Only God Forgives (2013)
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An American expatriate must navigate a violent web of drug dealing and revenge in Bangkok after his brother's death.
The story
Julian and Billy are American expatriates running a Muay Thai boxing club in Bangkok as a front for their drug dealing operations. The status quo is shattered when Billy violently assaults and kills an underage prostitute, leading to a brutal confrontation with a vigilante-type police lieutenant named Chang. After Billy is beaten to death by the girl's father, Choi, with Chang's involvement, Julian is forced to deal with the fallout. Their mother, Crystal, a merciless criminal boss, demands that Julian eliminate the man responsible for Billy's death, plunging Julian into a cycle of violence and moral ambiguity.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Julian and Billy are American expatriates running a Muay Thai boxing club in Bangkok as a front for drug dealing. After Billy kills an underage prostitute and is beaten to death by the girl's father, Choi, with the help of a vigilante police lieutenant named Chang, Julian is left to deal with the consequences. Their mother, Crystal, demands Julian kill Choi, but Julian initially refuses, believing Choi's revenge was justified. Crystal eventually orders Choi's death by a fighter in their gym, then seeks a hit on Chang from a rival dealer, Byron. Meanwhile, Chang investigates the murders, torturing various suspects to find the mastermind. Julian, recognizing Chang from his visions, challenges him to a fight but is easily defeated. Crystal, realizing Chang knows she ordered the hit, pleads with Julian to kill him in exchange for a promise of a better life. Julian and his associate Charlie infiltrate Chang's home; Julian kills Charlie to protect Chang's daughter. Chang eventually stabs Crystal in her hotel room. Julian finds his mother's corpse and performs a gruesome act of mutilation. Finally, Julian stands in a field with Chang, voluntarily offering his hands to be severed with the same weapon that killed Crystal.
- First release year
- 2013
- Runtime (minutes)
- 90
- Production countries
- Denmark; France
- Original languages
- English; Thai
- Directors
- Nicolas Winding Refn
- Writers
- Nicolas Winding Refn · writer
- Cast and characters
- Ryan Gosling · Julian Thompson; Kristin Scott Thomas · Crystal Thompson; Vithaya Pansringarm · Lieutenant Chang / "The Angel of Vengeance"; Gordon Brown · Gordon; Rhatha Phongam · Mai; Tom Burke · Billy Thompson; Byron Gibson · Byron; Danai Thiengdham · Li Po
- Genres
- action-thriller; surreal; neo-noir
- Themes
- Revenge; Family dynamics; Violence; Moral ambiguity
- Tone and mood
- Surreal; Neo-noir; Violent; Abstruse
- Premise and plot tags
- Action; Thriller; Crime; Drama
- Reception
- The film received a polarized and mixed response. It was booed and received a standing ovation at Cannes. Critics praised its soundtrack and style but criticized the writing and characterization. It received a mixed response from mainstream critics, with some calling it a 'neon-dunked nightmare' and others criticizing its lack of originality.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 41% · review count: 166; Metacritic · score: 37 · scale: 100 · review count: 39
- Awards and nominations
- Grand Prize · Sydney Film Festival · Won
- Production trivia
- The film was dedicated to Chilean director Alejandro Jodorowsky.; Ryan Gosling underwent Muay Thai training for the role.; Julian speaks only 17 lines throughout the film.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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