Only God Forgives - Movie Review by Chris Stuckmann

[@Dream1ng]

I think Chris is in love with Ryan Gosling

[@bradleyberry366]

Dream1ng who isnt

[@captainjakemerica4579]

He's awesome thats all there is too it!!!

[@TonyG8992]

Who isn't. Lol

[@JoseLopez-ds1hv]

Dream1ng same

[@-hasamastersdegreeinwumbol8565]

Ryan Gosling only took two movies to get me on his side. "Drive" and "The Nice Guys." He's really talented, and isn't your typical Protagonist.

[@michelmusik]

Yesterday I found out that Refn is colorblind. Makes sense somehow.

[@youngknight5589]

I think I heard about that it explains why he adds a lot of contrast and all that

[@thefirstbourne149]

+Young Knight That's actually a plus....who knew a guy that's so color blind could add so much color?

[@Leprutz]

What does that mean? That he just sees Black and white?

[@Leprutz]

Thanks a lot Baum TV, but it is stil very hard to imagine.

[@nateds7326]

Christopher nolan is also color blind

[@PatrickQT]

How can someone hate "Drive"? Thats just not possible.

[@aaronjones415]

You'd be surprised, I love the film also but a lot of people didn't like it. Thought it was too artsy etc.

[@raza2248]

Me and my cousins/friends went to see Drive in theaters on release. They saw the trailers and marketing leading up to the movie, I did not. They were expecting a "Fast and Furious" action type racing movie, not a neo-noir film. They walked out of the theaters bored, disappointed, and mad. I walked out with a huge smile on my face, because I just saw one of the best films I had ever seen.

[@rushnanjaleel3386]

Because people can actually have different opinions.

[@Mediazzzzzz]

did you like the gay little song they played in the beginning?

[@miliejones3900]

Then you obviously have no idea of the real world. Grow up.

[@Michael-fs1cw]

I put off watching this for so long after hearing a million terrible things. I bought it on Blu-ray today and absolutely loved it.

[@horrorstateofmind2724]

i'm thinking the same way mike everyone has there own taste in movies. I'm gonna buy it regardless of the reviews and cause I'm a fan of gosling.

[@ItsGJ1]

Same with me don't know why people don't like it I love this movie one of my favorites of last year

[@ashroskell]

Michael : (Spoiler Warning) What I liked most about this movie, was that I started out, thinking, “It’s not what it looks like. His brother was set up. It’s one of those kind of movies.” And, my expectations were subverted, BRILLIANTLY. This family ARE the BAD GUYS! And you don’t really GET that, till the end. Only Gosling’s character understands that. And the death of his mom, releases him from their life of crime, and he’s willing to pay the price. Or, that’s how I saw it? I write this, before watching the review. What rating would you give the movie? I’m curious? I give it a, “B+,” or maybe an, “A.” I have a feeling it will go up, when I’ve had time to let it settle in my mind, as such? Just watched it, and came here to see what Chris thinks ✌️

[@etherealnodez]

This is one of those movies that everyone got wrong. Let me list some others. Some of which critics hated. 1.) Only God Forgives 2.) Vanilla Sky 3.) Tenet 4.) Killing them Softly 5.) Bad Lieutenant (remake) 6.) Office Space 7.) The Cell 8.) The Beach 9.) The Fountain 10.) The 4th Kind/Dark Skies

[@felixcatora4105]

You mentioned Stanley Kubrick, and *ironically*, the cinematographer for this movie had also worked on Eyes Wide Shut! :D

[@leonlawson2196]

Felix Catora not really ironic. More coincidental.

[@matthewb8493]

Felix Catora they both use that suspiria lighting

[@v-trigger6137]

Larry Smith

[@burpitola]

Where did you get the drive jacket? Im so jelly

[@Renogade]

Ebay

[@shawn2196]

He probably borrowed it from John flickenger

[@angusmcfadden5662]

+shawn lilly he probably borrowed it from Ryan gosling

[@thesnakbar]

they did have sweepstakes and sales during the week before the movie was released for the jacket

[@paugfilms5620]

I saw one on Amazon for 100$ but I'm not sure if there's any cheaper

[@L1LT4T3R]

That music sounded like the theme song for Stranger Things

[@thegamerwithaplan8701]

Nathan H. I thought I was the only one😂

[@РостиславПоляк-ф4г]

Nathan H. i thought it was just me. and the colours style

[@TreyMitchell]

Nathan H. RIGHT

[@AlexMoudgil]

Nathan H. exactly what i thought

[@ninjachugs3281]

For some reason I was thinking Kung Fury xD

[@tylerjacobson8012]

Wendingruffen needs to do a western. . His imagery (maybe a little toned down) and visual storytelling could reinvigorate the spaghetti westerns. . He's literally built for it. .

