Human Resource

THAILAND, 2026. Directed by Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit.

RELEASE DATE: 29 January 2026 (Thailand); T.B.C. elsewhere.

The world is an increasingly toxic place, and beneath the surface of formalities, a collective existential anxiety is brewing. Human Resource (พนักงานใหม่ – โปรดรับไว้พิจารณา) explores this shared malaise by juxtaposing the oppressiveness of the corporate system with the fragilities of the human behind the worker.

Fren (Prapamonton Eiamchan) is an HR manager, so her position gives her a unique vantage point: she fully understands the corporate world but she also witnesses first-hand the detrimental effect of the capitalist grind on the workers. She watches individuals slowly fade as they become enmeshed with the company and its needs, succumbing to high pressure and unrealistic expectations. 

As Fren and her husband prepare to start a family, she begins to pay closer attention to the myriad issues that are plaguing society at large. In a world obsessed with marketable skills, suffocated by capitalism, disfigured by wars and poisoned by microplastics, it seems that people are dispensable and danger always impending. The film asks: what does it mean to bring a child into this world? And what does it mean to be a good person in such a context?

The protagonist’s life resembles that of a million others, but her growing awareness changes our perception of her experiences. Her prolonged silences and moments of hesitation draw attention to the dysfunction in what we call normality. It becomes clear that society as we know it is a dystopian reality where profit precedes values. In a corporate setting, emotional repression becomes a mark of professionalism, compliance and self-sacrifice are rebranded as flexibility, any benefits received are calculated incentives to increase productivity. 

The original title translates as ‘New Employee (Please Take into Consideration)’, but the English version is very apt as the story emphasises the darker connotations of the term ‘human resource’, highlighting its mercenary, exploitative implications. The film’s outlook also suggests that following protocol blindly can make people cause harm without ever feeling like villains, because the system itself condones ruthlessness.

Visually, the cold aesthetic is in perfect tandem with the bleak prospects of the characters. The symmetry of modern architecture and the minimalistic interiors emphasise the idea of a world that is increasingly ascetic – functional yet soulless. The gloomy atmosphere and themes can make the story itself feel emotionally distant at times, but what the film manages to communicate as a social critique is both powerful and sobering.