Furies (2022)

This was just what I was hoping it would be - a proper Southeast Asian bruiser from Veronica Ngo and team that doesn't hold back on the melodrama or the style.

I love the colours, gorgeous deep reds and greens... and purples and blues and... thank god somebody remembered that orange and teal aren't the only two options.

The fights are fast, furious and visceral in that uniquely Southeast Asian way, and plentiful. There is some insane camerawork, almost reaching Carter levels of extravagance at times but always positioned to frame the action clearly and keeping the spatial relationships clear so that the narrative of the fight is easy to read. No small feat.

Yes OK we can talk about the motorbike scene... I am glad I was primed for what to expect, so I just opted to treat it as an animated interlude. It clearly doesn't look realistic so no use wishing it did, might as well enjoy it for what it is.

The plot could hardly be simpler, but it's delivered with conviction by the cast and crew. <3 Hong :')

I adore Veronica Ngo's journey from wholesome pop star to badass action star (though she takes a back seat to the younger cast here) to badass action director. You can tell when somebody is passionate about what they do, and it's clear that beating the living shit out of people is her calling!