[@benjaminschwartz1242]

You dont understand what literally means

[@joe-un1ky]

Wendingruffen lmfao. It's Winding Refn. I totally agree with you btw

[@IvanPolyansky]

Nukolas WönderGrøffn

[@bradenfry8939]

8 years in the future and I agree. Of a horror film. Him and fincher would both make amazing horror movies that actually deal with the real concept of fear

[@sino2805]

This has 1,5 stars on Netflix WHAT THE LITERALL FUCK!?

[@cloudsombrero]

Its a bad film man

[@cloudsombrero]

***** 🗿

[@benz_aymerr]

+Siver Norum i raye it 7.2

[@Theyungcity23]

I loved this movie. He says that characters in the movie where metaphors. That is something that I enjoy in stories. The characters are these grand ideas attempting to occupy the same space, and the moments where they bump against one another is fascinating. That is the core of character. They are arguments. Comics understand that (All Star Superman is one of the greatest Superman stories where Supes finds that he is dying and there isn't even a panel of him dealing with that emotionally) . Folk tales understand that. I think movies are flexible enough to do that as well. It was the directors take on a kung fu or martial arts movie.

[@FrancoisDressler]

Agree 100%

[@andres96tejeiro]

Theyungcity23 I agree with you in most of your statement... But i gotta say... Only God Forgives isn't a story, it doesn't tell you a cohesive actions going on in sake of a sense, and that's what i loved about this film, also what makes it one of my favorite films of all time... It does't tell you a story or tries to do so, it gives you messages... Just that and i think that's the best goal of pure cinematography... Not aiming at a good story, instead, aim at a message...

[@FrancoisDressler]

andres96tejeiro But...there is a story...

[@TheGeorgeD13]

Nicolas Wending Refn DID indeed aim to tell a story, though. He explicitly said that.

[@mrjomammas]

andres96tejeiro nigga the story is revenge what you mean did you watch the film I'm sorry Ryan gosling didn't look at the screen and say " fuck they killed my brother now I have to get revenge that I kinda sorta don't want"

[@mattsuperfreak]

Can people stop comparing this to drive

[@concernedcitizen9101]

Can you stfu?

[@JayAreAitch]

Concerned Citizen my guy it's from 4 years ago...

[@VulKus117]

J H I guess he wasn’t a very ‘concerned citizen’ if he had to wait 4 years to reply.

[@concernedcitizen9101]

@@VulKus117 i never specified how concerned i was

[@rafelin6707]

Best line ever "Wanna fight"

[@GreenSmog17]

i can see the flaws in this movie, but after the credits rolled i was like that film was interesting.

[@timechild0124]

one the movies with the best cinematography is enter the void. It's awesome :D

[@Michael-fs1cw]

I've been meaning to check that out for some time. Might download it now. Cheers :)

[@terrysilvester4720]

2001 has the best cinematography ever

[@redmangoose182]

The greatest movie ever to watch high.

[@Rememberme2305]

Chris has a really cool idea at the beginning: How about we let Driver fight Julian?

[@youngknight5589]

Julian did fight driver

[@Rememberme2305]

+Young Knight really? When?

[@youngknight5589]

+Quyen Duong Thuy in an interview it was confirmed one eye driver and Chang are the same mythological creature taking different forms

[@keilanhakstol8338]

How did you get the scorpion jacket?

[@bradleyberry366]

Keilan Hakstol amazon

[@jared9217]

Drive is an amazing movie! One of my favorite movies ever.

[@luciano9755]

I liked some aspects of this movie, but not the overall product. It seemed too pretentious or meaningless at times. I wasn't moved by any of the scenes, despite their technical beauty.

