Only God Forgives

Only God Forgives is a 2013 action film written and directed by Nicolas Winding Refn and stars Ryan Gosling, Kristin Scott Thomas and Vithaya Pansringarm. It was shot on location in Bangkok, Thailand, and as with the director's earlier film Drive it was also dedicated to Chilean director Alejandro Jodorowsky. The film competed for the Palme d'Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. Only God Forgives was released at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival to polarized reviews from critics who praised its soundtrack, action sequences and Winding Refn's traditional style, but was heavily criticised for its screenwriting and characterization. Plot Julian and Billy are brothers and American expatriates, who run a Muay Thai boxing club in Bangkok as a front for drug dealing. One night, Billy goes looking for sex and visits a brothel, saying he wants a 14-year-old girl, but the brothel-keeper refuses. Enraged, Billy attacks him with a wine bottle and breaks into the room where the prostitutes are on display and attacks one of them. At another location, Billy later assaults and kills an underage prostitute where he is cornered by Thai police. Chang, who is a vigilante-type police lieutenant, brings the girl's father Choi to identify his daughter's body and allows Choi to beat Billy to death. Chang later severs Choi's right forearm with his sword for allowing his daughter to be a prostitute. Upon discovering Billy's death, Julian and his crew confront Choi, but Julian spares his life. However, Julian and Billy's mother Crystal arrives in Bangkok and demands that he kill the man responsible for Billy's death. Julian refuses, believing Choi's revenge was justified. After having Choi killed, Crystal learns of Chang's involvement, where she meets with a rival drug dealer named Byron and offers to cut him into her drug operation in exchange for a hit on Chang. Chang investigates Choi's murder and concludes Julian is not the killer. That evening, Julian brings Mai as his girlfriend to meet Crystal at a restaurant. However, Crystal discovers the ruse, where she insults Mai and demeans Julian.