Added to Netflix on Sunday, Oct 15, 2023 Ryan Gosling stars as Julian, an American expatriate running a boxing club in Bangkok, which serves as a front for his family’s drug-smuggling operation. When his brother is killed, his mother, Jenna (played by Kristin Scott Thomas), arrives in the city and demands Julian avenge his brother’s death, sparking a violent and tragic chain of events. The film, directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, explores themes of vengeance, redemption, and the maternal bond in a visually striking and brutal narrative, characterized by its deliberate pace and stylized violence.
Length: 1h30m
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
This Title is: Violent, Dark, and Stylistic
ONLY GOD FORGIVES IS STREAMING TODAY ON NETFLIX CANADA!
Trailer
Cast
- Ryan Gosling as Julian
- Kristin Scott Thomas as Jenna
- Vithaya Pansringarm as Chang
Parental Guidance
Maturity Rating: 18+ for Strong Brutal Bloody Violence, Sexual Content, and Language
Content Warning: The film contains several scenes of brutal violence, explicit sexual content, and strong language.
Trivia
- Nicolas Winding Refn won the Best Director Award at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival for “Drive,” also starring Ryan Gosling.
- The movie is part of a thematic trilogy that includes “Drive” and “Valhalla Rising,” exploring concepts of masculinity and violence.
- Ryan Gosling and Nicolas Winding Refn decided to work on this project after forming a close partnership during the making of “Drive.”
Our Review
“Only God Forgives” polarized critics and audiences alike with its enigmatic narrative and explicit violence, standing in stark contrast with its breathtakingly meticulous visuals. Set against the neon-lit underbelly of Bangkok, the film emerges as a visceral, dream-like exploration of dark themes. Gosling’s taciturn yet potent performance collides starkly with Thomas’s portrayal of a matriarch exuding venomous grief. While the film’s deliberate pace and eschewing of conventional narrative might be jarring for some, those willing to immerse themselves in its morose yet mesmerizing aesthetic will find a haunting, albeit perturbing, cinematic experience.
Critic Scores
Critic Scores aggregate ratings from IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, and Metacritic. (Click on any score for a detailed review.)
