Photo: ©Wanderer Pictures
Pattaya Heat
A glorious ensemble of Thai stars Ananda Everingham (Shutter), Thaneth Warakulnukroh (Bad Genius, among others) bring their A-game to this bodacious postmodern crime-action opus set in the country's notorious "sin city" destination. At the center of the madness is an ex-con-assassin-turned-drug-dealing pizza maker, a corrupt cop with a twinkle in his eye and a rumble in his belly, a tarot card-dealing femme fatale, and a megalomaniacal crime king who makes Scarface look like a choir boy. These ne'er-do-wells cross and double-cross paths in an elaborate quest for riches in gold, leaving in their wake a trail of ultra-violence, rampant sexuality, with a sprinkle of Thai-flavored dark humor into the bargain. With a little help from movie friends Yang Kil-Yong, action director from the legendary Oldboy and producer Shang Na, of Detective Chinatown 3, and Sheep Without a Shepherd fame, seasoned Chinese director Yang Shupeng, a NYAFF 2017 guest, has whipped up a plethora of pulpy influences into a furious cinematic cocktail that's equal parts Tarantino, Woo, and something entirely its own.