Only God Forgives

Name: Only God Forgives
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Crime
Released: July 19, 2013
Duration: 90 min
Rating: 37
Cast: Kristin Scott Thomas, Ryan Gosling, Vithaya Pansringarm

2013

METASCORE

Generally unfavorable reviews based on 39 Critics

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 541 Ratings

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7.9

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7.9	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 541 Ratings

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ONLY GOD FORGIVES

Movie Details & Credits

RADiUS-TWC | Release Date: July 19, 2013

Starring: Kristin Scott Thomas, Ryan Gosling, Vithaya Pansringarm

Summary: Julian lives in exile in Bangkok where he runs a Thai boxing club as a front for the family’s drugs smuggling operation. When Julian’s brother Billy is killed their mother, Jenna, arrives in the city. She wants revenge and forces Julian to find the killer. Julian’s contacts in the criminal underworld lead him directly to The Angel ofJulian lives in exile in Bangkok where he runs a Thai boxing club as a front for the family’s drugs smuggling operation. When Julian’s brother Billy is killed their mother, Jenna, arrives in the city. She wants revenge and forces Julian to find the killer. Julian’s contacts in the criminal underworld lead him directly to The Angel of Vengeance, a retired police officer.… Expand

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn

Genre(s): Drama, Thriller, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 90 min

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Awards & Rankings

54	#54 Most Discussed Movie of 2013
82	#82 Most Shared Movie of 2013

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Empire - Damon Wise

Jul 29, 2013

Experimental and uncompromising, Winding Refn and Gosling’s Drive follow-up is a tripped-out riff on the crime family movie in which The Grifters — literally — go to hell. Read full review

Slant Magazine - Jesse Cataldo

Jul 15, 2013

It takes the basic form of the revenge flick and dips it in tar, making for a movie that comes out sticky, nasty, and black. Read full review

Time Out - Joshua Rothkopf

Jul 16, 2013

Crushingly, the dependably perverse art-action director Nicolas Winding Refn has finally made a boring movie. Read full review

The New Yorker - Anthony Lane

Jul 15, 2013

However mystifying, or downright boring, you find the result, rest assured that the Refn faithful will swoon. Peace be with them. Read full review

Austin Chronicle - Marjorie Baumgarten

Jul 17, 2013

Long after Only God Forgives concludes, only its scuzziness remains. This artistic misfire will forever be knocking on heaven’s door. Read full review

New York Post - Sara Stewart

Jul 18, 2013

The innovation of Refn’s latest is mostly just in the way it manages to merge gory and boring. At least it’s created a new movie adjective for me: goring. Read full review

Observer - Rex Reed

Jul 16, 2013

In Cannes, one wag described it as “cinematic defecation” in print. I’d like to top that one, but as James Agee used to say, I know when I’m licked. Read full review

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User Reviews

alescio92

Jul 19, 2013

Only God Forgives directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, an intense film, aesthetically perfect with beautiful colors, beautiful performances, a directorial no flaws, a wonderful movie, perfect, a beautiful soundtrack, not a fim suitable for everyone though.
This is the real masterpiece of Refn.

20 of 33 users found this helpful2013

MrThehammer171

Feb 7, 2015

this movie is just so amazingly shot the lighting and the score i just cant get enough of this movie. the acting is top notch ryan gosling gives a outstanding performance. people say he doesn't say enough well he doesnt you can see and feel what he is thinking just by looking at him andthis movie is just so amazingly shot the lighting and the score i just cant get enough of this movie. the acting is top notch ryan gosling gives a outstanding performance. people say he doesn't say enough well he doesnt you can see and feel what he is thinking just by looking at him and that just shows how amazing of a job ryan gosling did… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

himeeg

Dec 19, 2013

This revenge tale is a little bit brutal and a little bit surreal. Director Nicolas Winding Refn and actor Ryan Gosling reunite for this visually dense look at the underbelly of Bangkok. Kristin Scott Thomas gives a perversely funny, as well as sad, portrayal of Billy and Julian's mother.This revenge tale is a little bit brutal and a little bit surreal. Director Nicolas Winding Refn and actor Ryan Gosling reunite for this visually dense look at the underbelly of Bangkok. Kristin Scott Thomas gives a perversely funny, as well as sad, portrayal of Billy and Julian's mother. However it is Thai actor Vithaya Pansringarm that steals the show. This film is eerie, atmospheric, ambiguous, stylish, sparse for me, every one of those describes a positive trait of the film. The critics may not love it, but I sure did!… Expand

