The idea of Ghost Marriages is something I’ve only recently become aware of. It’s a fascinating tradition and the 2023 Taiwanese film Marry My Dead Body (關於我和鬼變成家人的那件事) adds a BL spin that is both poignant and hysterical.
Ming Han Wu (Greg Hsu) is a cop who takes his job very seriously. He’s also a total homophobe. Like refers to the LGBTQ+ Community as “those people” kind of homophobe. But everything changes when fate leads him to a red envelope (part of the ghost marriage tradition) and his advice that he’s been chosen to marry Pang-Yu Mao (Austin Lin).
Mao died under very mysterious circumstances – unmarried. Ever his supporter, Mao’s grandmother (Wang Man Chiao) set up the marriage to take place and she couldn’t be more proud when the one fate chose to be her grandson’s husband was so handsome.
However, Wu has no interest in marrying a ghost – especially a male ghost, who is also gay (because he hates the gays). However, fate is not something he can deny, and rejecting the marriage proposal leads Wu to incredibly bad luck. Finally, he accepts the proposal and marries Mao.
To his surprise, after the wedding, Mao starts to appear to him. Little by little Mao starts to chip away at Wu’s ice-cold personality and slowly two become friends – especially once Wu realizes that Mao’s death is connected to a case he’s working on. By the end of the film, Wu is not only no longer homophobic, he’s an ally.
Director and co-written by Cheng Wei-hao, the film (released theatrically in Taiwan) was one of the most successful films of the year and grossed over $11.5 million. While some of the portrayals of the LGBTQ Community are stereotypical, the film has real heart and is funny as hell. Its main message is one that hate, no matter how embedded it is, can be undone, if given the opportunity. We can learn to grow – which is the whole point of our evolving society.
10/10
More film, drama, and BL Reviews soon so…
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