After working together on Drive, Nicolas Winding Refn and Ryan Gosling have reunited to bring us Only God Forgives. Following the immensity of their first time working together, the film is understandably one of the most anticipated of the year.
We had been hoping that Winding Refn might debut the film at Venice or TIFF last year, but it’s now looking like a Cannes debut might be on the cards for the writer-director once more. And now Yahoo Movies have debuted a brilliant first red-band trailer.
Bangkok. Ten years ago Julian killed a cop and went on the run. Now he manages a Thai boxing club as a front for a drugs operation. Respected in the criminal underworld, deep inside, he feels empty.
When Julian’s brother murders a prostitute the police call on retired cop Chang – the Angel of Vengeance. Chang allows the father to kill his daughter’s murderer, then ‘restores order’ by chopping off the man’s right hand.
Julian’s mother Jenna – the head of a powerful criminal organization – arrives in Bangkok to collect her son’s body. She dispatches Julian to find his killers and ‘raise hell’.
Increasingly obsessed with the Angel of Vengeance, Julian challenges him to a boxing match, hoping that by defeating him he might find spiritual release… but Chang triumphs. A furious Jenna plots revenge and the stage is set for a bloody journey through betrayal and vengeance towards a final confrontation and the possibility of redemption.
Gosling stars alongside Kristin Scott Thomas, Yayaying, and Vithaya Pansringarm.
Winding Refn is directing from his own script, with past collaborator Lene Børglum (Valhalla Rising) once more producing for him.
Only God Forgives is expected to be released in the US on May 23rd. No word yet on a UK release date, and the US release date isn’t officially confirmed. But here’s to hoping that it will indeed be arriving just after its expected debut at Cannes. For now, here’s the first red-band trailer, which is entirely unsuitable for work. Enjoy.
