THE NARRATIVE OF THAI FILMS AS NETFLIX ORIGINALS AT LOCAL CONTENT LEVEL

Abstract

Introduction: Streaming services have become the most popular channel for watching movies, reflecting
a significant shift in viewing habits. Netflix stands out as a leading streaming service with over 260 million accounts across 190 countries. A key feature of Netflix is "Netflix Originals" films exclusively owned
and distributed by the platform. Netflix Originals encompass two content levels: Global Content
and Local Content. Local Content distinctly showcases the unique identity of a particular country. Thailand, with its prominent cultural uniqueness, is a prime example. The ability of Local Content to resonate globally lies in "Universal Resonance"—globally understood concepts such as love, greed, anger, and delusion.
This allows audiences worldwide to experience diverse and novel local narratives while still comprehending the core story. Objectives: This research aims to study the storytelling techniques in Thai Netflix Original films categorized as Local Content, and to investigate the presence of Universal Resonance within these films. Methods: This qualitative research using textual analysis and in-depth interview, the sources are 4 Thai films that are Netflix Originals at local content level and 4 informants who are the directors of those films, The films are selected by purposive sampling, using data tables in recording the data and semi-structured interview as research tools. Results: The Local Content of Once Upon a Star consist of live dubbing,
sliced sugarcane, outdoor movie exhibitor, local movie makeshift, kao tom mud, kanom krok and temple fair. The Local Content of The Murderer consist of Isaan dialect, Isaan female values, mang gudjee, boiled bullfrog, buffalo dropping mushroom and ancestor spirits. The Local Content of Hurts Like Hell consist of Thai boxing, Thai boxing gambling, Thai boxing teacher homage ceremony, kid boxing and pipe-drum band. Lastly,
the Local Content of The Believers consist of Thai temples, Buddhist commerce, Songkran festival, temple fair and temple mural painting. All of these vividly display Thai identity and can thus be ruled as distinctly Thai items. As for the Universal Resonance, it is found that Once Upon a Star consist of dream, thrill, tension, impressive feeling and fun. In The Murderer it is found that the Universal Resonance consist of prejudice, thrill, comedy, horror, impressive feeling, and astonishment. In Hurts Like Hell, the Universal Resonance consist of love, tension, thrill, touching and impressive feeling. And lastly, in The Believers, the Universal Resonance consist of belief, thrill, tension, astonishment and impressive feeling. All of these are resonance which can be felt universally. They can create common feeling and emotion in the audience in accordance with the concept of Universal Resonance proposed by Netflix. Conclusion: it can be said that both
the Local Content and Universal Resonance combine to be the elements that can indicate the narrative of Thai films that are Netflix Originals. The Local Content function to convey familiar experience for local audience and create amazing experience for global audience via Thai language, Thai cuisine,
Thai architecture, Thai art, Thai music, Thai sports, Thai customs and culture. The Universal Resonance,
on the other hand, function to create common feeling and emotion through the events confronted by
the characters in the films. In this way the audience around the world can reach common feeling
and understanding of the same content with the local audience.