Nicholas Winding Refn had a few films in American theaters before 2011, but he laid his mark on the American film industry with his film Drive, with actor Ryan Gosling. Now, in 2013, he and Gosling team up again to make Only God Forgives. Call it what you want, whether it be a crime thriller, samurai flick or artistic film, but there is no doubting that this film is super unique.

Refn follows only his own personal flow, not ripping any elements from any other filmmakers. His eye for vision is superb, and it is evident that Refn has mastered the use of lighting and camera angles to create a retro, claustrophobic feeling. This feeling almost traps the audience in the life of Julian, a martial arts club owner/ drug pusher living in Bangkok with his brothers. When one of his brothers is murdered, he is held responsible by his evil mother to catch the killer.

This film exposes you to a wide array of neon colors. Very savvy, bright colors light up the dark clubs and the criminal underground that surrounds Julian. The lighting hints at the moods of various scenes. The characters make slow, subtle movements to portray emotion. Even the systematic violence is carried out in a carefully choreographed manner. It is certainly a beautiful film to look at; however, it suffers from being very slow-paced and often provides too much style over substance. The solid acting by Gosling and Vithaya Pansringarm push the film along, though. Refn’s film is quite artsy, but it may get audiences lost in its confusing plot and overly stylistic features.