There’s a title for every action hero. Lord knows Jason Statham has the number thirty. Director Surapong Ploensang’s latest action-thriller, debt collectorReveals a new type of familiar archetype. A former crime boss’s henchman is trying to make a fresh start, but is pulled back into the world of crime when the syndicate he worked for attacks the innocent he is sworn to protect. As it may seem common in every revenge action film, Ploensang departs from the usual and offers some change of perspective against the socio-economic backdrop and grim environment. Although its misdirection comes at the expense of a potentially strong film, debt collector Doesn’t land his punches and doesn’t have as good, solid action.
It focuses on Num (Nadech Kugimia), a former debt collector under crime matriarch Madam Pin (Nuanprang Trichit), who has a scar on her right eye and seeks to make amends for a serious mistake that caused her to be jailed for ten years. If that’s not enough, he has also been diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor and has very little time left to live. After coming out of jail, he tries to take up a new role as a delivery man. He forms a bond with a salesman, Grandma Lek (Kunknit Khumkrong) and her granddaughter, Nid Noi (Ployapahas Phonkwesivaporn). But immediately he saw that he was being harassed by goons demanding the money that he owed to Lake.
Lek is one of many people living in working-class slums who turn to lenders for help when their government does not provide resources. And of course, the criminals, knowing they can’t pay, send their men to break some eggs, to say the least. Num initially protects them, indicating that his tumor cannot restrain his enthusiasm. However, this has fatal consequences as it attracts the attention of the unstable, nepo-baby Prince Po (Dau Pitaya Sechua), who takes charge of things himself. In retaliation, Nume decides that his final days on Earth would be better spent seeking vengeance, and returns to the Underworld to introduce each debt collector to Hades himself.
Debt collector. Chaiwat Thongsang (ชัยวัฒ์ทงที) as Kong (거), Nadech Kugimiya (ณเชชะ) as Number (วัว) in debt collector CR. Sivirun Srisuwan © 2026 Netflix
With all that built up momentum, you can only hope debt collector To follow the yellow wick road. Kugimiya carries the film well, acting like a mix between Keanu and an introspective scoundrel, displaying his pain from guilt through his subtle body language, but when he takes out the baddies, that killer eye pops out. Hey, even Poe rejects Nume john wick When his mother is telling him how dangerous he is for her. However, it becomes a crime drama procedural. About an hour in, the film introduces its dual protagonist Kong (Chaiwat Thongsaeng), a by-the-book police officer who knew Num during their shared youth in an orphanage. When tasked with taking down Madame Pin’s debt collector syndicate, her paths cross with those of Numbs.
debt collector It tries to stand out as something unique by not choosing the clichéd path that any similar revenge movie might rely on. Ploensang and his co-writers (Ornusa Donsawai and Pun Homchuen) extract solid depth from the bleak atmosphere for its two characters, who have good hearts at their core. Num is the more interesting of the two, as flashback sequences deepen her internal conflict between lifelong anger and trying to do good and seeking justice for the underdog.
The film also benefits from its serious background. The world is shrouded in darkness from every act of violence and visceral death, even of the defenseless, whose deaths are not devoid of graphic imagery that sometimes becomes unnecessarily oblique. When Kong is introduced, his personal dilemma involves the need for surgery on his baby. Again, this serves to give a distinct character to the film and adds a sense of triumph to see the co-protagonist seeking true justice in his corrupt environment that he has faced since childhood.
To its detriment, the pace is disrupted by the changes in Kong, you arrive as if you are at the peak of a roller coaster, but then you stop just before the ride gets enjoyable. It’s quite clumsy and overwhelms the film, which is over 133 minutes long. Furthermore, Kong is not as interesting as his hero counterpart.
When action bursts, debt collector Moderate becomes fun. Except for the bloody, chilling beginning, the action is fairly slow in shot composition. But once Num breaks from his invisible chains, Ploensang delivers some of the finest action filmmaking. This, uh, alone pales in comparison to other recent action movies released this summer – a fight sequence with Kong and the Numbers 2v1ing against Poe’s strongest henchmen reminded me of this. furiousWhich I would recommend instead in a heartbeat. That said, they’re still well constructed, if not lacking as much visual style as they potentially could have.
Debt Collector.Nadech Kugimiya (ณวัชชเชะเชิมิย) Debt Collector as Number (พัว) in CR. Sivirun Srisuwan © 2026 Netflix
The set pieces range from the terrifying and brutal to the downright silly – one very enjoyable being within the motordrome of a carnival – yet they maintain the same amount of adrenaline. Another enjoyable element is Dau Pitaya Sachua, who exudes such charisma in his obnoxious, carefree personality that he walks around like a cross between Alfie Allen. john wick And Timothée Chalamet at that Marty Supreme Promotional tour.
If it was like a solo action thriller john wick, debt collector Given its unique atmosphere and Nadech Kugimiya’s excellent action hero performance, it probably could have succeeded as a better film. Or perhaps if it had introduced Kong before a third of the way into the film. If one is looking for new Thai action cinema, this is a decent, mediocre, action-thriller film that is worth a watch.
