# Syndromes and a Century Review: Memory in Two Hospitals > Syndromes and a Century is Apichatpong Weerasethakul's tender, mysterious film inspired by his doctor parents, a Thai hospital story told twice in two different worlds. Canonical: https://celluloidscore.com/reviews/syndromes-and-a-century-2006-review/ Published: 2026-07-23 Last updated: 2026-09-24 Author: Kaiser Khan — Founder & Editor Language: English Review basis: direct-viewing Spoilers: none Rating: 3.5/5 ## Verdict Yes, for adventurous viewers. Art-house audiences open to slow, dreamlike cinema will find it quietly enchanting; anyone who needs plot or clear meaning will likely drift. ## Is Syndromes and a Century worth watching? **Yes, if you are willing to surrender to its rhythm. Syndromes and a Century is a gentle, funny and quietly mysterious film about memory, medicine and change, and one of Apichatpong Weerasethakul's most graceful works.** Its mirrored structure creates small shocks of recognition that linger long after it ends. The reservation is that it offers almost no conventional drama, and viewers who are not attuned to its hushed pace may find it opaque rather than hypnotic. ## What is Syndromes and a Century about? The film was inspired by Apichatpong's parents, both of whom were doctors, and by his memories of growing up around hospitals. It is built in two halves. The first unfolds in a sunlit rural hospital, where a young woman doctor, Toey (Nantarat Sawaddikul), conducts an interview with a new recruit, Nohng (Jaruchai Iamaram), and goes about her days among patients, colleagues and a quietly persistent admirer. The second half returns to many of the same characters and conversations, but relocates them to a gleaming modern hospital in the city, where the light, the spaces and the mood have changed. [Syndromes and a Century](https://celluloidscore.com/movies/syndromes-and-a-century-2006/) is written and directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul. It is in Thai, runs 105 minutes and was released in 2006, when it premiered in competition at the Venice Film Festival. It was made as a Thai co-production with European partners, including a commission from a Vienna festival, which explains its Austrian credit. Sophon Pukanok, Jenjira Pongpas, Arkanae Cherkam and Sakda Kaewbuadee appear among the ensemble. ## A film that rhymes with itself The double structure is the film's great idea. Scenes that seemed casual in the countryside recur in the city with subtle differences, and the audience begins to notice what has been gained and lost: a hospital once open to breezes and trees becomes sealed, white and humming with machinery. Apichatpong never explains the relationship between the halves. They might be two memories, two eras or two versions of one story, and the pleasure lies in sensing those echoes rather than decoding them. The effect is both affectionate and faintly melancholy, a portrait of a country modernising around people who remain touchingly human. It is also a film about how memory reshapes the past, softening some details and sharpening others. ## Humour, warmth and strange beauty For a film so often called austere, Syndromes and a Century is surprisingly funny. Its hospital is full of eccentrics: a monk who confides an unlikely ambition, a dentist who dreams of being a singer, doctors whose interviews wander into odd digressions. Apichatpong treats them with warmth and a light, deadpan wit, and the non-professional and regular performers give the film an unforced, lived-in quality. The images are serene and precise, with long, patient takes and compositions that let light and space do the emotional work. Some sequences, especially in the modern hospital, achieve an uncanny beauty that is hard to describe and easy to remember. ## Where its patience becomes a barrier This is not a film for every mood. There is no plot in the usual sense, conflicts are barely sketched, and the rhythm is deliberately languid. Viewers who come to it without any sense of Apichatpong's style may find the long takes and elliptical conversations frustrating, and the second half's modern setting, though fascinating, can feel cold after the warmth of the first. Its meaning is intentionally open, and those who want a film to resolve its questions will be left wanting. ## Who should watch Syndromes and a Century? It is best suited to art-house audiences, admirers of slow cinema, and anyone curious about Thai filmmaking beyond genre fare. It is a good entry point to Apichatpong's work for viewers who find his more overtly supernatural films daunting. There is nothing graphic here; the only demands are patience and attention, so watch it rested and without distractions. If it casts its spell, try these next: - [Tropical Malady](https://celluloidscore.com/reviews/tropical-malady-2004-review/), Apichatpong's earlier two-part film, which splits into a romance and a jungle myth. - [Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives](https://celluloidscore.com/movies/uncle-boonmee-who-can-recall-his-past-lives-2010/), his Palme d'Or winner, for a deeper dive into memory and the spirit world. - [In the Mood for Love](https://celluloidscore.com/reviews/in-the-mood-for-love-2000-review/), Wong Kar-wai's study of longing, for another film in which time and memory shape every frame. ## The verdict Syndromes and a Century is a delicate, beguiling film that turns memories of hospital corridors into a meditation on change, affection and time. Its slowness and ambiguity will keep some viewers at arm's length, but for those willing to meet it halfway, it is a quietly unforgettable experience. **Rating: 3.5/5** ## Related title - [Syndromes and a Century (2006)](https://celluloidscore.com/movies/syndromes-and-a-century-2006/) ## Editorial - [Editorial standards](https://celluloidscore.com/about/editorial-policy/) - [Report a correction](https://celluloidscore.com/about/corrections/)