Kuang tu
Taiwan, 2018
Mandarin, English and Czech subtitles
DIrector: Tzu-Hsuan Hung
Starring: Kang-Ren Wu, JC Lin, Nana Lee
Distributor: Ablaze Image
Taiwanese cinema has released a lot of action films, but has been overshadowed by great figures from Hong Kong, Thailand or Indonesia. Debuting director Hung Tzu-Hsuan has brought a 105-minute proof that the region still has much to contribute to the genre. The main hero, an ex-basketball player Rui, is accused of robbing a bank and so he embarks on a bloody journey to be exonerated.
The adrenaline ride may be reminiscent of Cantonese police thrillers or American revenge stories. Sarcastic humour, brutal action and dynamic style add up to this interesting mix. The choreography and stunt performances in The Scoundrels represent the very best around the world and have brought fresh blood into the action genre.