Only God Forgives

And the Oscar goes to… It may seem a bit presumptuous to begin a review with those words, but it won’t to anyone who has watched Kristin Scott Thomas deliver her amazing performance in this gorgeous thriller from director Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive). The film tells the story of two sibling drug dealers in Thailand, one of whom is brutally beaten to death by the father of the young girl he raped and murdered. When the surviving brother (played by Ryan Gossling) doesn’t seek retribution for the crime, believing his brother got what he deserved for the murder he committed, his mother (Thomas) steps in to get the job done. The film is absolutely gorgeous to watch, with Refn combining images, lighting and music to virtually hypnotize the audience. It lulls you, and then shocks the hell out of you. There are sporadic scenes of graphic violence, to be sure, but the most stunning violence takes place every time Mom opens her mouth to say something. The experience is both visceral and breathtaking.