[@Blodia1990]

It was utter shit

[@vishnu2407]

I pity the both of you

[@nickbyrd1027]

When people find this movie pretentious or meaningless, I have to imagine they simply just didn't..."get it"

[@Blodia1990]

@@nickbyrd1027 Oh no I got everything. Mainly because the director insisted on spoon feeding his arrogant, pedestrian metaphors like we didn't graduate elementary school. Totally condescending and hugely mean spirited.

[@ChrisStuckmann]

Then you would've had to have waited a lot longer for the review haha. I actually LOVED sitting in front of my 50 inch plasma in complete SILENCE with no loud mouthed jerks around me. That felt pretty glorious.

[@haydengilbert6317]

with this one, I really felt an overwhelming sense of the influence of Gaspar Noe and David Lynch, and I have rewatched this several times, each time thinking I will skip to a favorite part, but each time being unable to do so. I love this film, and am not exactly certain why. This is one of those rare films that speaks a silent truth to a certain viewer, one that cannot be quantified or measured, but still is able to make you laugh and cry and you simply don't have an answer why.

[@ChrisStuckmann]

That means so much to hear, wow thank you so much!

[@joe-un1ky]

"One shot went too far." Eye think I know which one you mean

[@charliedawson6318]

The shot where Gosling gets black eyes. Messing up Ryan Gosling's beautiful face should be a war crime.

[@Blodia1990]

@@charliedawson6318 come on man. He's clearly talking about the pointy karaoke

[@lopp241]

I hear ya

[@tathagatabishayee9345]

Eye see what you did there.

[@Camflict]

I agree with you entirely. Gorgeous movie, beautiful soundtrack, questionable other things.

[@DoooBeeDoooBeeDooo]

A handsome young protagonist getting his ass kicked. Western audiences aren't used to that.

[@beardedmovieguy322]

Finally got to see it. I can see what you mean about it being an art house film, and for the most part I liked it, and yeah, the torture scene just went too far without good reason. Saying that, it looked stunning overall, and that beat down on Ryan Gosling was monumental. I think I need to see the movie a few times more before I could really give it an accurate scoring. Thanks for you review, it was solid as always.

[@MrWessiide]

Drive was one of the greatest movies of our generation, the fact ppl didn't quite get it bothers me because it really is so good it gives me chills whenever I hear that song they play throughout it.

[@S0undCr3w]

That extremely talented actor whose name you cannot describe happens to be my uncle. I'll pass along the compliment!

[@Blodia1990]

Jeremy Daniel No way!!! He's awesome

[@patrickwald9299]

Stop the cap

[@MileyCyrusSwollenGums]

Your name is Jeremy Daniel stop lying

[@serge155]

i dont know if any art house film will manage to top Drive

[@jessechuff]

Not that it tops Drive, but Upstream Color is an art house film that I absolutely love. Nothing like Drive, but it's the film that most often pops into mind when I hear "art house".

[@serge155]

Mentalitarium thank you for the recommendation, i look forward to checking it out

[@bennyfairfax1]

Oldboy is my favourite film and I think it's a masterpiece. You should check it out if you haven't already. I personally think it's better than drive. The anti Christ is fucking awesome. I suggest you check out Chan wook park's work as I can nearly guarantee you'll love one of them.

[@serge155]

owen moore you referring to the South Korean one or the American remake?

[@bennyfairfax1]

Nicholas Schubert ha-ha, definitely the south Korean one. The American one is shit

[@templar19]

3:26 "He kills whenever he wants, he tortures, he does things that cops just don't do." Like what?

[@_GuiltyGhost]

+Floyd Palmer ok well...I think Chris means a "real" cop

[@miliejones3900]

GuiltyGhost Ever hear of Rodney King?

[@Chameleon1616]

Cops torture where your from?

[@king_supreme1102]

Cops like that are very few and very far between.

[@user-sx4ki7sy7g]

Floyd Palmer - He's talking about real life cops. Not movie cops. I mean, real cops do that, too, sometimes. But not like this.

[@trashboat5544]

Where did you get that amazing jacket?!?!?

[@Carlos-ln8fd]

I disagree about the characters. Julian was a great. He was conflicted about his brother, had a bad relationship with his mother, was strong and smart but ultimately too insecure to live a life of crime. I can talk at lenght about him and his motivations. The same about Crystal and The Angel of Vengeance.

[@Martin-xj9zj]

Insecure interesting. Was he insecure or just so conflicted he could not do any one thing properly? Only being endlessly torn. Doing one thing and then regretting it as other personality current got hodl of him as they grew stronger, when the other he fed got more silent?

