understand a thing. It's too hard to differentiate between the timelines, and I only binge watched this over 2 days, so if you leave gaps between the episodes, you'll come back to it like "ok, what the hell is going on now?". If they'd simplified the 4 minutes thing, it could have been a 9 or 10.
I really didn't grasp what the 4 minutes were, how they happened, why they happened - any of it (maybe I'm just dim?), which ruined it for me.

But the acting was amazing (the BRAVERY of them to do those things on camera, especially young Fuaiz... he's in the wrong job, if you get me...). Bas was a BL revelation - from bodyguard to boss.

(As a side note, when I saw JJay with facial hair on Insta, I thought "nah", but on tv and without makeup or anything he actually suits it better than most!)

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Imperfectly enjoyable

Not everything has to be top notch for you to enjoy a viewing experience. It wasn’t a perfect watch and nothing about this was truly unique or outstandingly mind-blowing, from the premise to the acting to its characters, but I have to say that this show felt unique to me from the get go. I’m can’t pinpoint it, though it may be that I’m still pretty new to BLs and Asian dramas in general, so it could be that this being more focused on a openly complicated plot, it having THAT much steam and romance not being the star of the show surprised me when compared to the other stuff that I’ve seen so far. But mostly, I felt like the people behind it had clear intentions and ideas going in, in ways making me think that, while wanting to try something new, they still didn’t do shit without a clear motive behind every shot or line of dialogue. It’s extremely admirable to me and I can honestly say there wasn’t a single second in this where I felt bored watching it. Of course this doesn’t mean that they were actually successful in making the product I KNOW they wanted to make. I do think there are a few issues that they need to fix going in into the sequel to make up for a confusing start. Before naming a few of them, I just want to be clear that by “confusing” I don’t necessarily mean the mystery behind the plot, and that I’m only critiquing the show out of genuine passion and excitement for what’s to come. What’s confusing to me is the script. I can see the ideas, I can see the potential, but then maybe the inexperience or the fact that they wouldn’t/couldn’t make this a couple more episodes long, there were moments where a scene would feel incohesive with the the previous or the next, as if they had to skip some content for them to be able to cram everything in an 8-hour long product. Mind you, I finished the last episode without feeling like I just wasted my time, so I’m sure they did the best they could with what they had. But then again, if the writing was somehow better, it would have benefited everything in here, especially with the characters. The main characters had some pretty fucked up things happening to them both in their backstories and their present, but with it being so plot-heavy and the writing having to make sure they didn’t leave anything important out, the character development itself suffered. Which leaves me feeling like they HAVE developed, but unfortunately I don’t get to see it in a satisfying way. That also means that, if the writing isn’t completely there, then the acting performance also suffers. The only case I felt where a character had a pretty much good arc is Korn, which felt pretty linear. The script did help the actor immensely with a pretty straightforward arc for him, and Bas is already a talent on his own, probably the best one out of the cast if I only have to judge from what you see in this series. That can partially be said for the actor and character of Ton Kla as well. I also KNOW Jes and Bible to be very good and expressive actors, and I did enjoy their performances, but unfortunately scenes weren’t written for them to shine and show their acting abilities.

In conclusion, yes, in a way this does feel like kind of a missed opportunity and there’s definitely some big room for improvement. But at the same time, this had remarkable photography, a pretty thrilling pacing, interesting ideas left and right and I had the best time watching, trying to guess all the possibilities and ways they story could go. I know it looks like I’m kinda bashing it, but I assure you, bullying is how I flirt. And I flirted a LOT with this BL. DEFINITELY worth a watch.

(EDIT: also, someone just reminded of the insane amount of ISDIN ads that were thrown left and right, it really did send me through the roof every time the camera sat for a few seconds on a bottle of sunscreen ?though on a serious note, it surely aligns with my idea that unfortunately the people behind it needed the funding, so good on them if that helped with the production side of things!)

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huh?

This might be one of the most peculiar and disturbing compilation of ads
that I've ever had the dubious pleasure to click through on double speed
while praying that a triple speed option would magically appear on the video playback speed controller.
I mean, such an unabashed waste of talent, time, energy and money has to be illegal.

Standing ovation on the underage sex scenes. Well done, Entertainment Industry. Here's your cookie.

With all the money that was poured into this...cinematic creation, they surely could have put dozens of kids from underprivileged backgrounds through med school. Twice.