3 of 4 users found this helpful31

Bob_Loblaw

May 2, 2014

After watching the artistic triumph that was Drive, I was eager to see what the next collaboration between Winding Refn and Gosling would bring. Sufficed to say, I was disappointed. Sure, the technical aspects of the film were impressive and the cinematography arguably surpassed that ofAfter watching the artistic triumph that was Drive, I was eager to see what the next collaboration between Winding Refn and Gosling would bring. Sufficed to say, I was disappointed. Sure, the technical aspects of the film were impressive and the cinematography arguably surpassed that of Drive's. This film was in dire need of a screenwriter; there wasn't any depth to this film. There was a lack of good dialogue, or rather dialogue itself. I'm not against minimalist films (2001 is my favourite film) but

"Wanna fight?"

is as corny as they come.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

RevRon

Nov 7, 2013

I really wanted to enjoy this movie because I liked "Drive" a lot, Ryan Gosling is a really talented actor and Nicolas Winding Refn has a pretty amazing eye behind the camera. However, the film moves slowly and, ultimately, felt like it was going nowhere. It's even worse when it feels likeI really wanted to enjoy this movie because I liked "Drive" a lot, Ryan Gosling is a really talented actor and Nicolas Winding Refn has a pretty amazing eye behind the camera. However, the film moves slowly and, ultimately, felt like it was going nowhere. It's even worse when it feels like there wasn't much to the script and Refn had to pad the film out by filling it with a lot of shots of the actors staring vacantly into the void. While the shots look nice and it has all the makings of being a dark tale of revenge, the movie just was too boring for me to find entertaining.… Expand

4 of 6 users found this helpful42

amheretojudge

Sep 22, 2018

such grittiness that nothing but blood comes out of it..

Only God Forgives Only God Forgives is a character driven action thriller about a guy seeking revenge for the death of his elder brother and ends up finding out inedible revelations about his past. Ironically, in a world where eachsuch grittiness that nothing but blood comes out of it..

Only God Forgives

Only God Forgives is a character driven action thriller about a guy seeking revenge for the death of his elder brother and ends up finding out inedible revelations about his past. Ironically, in a world where each character thrives on their emotions with such grittiness that nothing but blood comes out of it, the emotions depicted in the feature is exhaustingly shallow and at points juvenile. And the primary reason to that is their one dimensional perspective and the wafer thin characteristics handed over to each characters that they are supposed to override for the entire tale. Whenever such slow pill natured feature is to be projected, it inherently demands keen attention on details and a mature bubble that it all resides in it, unfortunately none of these aspects are in existence in here. With a incongruent background score, overly enhanced sound effects that are frankly way too loud and grows annoying, redundant and inexpressible cinematography, unnecessary slow motions and amatuer editing, that all helps in on anchoring it even more. The undercooked characters in writing easily factors in on the actors on their performance, as even Gosling and Scott Thomas fails to deliver a convincing or even more disappointing, a comfortable portrayal that is at least at ease. The writer-director Refn has a long way to run on both script and execution for he might have his vision stable, but its the chalky polishing of it itches throughout the course of the feature. The action sequences are somewhat impressive but even in such situations the editing and camera work shucks away the intensity of the sequence. The bright colors and few lethally choreographed action sequences are the only high points of the feature. Only God Forgives is a fine example of how each tiny aspects that goes under production on each day is essential, since if not taken care of, the outcome can be such a blunder.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

crossifo

Aug 2, 2013

One of the worst movies I have ever seen, very disappointed. Any one who watches this and likes it has serious mental issues, my unknown self-published book is a trillion times better.

1 of 8 users found this helpful17

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