[@luisalvarado3527]

I wonder if the drive jacket was The Flick Pick's

[@halo99yo]

...and when it's done eating her it's gonna eat me!....OH MYYYYYYY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD

[@TheBerylknight]

Drive was a good film. This movie, not so much. It was too disorganized and lacked structure. I did enjoy some of the fight scenes, though. But it needed a more coherent plot.

[@TheGermandude2]

He was talking about the use of lighting, which actually is a talent of Refn. He's very invested in the use of colors in his films and the way scenes are lit. It's a common look among a lot of Refn's films. Larry Smith definitely does still deserve some credit though.

[@junker154]

I heavily agree on the part where you said that you knew what was going on in the movie by watching interviews or reading articles. I think a good movie should convey these messages in the movie and that enough information should be given from the movie and not my interviews or other sources. I had this issue with Donnie Darko. Still it's an amazing experience. Good review!

[@JohnMocny]

Chris! You NEED to do a hilariocity review of Troll 2!

[@coldwavecommunity3020]

This movie is a Masterpiece! if have seen him multiple times and it's getting better and better...

[@icedpony]

The torture scene didn't go to far, it was very in line with what you might find in the Old Testament, old Norse, other medieval and ancient literature. It's what God would've done. I loved the ritual singing. It was part of what made the world of the film seem so deep, layered and real

[@theaznwonda]

Chris, I would love to see you do an "Only God Forgives Explained" video. Your Drive and Prometheus ones were fantastic. Keep up the good work.

[@cesarcarlosventura]

Much better than Knight of Cups of Terrence Malick

[@kgdblade]

"How many people are going to watch Bronson or Valhalla?" Loved both those films! Valhalla was extra special though - but required several viewings to appreciate. Refn's films are the kind you buy on DVD and watch again and again - kind of like Lynch and some of Cronenberg's less commercial stuff.

[@Numberoneiosgameplay]

If someone makes an assembly cut without the unnecessary karaoke scenes, and the torture scene, this movie would be a borderline masterpiece IMO.

[@pielgrzym00]

You gotta check out Enter The Void. And since Refn draws a lot of inspiration from Jodorwsky check out Holy Mountain and El Topo (if you haven't yet).

[@clive2345]

The irony of an American saying "He didn't behave like a cop at all. Killing people". Ha.

[@tomhulcelover]

generally, cops follow rules. especially in america, contrary to what everyone including americans themselves think

[@vladivanovici510]

tomhulcelover All of the cases in which cops kill civilians (from children to elders indiscriminately) that happened lately prove it otherwise.

[@tomhulcelover]

Vlad Ivanovici don't get me wrong, there is a very big issue with the police, many are not properly trained and others have some sort of power complex that leads them to becoming a danger to the public. but everything that has come up recently in the news is nothing new. its *always* happened. only now have people really started to stand up to the bullshit going on. or maybe a better way to put it is: only now has society acknowledged the people protesting this. back to what i was saying though, despite these problems, most cops still follow the rules and don't end up shooting and torturing multiple people like the guy in the movie did

[@tomhulcelover]

***** can you read my second comment please

[@imarealtuffy]

Wow, that's one of the stupidest comments I've read.

[@PastyIrishBoy]

How could anyone say Drive is overrated. It's a fucking masterpiece.

[@bdr113080]

Please review Death Proof!!!!

[@cornhub8823]

+Brian Rose did say deathproof or any other tarantino movie ever made?

[@gussymane6672]

Ryan Gosling sure does take on a lot of roles where his character doesn't say much in a beautifully shot eyegasmic array of visuals

[@DaxNZ]

Nicolas Winding Refn's Bronson is one of my favorite movies of all time!

[@ralphbambino6992]

i love that movie tom hardy was a beast in it

[@jothegreek]

Which are those movies that are better than drive?

[@michaelbaron9304]

Hi Chris, huge fan. Great review. These type of movies I live and die for.

[@DonnieMoreland]

Wasn't bothered by the violence as much as I was the lack of exposition. I knew I was going to be watching Art House, but at no point was I enthralled by the struggle between the characters. However, 'Only God Forgives' should win an Oscar in one of the aesthetic categories.

