Yes or No

Yes or No, directed by Sarasawadee Wongsomphet, opened in Thailand on December 16, 2010, as a romantic comedy about a traditionally raised university student's emotional entanglement with her "tom" (butch) roommate. It's described as the first mainstream commercially successful lesbian themed Thai film and the first Thai film with a "tom" lead character; director Wongsomphet, who identifies as a lesbian herself, has said she made the film to show what it's like to be gay in contemporary Thailand, and distributed free copies to Thai schools. While the film was a domestic box office failure, earning 15.3 million baht locally, it became a regional hit through DVD sales and downloads in Taiwan, Macau, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Indonesia, success that spawned two sequels, Yes or No 2: Come Back to Me (2012) and Yes or No 2.5 (2015). Who it's for: anyone curious about the film credited as Thailand's first mainstream commercially successful lesbian themed romantic comedy, a domestic flop that became a regional hit. Who it's not for: viewers looking for a film that succeeded at the local box office, since this one's real success came through the cross border DVD and download market.