And now I'm just sitting here gnawing on my nails worried-sick Charlie Kaufman might actually faint from all the laughter and would have to get hospitalized if he ever happens to watch this. Or from all the crying. Maybe both.
What if he has enough unwasted bad karma and this actually happens?
What would the Wachowski sisters think? LMAO

Ryan Gosling once mentioned the "two for them one for yourself" rule..... My hopeful guess is - for the one whose nickname does not correlate all too well with this abomination of a storytelling, this has to be the one FOR THEM. Also, could these THEY finally leave the grannies alone, please pretty please? Haven't the grannies suffered enough? Just stop it already. Better yet, to paraphrase an old song: leave the grannies and the kids alone!! And the cats, ok?

Emm, let's see:
the Durex's money could have been gone as the intimacy choreographer's wage, naturally.
the Cat Food's and the Sunscreen's money combined - as the medical advisor's wage, deservedly.
(loooved how they thoroughly transcribed all the medical terms. very important! educational! please forgive my sarcasm)
But then something must have gone TERRIBLY WRONG in the writers' room.
Because, surely, they only had money left for the cheap counterfeit vodka for a fuel, and the deadline was yesterday. Oh boy, that must have been tough: counterfeit vodka can make one do\write things, looking back one might not be so proud of.....

Ok then, sounds pretty plausible to me.
Or at least just as plausible as all the nappy marrow that went down within these longest ever 4 minutes.
Hopefully I might be able to unsee it with a heavy dose of baby elephants vids.
Fingers crossed.

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yeah, that's what i thought you'd do [slightly derogatory]

I came into this show knowing I loved about half the creatives and hated about half the creatives, so it was always going to be a best-of-times-worst-of-times situation for me. I was, honestly, pleasantly surprised where we ended up! High production values and an interesting concept will get you quite far, and 4Minutes had both in spades--plenty enough to cover some fumbling of plot lines and moderately lackluster romance. Though I think in the end I enjoyed the concept of this series more than the actual series itself, I am going to send out tweets telling me "when it's finished" friends to pick up... so. I guess they got me there!

-The Full Review-

STORY:
Sammon, Sammon, Sammon... It's always the same shit with you, isn't it? Women bleeding from their pregnancy-related-illnesses, a solid attempt at "medical accuracy." awkward/stiff romance in all the strangest places, and an ending that never quite manages to kill enough of it's darlings to stick the landing. And illegal casinos, now, I guess? I'm being rude.
I think 4Minutes is actually quite a bit stronger than Dead Friend Forever and tighter than Manner of Death. While the ending still dragged, I think there was an attempt to really bring all the pieces full circle that improved the quality of the series overall. I loved the concept a lot, and felt that there was a reasonably good use of the 4Minutes concept throughout the narrative, the strongest being in the earlier episodes.
That said, I think pacing and execution was quite sloppy. The first four episodes were full of intrigue and suspense. but the later episodes didn't keep pace conceptually as the action sped up. The 4Minutes touchstones were lost to a lot of montage and time skips that made it difficult to stay invested in the time-bending narrative. I ended up feeling much more connected to the characters on the grounded timeline.

ACTING:
Well, there's no coy way to say it. I think Fuaiz and Bas stole the show entirely--but I don't think it was entirely their doing. Everyone in this show is at worst a competent actor and at best really quite an interesting performer. However, the structure of the story was much kinder to the characters in "reality," in terms of audience connection and the ability to build character.
Fuaiz and Bas had very traditional character arcs. We get an initial impression of their characters, and then slowly the plot reveals the layers of their psyche. For Fuaiz, I loved the balance of how cold and calculating he tries to be over top the much more unstable distress. The way he broke and then smoothed over the pain was heart-wrenching and won me over immediately. For Bas, the struggle between his responsibilities was not quite so intriguing to me... until it built to breaking point in the final episode. Really beautifully raw emotion coming through with very little dialogue.
For Jes and Bible... I was less impressed. I was surprised, because I loved Bible as Vegas. But the shift between Great's 4Minutes ideal reality, reality as we know it, Tyme's 4Minutes reality, and the new normal... really lost their characters along the way and the romance with it. They felt less dimensional and less stable as characters over time, not more real. The performances in any given moment were solid, but they didn't add up to a coherent character. It was... a little flat.
For the stand out ensemble I am going to take a minute to once again bitch that Be On Cloud is absolutely Wasting Jet by using him in these one-dimensional villain characters. I watched all of the Hidden Character and I fell absolutely in love with rendition of Porsche and I want to see that actor again. Stop punishing him for a bad choice in partner a year ago and give him something to work with!

PRODUCTION:
Gorgeous, as always, though not quite on par with Kinnporsche. I think the stand out moments of this series were the moments when reality and the 4Minute experience begin to blend. The snatches of spot-the-difference were beautifully chosen and very alluring. Unfortunately, some of the other shots got a little muddled and confusing--some of the darkness too dark and unstructured to be clear, some of the effects in the dream scene nauseating, and some of the choices a bit cute for the kind of production they were having. These weren't overly offensive though.
The only two choices I really disliked were the stupid stuffed animals (no one should take GMMTV's lead in shoving blatant merch opportunities into their series) and the use of Why Don't You Stay. Leave what is special to each production where it is. You've gone above and beyond to differentiate this from Kinnporsche and separate the cast from what they were in that series.... the cover was a misstep (and quite poorly sung).