[@luizmatte4345]

I love both, Drive and Only God Forgives. I don't know why or how, I just do... maybe I'm fucked up. Also, violence doesn't need a justification, it's just that, violence, a part of human nature.

[@oatmat]

Man I absolutely loved OGF, so misunderstood, its an incredibly beautiful film

[@martinsalazar4579]

I've seen it 30 minutes ago. I almost fell sleep thrice. The only good things that happened were the photography and the fight.

[@42k78]

Totally agree with everything! I am still very impressed with Ryan Goslings choice to do art films like this when he could be doing anything. Though this movie is hard to watch at some parts, I am still going to buy it. Just for the score and the vibe, I am interested in seeing it again. "This will make Drive look mainstream." Haha. Got that right.

[@Ravenamps]

Only God Forgives was MUCH better than Drive. The entire film was steeped in symbolism and, therefore, left up to interpretation, which is I guess why many disliked it. It had some of the best cinematography of the year. The soundtrack was spectacular. Deep tormented characters that serve as a continuation of the plot and to give a message as spiritual metaphors. It was also very entrenched in Thai culture and didn't sacrifice authenticity for western stereotypes aside from Refn's signature graphic violence, which isn't exclusively a western tool, but is no doubt more prominent in western movies as a means for story arcs. This is shown here. All sins are punished for and with violence aside from Julian's mother who is never directly is shown committing violence, but she is punished the same as all others: with violence. Refn knew exactly what he was doing and he was doing. Watch Valhalla Rising, it's structurally similar to OGF in many ways, but has completely different symbolism. He made exactly what he wanted to create. This movie is not to entertain you. This is a piece of art that uses film as a medium. This movie is masterpiece and deserves much more credit than people give it.

[@soul_vicex]

+Christian Jelinek Why even compare them, they're both works of art

[@al112v4]

This wasn't better than Drive that's for sure. Enjoyable? Yeah, but not even close near better than Drive.

[@soul_vicex]

Two different movies. It's like comparing Spielberg's E.T to Jurassic Park

[@al112v4]

Bowser2847 Agreed.

[@soul_vicex]

***** No, the cinematography is near to perfect (in my opinion). As an artist myself I really understand the angles used by Refn and in each shot they tell the story, where the dialog may lack, the picture itself is screaming the words at you. For me thats masterful work. It's small details in the movies I enjoy and even the soundtrack itself is amazing. I'm just a massive cinematography nerd and I can really appreciate these movies based on small qualities the director has included. If you're used to enjoying movies like The Avengers and Fast & the Furious franchise, you wont be able to appreciate these movies.

[@NickMichalak]

I was waiting for your review on this, Chris. "Drive" is one of my favorite films of all time, and has become an inspiration for my own filmmaking endeavors. However, the mixed festival reactions gave me pause to rent this on iTunes. After your review, I'm thinking I might wait for a $1.29 Redbox rental instead of a $6.99 iTunes rental. Also, great, smart intro. Loved it! Do you own a Scorpion jacket, or did you borrow Flicksters?

[@Iker122]

has anyone ever told you that you remind them of Adam Scott ?:))

[@aaronjones415]

Am I the only one who liked it just as much as drive, If not more? Yeah Drive has more humanity and relatable characters but there's just something about the vibe and atmosphere of OGF that I just flat out adored.

[@AlojzyZyrokompas]

I didn't like Drive...and I loved OGF.

[@TheGreenArmorPress]

I liked it but I'm still trying to get my head around it.Could you possibly do an indepthed video about it? I'll probably watch this movie again just to get some clarity.

[@johnnytwotoes1]

Drive was a tremendous achievement. Only God Forgives was a travesty.

[@Blodia1990]

Absolutely. This was so bad that I was dumbfounded that Refn made this

[@nsyrkis]

The eye cutting is also an "artistic shootout" to Salvador Dali's An Andalusian Dog

[@kill3rs529]

I loved the ending he finally accepted his sins and was ready to be forgiven by god

[@SunGhostify]

Chris, do you have anything to say about "Valhalla Rising"? Of all Refn's movies that one is by far my favorite.

[@freakonomix]

What is the name of the track from Drive at the start of this video?

[@SirTyJensen]

Ticking Clock.

