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Pen-Ek Ratanaruang

Pen-Ek Ratanaruang

Director and writer · Born March 8, 1962 (64) · Bangkok, Thailand

Pen-Ek Ratanaruang (Thai: เป็นเอก รัตนเรือง) is a Thai film director and screenwriter best known for his arthouse work "Last Life in the Universe", and is considered to be one of Thai cinema's leading "new wave" auteurs, alongside Wisit Sasanatieng and Apichatpong Weerasethakul. He goes by the nickname Tom and is sometimes credited as Tom Pannet.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
March 8, 1962 (64)
From
Bangkok, Thailand
Works as
Director and writer
Titles
8 on MovieCove · 30 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Down 8% in 30 days

What are Pen-Ek Ratanaruang's films like?

Across their 8 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Survival.

Genres

Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 92nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 35th percentile
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
22%
Survival
20%
Ideas
18%
Bonds
15%
Morality
13%
Society
8%
Power
3%
Family bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma2 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFate2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 5 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 1 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 0 · Charged 3 · Intense 2

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 2 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 2

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 0

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 1 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 2 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 1

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 2 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
4
Contemplative
4
Dread
3
Melancholic
3
Hopeful
2
Other
4

How their films linger

Thought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Bittersweet3
  • Ambiguous4
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Pen-Ek Ratanaruang's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 5 of their 8 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on HBO Max (2).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Pen-Ek Ratanaruang's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

30 credits, 8 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Morte Cucina(2025)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • 6ixtynin9: The Series(2023)

    Show 6 episodes · Director · Screenplay · as Advertising Client

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all shows

  • Two Little Soldiers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Director

  • Food Lore(2019)

    Show Director

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)

  • Gatlang : Happiness, Hardship and Other Stories (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Director

  • Folklore(2018)

    Show 1 episode · Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all shows

  • Mai mee Samui samrab ter(2017)

    Director · Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Southeast Asian Cinema – When the Rooster Crows (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Actor

  • The Life of Gravity (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Director

  • Paradoxocracy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Director

  • 60 Seconds of Solitude in Year Zero(2011)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Headshot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Director · Screenplay

  • The Man Who Fell to Earth (Remix) (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Director

  • Sawasdee Bangkok (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Director

  • Nymph (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Behind the Blur (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Actor

  • Ploy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Invisible Waves (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Director

  • Digital Sam in Sam Saek 2006: Talk to Her (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Director

  • Total Bangkok (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Director

  • Twelve Twenty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Director · Writer

  • Ghost Variety (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Thanks

  • Citizen Dog (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Narrator (voice)

  • OK Baytong (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Editor

  • Last Life in the Universe(2003)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Monrak Transistor(2001)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • 6ixtynin9 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

  • Fun Bar Karaoke (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Director · Screenplay

  • The Brotherhood of Kaengkoi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

  • The Caterer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

Career shape

A full career of 29 titles, 27 of them dated from 1997 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Last Life in the Universe (2003)

$63K worldwide

Highest rated

Last Life in the Universe (2003)

Midcredits 93rd

Most popular right now

Morte Cucina (2025)

Film career

  • 2004Screen debut· Citizen Dog

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting4 of 29: 3 only acting, 1 with another roleDirecting24 of 29: 12 only directing, 12 with another role · typical Midcredits score47thWriting12 of 29: 0 only writing, 12 with another role · typical Midcredits score53rdProducing1 of 29: 0 only producing, 1 with another roleEditing1 of 29: 1 only editing, 0 with another roleOther crew1 of 29: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

29 titles, 12 with more than one role — directing and writing overlap on 12 of them.

By decade

1990s2 · crew2000s13 · 2 acting · 11 crew2010s9 · 1 acting · 8 crew2020s3 · 1 acting · 3 crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Pen-Ek Ratanaruang's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 58th percentile, the median of all 5; across their 5 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 55th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

55thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Approval · how many liked their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Reach · how many have seen their films

48thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Midcredits score across 8 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up2
  • 50th to 74th1
  • 25th to 49th2
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

3 of their 8 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser2
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · director

60 Seconds of Solitude in Year Zero (2011)

90th percentile spread · 35% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director, writer

Last Life in the Universe (2003)

Midcredits 93rd · 81% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 76/100 and the pacing 47/100 in their films, across 3 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Pen-Ek Ratanaruang work with?

People who share at least 2 of Pen-Ek Ratanaruang's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Patamanadda Yukol shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers