Wrath of Silence (2017)

Sometimes violent revenge films can be cathartic. The narrative of seeing revenge is based on a sense of justice, someone wronged getting to punish those who have wronged them. Seeing this justice played out in fiction can give a release as that isn't right in reality. Wrath of Silence tackles this by focusing on a story that incorporates class power against the marginalized to deliver a truly moving and satisfying film.

Wrath of Silence isn't as violent as I had expected but the power in it remains as it builds its characters and their relationships so completely. Yukun does a wonderful job of centering the characters in the audience's hearts so we are greatly affected by what we see. This is what makes a good "action" film, a grounding in our characters and a gravity to their story.

And this story feels like it has a great deal of gravity. The powerful ending doesn't pull punches yet feels organic and appropriate. It may not be an easy story but one that feels worth it.

Wrath of Silence
Starring: Song Yang, Jiang Wu
Writer/Director: Xin Yukun