[@jadajamra9845]

Nightcall

[@xoxVAPxox]

Out of all the movie reviewers that I watch I definitely think that Chris gives me the most in depth review of all of them without even revealing any spoilers. Chris, you are the master of reviews in my opinion!

[@VneckWolf]

i always cringe when i see people in the white and gold drive jacket, only ryan can really pull it off

[@serge155]

VneckWolf agreed, i had wanted to get one fro the longest time but i backed off because it just doesnt look right,and might make it seem like you're gay.

[@CptBald]

Nicholas Schubert lol "might make it seem like you're gay" Sorry but your comment make you look gay dude. not your cloths...

[@serge155]

Cpt. Bald im confused by your comment

[@serge155]

Cpt. Bald the drive jacket is quite flamboyant,and its a common obseravtion that if youre a guy and wear things that are, thats how the public will respond

[@oatmat]

Have you Done Slow West??? its insanely great please review it

[@joequiruga405]

I gave it a 10/10 on my IMDB - I lovvvve this film!

[@greensman2697]

I did the same. I loved it.

[@joequiruga405]

Legit in my top 15-20 films

[@AlkoWasAlreadyTaken]

Joe Q Ellis What makes it one of your favorites?

[@joequiruga405]

Tbh I really like the colours more than the story but I am quite compelled by Julian's plight

[@AlkoWasAlreadyTaken]

Joe Q Ellis I wouldn't say I loved the movie or even really liked it that much, but it is one of the best looking films I've ever seen.

[@andres65080]

Lol that intro was on point. Chris, you should make a video about Ryan G's directorial debut Lost River, since you appear to be a Gosling fanboy as much as I am!

[@Themoushtaceleague96]

I haven't seen Drive, but I just watched this movie. I thought it was okay/pretty good. Depends how I look at it. I thought that the movie had little to no dialogue. In other words, I wanted more dialogue, and the violence was okay I guess. I really didn't think that it was that violent. I thought Julian's mom was the best part of the movie. I did enjoy it. But, I will watch it again.

[@xYz-sh2rb]

Plz stop watching Refn flicks...not for u

[@Themoushtaceleague96]

xYz ummmmm. No. If I want to watch them, I will. And thanks for reminding me of this garbage pile movie. But I did see drive and I loved that film

[@sarinlv]

She is one of the very famous singers /actresses in Thailand. Her first name is RATA and her nickname is YAYA-YING😊

[@Dean444ful]

I feel like he said a lot of things in this review just to kinda prove the point that he's not a fan boy.

[@inlandempireband]

I don't really think so. I am a huge Drive fanboy and I really hated this film. I felt angry when it ended. I love surreal movies too. David Lynch is my second favorite director, behind Kubrick. This just didn't work for me. When I think back on it though I always remember all the moments of absolute brilliance, just like Chris was saying. I have almost bought it about 5 times now because there's something unforgettable about it. Here's hoping I like it more the second time around.

[@Dean444ful]

InlandEmpireOfficial no I get what you mean. I'm not saying whether or not he liked the movie I'm saying maybe he tried to prove something just to not sound like a fanboy.

[@madcow009]

+Dean444ful If you've seen the previous video about the film being boo'd at Cannes, this review was 100% what you knew he was going to say. He seems like a nice enough guy, but his reviews are really void of anything really insightful and the reviews can be done without even watching the films. Most of his comments are just popular internet opinions and his jokes are very cliche. I think his lack of individuality is safe and reassuring to a lot of people. It's decent enough background noise for me, so I do enjoy the videos.

[@joerafferty3248]

The style of Only God Forgives is incredible and I still love it as much as Drive. I would definitely say that Nicolas Winding Refn is one of my favourite directors when it comes to visual style. However, I just wish that the story had been a little more coherent and a bit more exposition on Julian's character I felt wouldn't have gone amiss. I am definitely the kind of movie lover who puts story and character at the top of my list in terms of what I care most about when seeing a film. That doesn't mean that I wish movie had spoon-fed me every detail because I like ambiguity and the use of symbolism and metaphors in films. For example, the use of Lieutenant Chang as a metaphor for the Angel of Vengeance I thought was a great idea and to be honest I wish that the film had focused more on him than Ryan Gosling, because I thought he was a more interesting character. Overall, I agree that OGF has a lot of flaws in its execution and some of the performances are bit uneven but I still rate it as a good film, definitely not better than Drive, but I think it is good enough not to be written off as a complete failure and consigned to the dustbin of movie history.

