Snakehead is a 2021 American crime drama action-thriller film edited, produced, written and directed by Evan Jackson Leong and starring Shuya Chang, Jade Wu and Sung Kang. The film premiered in the Discovery section at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival.[1]
| Snakehead | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical film poster | |
| Directed by | Evan Jackson Leong |
| Written by | Evan Jackson Leong |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Ray Huang |
| Edited by | Evan Jackson Leong Greg Louie Chelsea Taylor |
| Music by | Roman Molino Dunn |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Samuel Goldwyn Films |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 89 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Languages | Chinese English |
Plot
editAfter her jail sentence was commuted and the custody of her only daughter Rosie was lost, Tse travels to New York via human smuggler known as "Snakehead", in hopes of reuniting with her. Coming from Taiwan, Sister Tse pays a smuggler a $50,000 fee for her passage to New York. Upon arrival, she heads to Dai Mah, a brothel owner, who demands her to repay her $57,000. Because she doesn't have such money, she needs to gain favor from the matriarch of the crime family and rise through ranks quickly. Her success, however, does come at a cost. Throughout her stay in America, she will endure harsh mistreatment by men, while working in a brothel. After reimbursing Dai Mah, as well as beating up one of her customers and killing Dai Mah's pimp, she heads to find Rosie, who, as she later learns from Rosie herself, was subsequently adopted by a New York couple.
Cast
edit- Shuya Chang as Sister Tse
- Jade Wu as Dai Mah
- Sung Kang as Rambo
- Yacine Djoumbaye as Zareeb
- Catherine Jiang as Rosie
- Richie Eng as Paigwut
- Sandra Eloani as FBI Agent Olivia
- Devon Diep as Sinh
- Perry Yung as Suhyun
- Celia Au as Jia
- Jamie Choi as Barbie
- Burton Perez as Coyote
- Branden Smith as Scorpion
- Linette Kim as FBI Sting
Production
editThe film was written and directed by Evan Jackson Leong. The story is loosely inspired by that of Sister Ping, a human smuggler who ran an operation between Hong Kong and New York City from 1984 to 2000.[2]
Release
editSnakehead premiered at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival[1] and subsequently was screened at the 20th New York Asian Film Festival.[3] On June 16, 2021, the film's rights were acquired by Samuel Goldwyn Films and Roadside Attractions to release the film in North America.[4] Initially, the date for the U.S. release was set for October 10, 2021,[5] but it was quickly changed to October 29.[6] In Australia, the film was released under Odin's Eye Entertainment umbrella.[5]
Reception
editOn review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 70% based on 20 critics, with an average rating of 5.9/10.[7] On Metacritic, Snakehead holds a rank of 55 out of a 100 based on 5 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[8]
Beandrea July of The New York Times wrote "Snakehead tumbles all too quietly under the weight of its ambition".[9]
Writing for Variety, Richard Kuipers commented "Though it switches tone abrasively at times, and some story aspects feel a little too formulaic, "Snakehead" burns brightly when focused on the Faustian relationship of its formidable female characters".[10]
Kristen Lopez of indieWire said "[T]here's far more of Snakehead that works than doesn't, and Leong shows a serious flair for crime dramas".[11]
According to Justin Lowe of The Hollywood Reporter, "Leong adroitly captures both the vulnerability and the menace of a woman who finally takes control of her life after decades of victimization, delivering a taut crime drama".[12]
The film was awarded with 3 stars out of 5 from Odie Henderson of RogerEbert.com who explained his reasoning for it by writing that "[the film] entices you with a lurid premise, but the empathy that shines through the cracks of its tough exterior is the real surprise".[13]
Kate Taylor of The Globe and Mail had to disagree with the fellow critics. Her reaction to the film was "[while] Leon's documentary realism is powerful - if tough on an audience - but his fiction skills are erratic".[14]
References
edit- ^ a b "Snakehead". Toronto International Film Festival. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
- ^ Bai, Stephany (August 26, 2016). "'Linsanity' Director's First Feature Film 'Snakehead' Is Nine Years In The Making". NBC News. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
- ^ "Snakehead". New York Asian Film Festival. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (June 16, 2021). "Samuel Goldwyn Films & Roadside Attractions Acquire North American Rights To Crime Thriller 'Snakehead'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
- ^ a b Rosser, Michael (June 23, 2021). "Odin's Eye picks up US thriller 'Snakehead' (exclusive)". Screen Daily. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
- ^ Noh, Jean (October 11, 2021). "Odin's Eye lands Asia deals on US thriller 'Snakehead' (exclusive)". Screen Daily. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
- ^ "Snakehead (2021)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
- ^ "Snakehead (2021)". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
- ^ July, Beandrea (October 28, 2021). "'Snakehead' Review: Nightmares on the Way to the American Dream". The New York Times. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
- ^ Kuipers, Richard (September 22, 2021). "'Snakehead' Review: Fabulous Central Performances Lift This New York Crime Tale out of the Ordinary". Variety.
- ^ Lopez, Kristen (September 14, 2021). "'Snakehead' Review: Shuya Chang Dazzles in Evan Jackson Leong's Uneven Asian Crime Drama". indieWire. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
- ^ Lowe, Justin (September 17, 2021). "'Snakehead': Film Review - TIFF 2021". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
- ^ Henderson, Odie (October 29, 2021). "Snakehead". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
- ^ Taylor, Kate (October 26, 2021). "Thriller Snakehead rips the headlines, but also the drama, from human-trafficking tale". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved October 31, 2021.