Veronica Ngo’s hotly-anticipated actioner, Furies (a.k.a. Thanh Soi), is finally released in local cinemas, as of last Friday. Previously dated for April, the film was delayed until December 30 before finally advancing its release on the big screen a week early.
Thanh Soi is one of several titles that have been planting a strong foothold for Ngo out of her Studio68 banner as the actress continued to span her screen career in other areas, most notably including the Star Wars saga, Netflix’s The Old Guard as well as its upcoming sequel, Spike Lee’s riveting drama Da 5 Bloods, and 2022 Hulu release, The Princess.
Ngo helms the new installment taking the reins from director Le Van Kiet who directed the actress on the inaugural 2019 actioner, Furie, or Hai Phoung. Ngo heads a cast further led by Dong Ahn Quynh, Toc Tien, and Rima Thahn Vy. Read on:
Actress/director/producer Veronica Ngo’s long-awaited prequel to her blockbuster film ‘Furie’ has finally hit screens in her native Vietnam. The film tells the background story of the first movie’s memorable villain, who lends her name to the local language title: ‘Thanh Soi’. In English, its ‘Furies’…
The film hit Saigon cinemas on the 23rd of December, and is spraying the screens with a different kind of Christmas red. The rave reviews in the local press have heralded it as “the most violent local film ever to be given a theatrical release in Vietnam” and “a film that goes far beyond ‘Hai Phuong / Furie’!” It looks set to exceed the box office numbers enjoyed by its predecessors.
The film tells the tale of a mysterious female mastermind (Veronica Ngo) who brings together a team of lethal lady assassins (Dong Ahn Quynh, Toc Tien, Rima Thahn Vy). Their mission is to take down a criminal empire that traffics in drugs and women. Having faced every manner of danger, the trio learn that the motivation for their crusade is not what they once believed…
“After we made ‘Furie’, the response to the main bad girl character was amazing,” remembers Ngo, soon to be seen internationally in ‘The Old Guard 2’. “I thought, why don’t we go back and show the journey she took, what turned her from a naïve young girl into this killing machine.” Veronica’s Studio68 produced a reality show to find the actress to play the lead in ‘Furies’, and found their woman in Dong Ahn Quynh. “It’s really a star-making role,” observes producer Giang Ho. “It’s unusual in Vietnamese cinema to find someone who can deliver this level of acting and action.”
‘Furies’ features a string of stunning martial arts action sequences and a show-stopping ‘single shot’ motorbike chase. The fight scenes were crafted by the same team responsible for the ones in ‘Furie’: the talented French double act of Samuel Kefi Abrikh and Yannick Ben. The three lead actresses, none of whom had extensive martial arts training, devoted a whole year to preparing with the Vietnamese stunt team.
The film will soon be shown in 240 countries around the world, with more announcements on this, and festival screenings, yet to come.
‘Thanh Soi / Furies’ has been described by the critics as “a whole new class of Vietnamese movie”!