[@PewYOURpaNTSBITCH]

You love artistic movies? and yet you haven't seen FILTH?....

[@terrysilvester4720]

Filth isn't that great

[@CrowzEye]

Terry Silvester filth is fucking amazing lol

[@PewYOURpaNTSBITCH]

BoySyndicate666 you said it man , amazing and still it is realy underrated...

[@CrowzEye]

it is incredibly underrated, the movie is so original i thought it was based on a novel, the performance was Oscar worthy and the film itself had a good message behind it.

[@terrysilvester4720]

BoySyndicate666 it is based on a novel, the same guy who wrote Trainspotting

[@bensum9111]

I got the symbolism in this movie right away. I thought the director used a very unique approach at portraying mans struggle between good and evil. Beautiful film. Great acting.

[@lvndrr_dashboard]

I feel this movie was pretty much entirely pretentious. I like art films but this is way too much.

[@Carlos-ln8fd]

I had that impression before I knew more about Nicolas Winding Refn. The guy considers Drive to be a superhero movie and The Neon Demon to be a teenage horror flick. The slow pace and the visual metaphors are just his style really.

[@reedca97]

In the way that Begotten is called a 'metaphysical splatter' film, only God Forgives is a metaphysical exploitation film. (If you don't know Begotten, watch it just for the experience)

[@RullyisJRM]

I LOVE Drive...I did not love this one.

[@passive_annihilation]

Basically agree. Especially about the ending. One thing I do love about this movie and Drive however is how dreamlike and symbolic they both were. Nothing that's happening ever really feels real, yet is all oozing with reality. You're left with this sort of abstraction that ranges from dark and grungy to near euphoria. It ends up becoming compelling in ways that a realistic version of either story would never even touch.

[@terrysilvester4720]

I loved it, very david lynch-esk

[@B.torres]

So here's my thing with this movie...,but first let me say, I'm not mainstream audience, I LOVE Drive. Not just Love, i think Drive is one of the greatest films of all time. That might sound crazy, but I think Drive is up there with the Pulp Fiction's and The Godfathers. I was incredibly excited for this, I watched it....I didn't think I liked it. So I watched your analyzed. I studied the analyzed video to try to understand what the hell that movie was. I rewatched it today and I just think it's horrible. I hate to say that because I'm a fan of Refn, but to me it looked like style over substance to the extreme. It was eye porn for sure. It looked incredible. Other than that....what?! The characters were nonexistent. Ryan Gosling being a silent hero in Drive worked. In this, his silence was aggravating and I hated his "character". Who he reminded me of....Was the dude from the Fifty Shades movie. I really tried to like this movie but really, I just cannot imagine what Refn was thinking. I am really interested in seeing 'My Life' to see what he was thinking. Anyway, sorry for the small rant. Eat KFC.

[@mrjomammas]

Brandon Torres lol can you see the irony in you holding pulp fiction on a pedastal and not liking only God forgives for being "style over substance"

[@serge155]

shout out to the Drive blu ray in the back over Chris's shoulder.

[@Caaarrl94]

Hey Chris, It seems like we have real similar movie taste. What movies have you seen since Drive which you thought were better?

[@RandysonlineNY]

this movie felt like it was trying to be too much like Drive & it failed !

[@robsretrovault]

dont see how? its by the same director, therefor it is bound to have the same style

[@mrjomammas]

Did you watch the film ?

[@etherealnodez]

This is one of those movies that everyone got wrong. Let me list some others. Some of which critics hated. 1.) Only God Forgives 2.) Vanilla Sky 3.) Tenet 4.) Killing them Softly 5.) Bad Lieutenant (remake) 6.) Office Space 7.) The Cell 8.) The Beach 9.) The Fountain 10.) The 4th Kind/Dark Skies

[@bantasharkunited2283]

Bro, the reason why this film looks visually stunning is solely due to the cinematographer Larry Smith. The films only real good point was because of him and definitely no Nicholas.

