Headshot (2016)

Directors: Timo Tjahjanto, Kimo Stamboel

Notable Cast: Iko Uwais, Danny Pang, Julie Estelle, Very Tri Yulisman, Zack Lee, David Hendrawan, Epy Kusnandar

The Mo Brothers have impressed me since I saw Rumah Dara (the short film) years ago. Onward with the full-length feature, Macabre, I sank myself into the world of Timo Tjahjanto and Kimo Stamboel's twisted minds. A few years later, they unleashed Killers, and while I don't love it quite as much as I did on initial viewing, it's still quite solid. Needless to say, when their project The Night Comes for Us (with Joe Taslim of The Raid and Fast and Furious fame) went under, I was gutted. Also, like their fellow director and friend, Gareth Evans (The Raid), the Mo Brothers had a plan B for their failed project, and that comes by way of Headshot a.k.a by far the best thing the Mo Brothers have done to date.

She Shoots Straight (1990)

Director: Corey Yuen

Notable Cast: Joyce Godenzi, Carina Lau Ka-Ling, Tony Leung Ka-Fai, Yuen Wah, Sammo Hung

For me, there is something magical about late 80s/early 90s Hong Kong action films. Just like any other era and/or genre there is still a 3 to 1 ratio of mediocre crap to genuine awesomeness, but the look, the energy, and the feel of this era has always held a special place for me as one of the first non-mainstream film styles that I latched onto. One of the kings of this style and era is Corey Yuen, who, to this day, continues to offer his services as an action director and choreographer to inferior directors for a plethora of various films. One of the films I had not had a chance to dive into is the gimmicky – and oddly titled – She Shoots Straight. While the film has some issues with melodramatic plot set ups and narrative hiccups in the second act, I found myself very impressed with the ballsy twists and often shocking violence that She Shoots Straight uses to deliver its story. This may not be Corey Yuen’s best, but it’s one of his more chancy films that earns a lot of respect even if the execution is a bit patchy.