Only God Forgives is a violent drama about retribution.
Julian will avenge his brother Billy, who has been punished for committing a terrible crime. How far Julian must go depends on the whim of his drug-dealer mother, with whom Julian has a disturbing relationship. A ruthless police captain complicates things.
Strange pacing and lighting add to the uneasy atmosphere. Long scenes may be as boring for some as the violence is jarring for others.
Icarus tells a wild story about drug doping in competitive sports. It's a movie in two parts.
In the first part, the director quests to see how drug doping would affect his amateur cycling. The second part focuses on the doping mastermind, Grigory Rodchenkov. It's here the film kicks into high gear. Whilst helping the amateur, this head of Russia’s national anti-doping laboratory becomes embroiled in the investigation of Russia's state-sponsored doping program.
The timeline is sometimes difficult to follow. And the movie is a bit long. But these faults don't undercut an otherwise electrifying flick.