[@RoyKoopaling]

It’s time this film was re-examined. I recently rewatched it and I’m utterly blown away by the performances, the direction, the sound design and the cinematography. We’re coming out a long phase of understanding cinema in a very particular way, even art house cinema. The language, even if abstract, still had to fit a particular form and be making some specific points about society or about whatever. Refn isn’t interested in that. Not stylistically, but in its essence, it reminds me of American 70s cinema. Tarantino’s Death Proof suffered similarly and also deserves a re-examination. These are films that are interested in using the language of cinema to explore their story. They’re not trying to tell you about society or about your psychology. They’re telling you their story only, and in the way they way to tell it. PS- it’s so crazy to me to hear a millennial critic whining about violence.

[@blueeyesaf]

Visually the movie was great, but a movie needs more than visuals, alot more, like, dialog, or characterization. I really liked Drive a fair bit, but I don't particularly like art movies and after watching this I was just frustrated that I spend an hour and a half of my life on this thing, much like Valhalla Rising, which was also made my Refn. Plus, god, that ending was just so anticlimactic and, again I use the word frustrating, that's what this movie was to me, bits here and there gave me hope and interested me and then followed up by... nothing. I tried to examine it, I tried to read into it, I tried to find meaning in anything I could, but I couldn't find anything in this to come away with, it felt shallow and self indulgent to me.

[@severaleffects]

You haven't reviewed Now You See Me? I went to see it yesterday and I still don't know what to think of it, I would love to hear your opinion!

[@Sizzmaster6985]

Didn't like Drive, sure as hell didn't like this movie. Just another movie where apparently shallow "characters" and the lack of a plot or motivations are apparently perfectly fine when the visuals and soundtrack are good. Newsflash, no it doesn't. Also why does Gosling get so much praise for his "acting", when all it comes to is just walking around looking bored and saying around five words a movie. That's not acting, anyone can do that.

[@Jabukama]

I completely agree with you. The plot of the film is about a quiet and precise protagonist who becomes involved in crime in order to protect some damsel in distress and/or her child. That description depicts so many action films so why the hell aren't they getting as much credit as this film? Oh! Is it because of the prolonged pauses that feel completely out of place? The characters were so underdeveloped that I couldn't care less about what happened to them.

[@mauropedrosa7317]

+Sizzmaster6985 I agree 100%

[@TheDarkReignn]

SPOILERS DON'T READ IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE!!! I kind of thought Julian could also be seen as a God because he forgives as well. He forgives the man that kills his brother, and he forgives Chang for letting the guy kill his brother. It's kind of like two gods facing off against each other, a vengeful one (Chang) and a forgiving one (Julian).

[@LightStorm33]

This movie is a arthouse cliche complete garbage drive is better

[@ItsGJ1]

I think your wrong this movie is just as good if not better than drive

[@LightStorm33]

MrThehammer171 not at all but hey its all opinions

[@andres65080]

Cliche? are you fucking crazy? Say it is a bad movie (I don't think it is) but to say it's cliche is insanity.

[@LightStorm33]

***** i feel like its a parody of art house if thats even possible so i guess your right its the first art house parody

[@andres65080]

lol I guess that could be a good analogy for it. I thought it was good, but I mean, it is so over saturated with symbolism and metaphors.

[@madsgregersen5627]

Holy shit! I thought of all the characters as metaphors too, but i thought of them as completely different metaphors. This was exactly what i hoped your review would be like! This movie is absolutely incredible.

[@therodolfool]

cringe intro

[@acusterx]

Summed up my feelings perfectly, except I thought the ending was brilliant. Having it end with Chang doing his thing (won't spoil) was a stroke of genius to me. I think him and Julian understood each other in the end and came to a mutual conclusion. For me the only real character who was developed, or rather fully formed was Julian's Mother. If Chang is a metaphor for God, then she is a metaphor for Satan. Overall this film reminded me of Refn's Valhalla Rising with the metaphors and violence.

[@apostate855]

I just watched it finally (I know, slowpoke.) And regarding the characters, you're right, they aren't. They're archetypes. Cheng being the deity, Julian being the anti-hero. They were the literal human embodiment of those archetypes and they played within the general story line of the pettiness and forgiveness of the gods, and their playthings (which are humans). The violence was a bit off though, but I appreciated it.

[@martinrakowski4689]

Chris i totally agree with you,Drive is one of the best few movies done in past 10 years,i love it to,Only God Forgives very well done although completely different movie,same like you cannot compare Drive with Vallhalla Rising, most of people watching Only God Forgives dont know that it is a visual tribute to Alejandro Jodorovsky.