INTIMACY:
Ok. The NC scenes were realistic and artistic. I enjoyed the way we were introduced to characters and their personalities through their sex scenes! I think there was clear purpose and choice for the degree of explicitness these scenes were shot with and I think they really pulled them off well in that regard. I hope that, despite Pond seemingly awarding himself the title intimacy director with no training, these shoots were a positive experience for the cast.
That said,,, They weren't hot LOL??? That's the best way I can think to phrase my complaint. Despite such a degree of explicitness and nakedness, very few of these scenes had a good sense for chemistry and connection. The plot was clear, the choices and conflict was clear, but the connection wasn't really happening in the moment. The pacing and framing always stumbled in a way that prevented them from being great. It feels like a step backwards, if I am being honest.

In all, I knew I was going to struggle with this show and the show struggled in exactly the places I expected it to. So, if you really like Be On Clouds post-Kinnporsche work or you're a huge Sammon fan... you'll probably have a great time (no pun intended)! If you, like me, don't... I think it's still worth watching and interesting work in it's own right. I think this company is still finding it's footing and discovering it's voice. This was a pretty good attempt!

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Challenging but worth it

I didn't want to get too detailed, but okay let me be real I have Thoughts.

The narrative explores the themes of guilt and regret and asks each character to look at their life and choices through the lens of the mysterious moments, the four minutes, between life and death.

What's challenging and provocative, I think, about this series is the non-linear narrative, which appears, at first, very tangled and confusing. However, this series unravels those tangled webs of time and memory and provides us with, in actuality, a very simple story. The non-linear approach effectively shapes that simple story about the follies and sins of its characters into a rumination on the unknowable mysteries of consciousness, memory, and imagination. Using memory as a vector, the series takes moments from its characters' past, connects it to their present, and transposes them into the "4 Minutes" dreamworld: the intangible, fourth-dimensional liminal space between life and death. This space crosses the boundaries of consciousness and imagination itself, with characters reliving past moments, making changes to their own memories and even, seemingly communicating with each other through shared imagination.

One character quantifies this into his "4 Minutes" theory, exploring the idea that these moments between life and death can reveal a person's true character, or at least who they want to be. At the same time, the Real World looms over, telling us that no one can change the past, letting each regret hang over like an executioner's axe. As the series progresses, we're painfully aware that Great couldn't actually do anything to change the events that preceded his near death experience, that his experience in the 4 Minutes was just his regret and imagination at work.

Still, though this is the 'truth' revealed about 4 or 5 episodes in, we're still left with many unknowns about these 4 minutes. Indeed, in a very fitting ending, we're left questioning some aspects of what was real and what was in these 'dreams'. If it was simply "imagination", then why did it seem as though characters learned things they didn't know before? Or seemed as though they were having a shared experience within the 4 minutes?

The series never really aims to answer these questions and so doesn't, because the real heart of the story isn't to give a definitive answer to these mysteries but rather to answer the question of whether, given the chance, a person would change themselves for the better. And so, a change does happen; perhaps Great couldn't change the past, but he could and does change his future, which is, ultimately, what saves his life in the end.

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Phenomenal, but confusing until I “got it”

Starting from episode 1 and beyond, the series kept me intrigued. Later on, the storyline became confusing until I figured out what was going on.… Then my intrigue became sadness, but brightened by the end. Here’s my formula: fantasy, reality, fantasy, reality. Hope it helps.

The acting was phenomenal! I loved Great and Tyme as a couple. The actors’ chemistry was off the charts. Shout out to Jes Jespipat Tilapornputt (as Dr. Tyme). I had never seen his work before; he was top tier in this series. In fact, all the actors were fantastic. Their acting kept me immersed in the show and coming back for more.

The sex scenes are definitely NSFW, but I didn’t feel like they were just thrown in there for ratings. Depending on how they had sex and under what circumstances, I felt these scenes established the emotional and mental state of each of the characters. For example, “Do me raw” indicated (to me) the character’s feelings of worthlessness and guilt with their need to be punished for their “crimes.”

I found the camera angles really interesting. Also, the use of colour throughout was excellent and well thought out. I liked that the support roles had substance and weren’t mere shadows.

I look forward to rewatching this series with an even greater understanding next time. I appreciated the time and effort by the cast & crew that was put into the making of this show. I imagine it was exhausting, but I think it was well worth it!

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