Review of Only God Forgives (2013) by Simple1Dea — 19 Jul 2013

Nicolas Winding Refn’s newest film is a biblical epic reminiscent of the Old Testament but set in modern Bangkok, Thailand. It roots as traditional Crime Thriller that journeys into a story of wrath, vengeance and chaos when clashing two Muay Thai ‘warriors’ into a climatic fight.

The film is almost empty of any dialogue but is full of religious metaphors and sexual symbolism. Cliff Martinez perfectly blends eastern-oriental and deep electronic sounds into the amazing score. The sound of loud church organs heightens the intensity and really makes it feel like religious icons are present. Every frame and every scene is executed beautifully and the Once Upon a Time in the West-like pace just made it that much more intense.

The film holds a set of ruthless and extreme ‘heightened reality’ characters which provide the biggest impact in the overall experience of the film. We see men insanely murder innocents, lash out with rage and attempt to restore balance through interesting uses of sharp objects. In her own extreme, Crystal (played by Kristin Scott Thomas) is very explicit in her words and also provides most of the dialogue. Her performance is amazing and may be the audience’s favourite.

This is a very very intense violent film which had me on the edge of my seat. Like the title suggests it is a film about redemption and spiritual relief within the antagonist and the world around him. I was very much relieved and satisfied by the time the film ended. It does test the audience’s limits and offer both a thought provoking and immersive experience and may be Nicolas Winding Refn’s most well crafted and artistic work yet.