Snakehead

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Snakehead

2021

1h 29m

Crime

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

71%

Tomatometer

24 Reviews

48%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Sister Tse comes to New York through a Snakehead, a human smuggler. She gains favor with the matriarch of the family of crime and she rises the ranks quickly. Soon Tse must reconcile her success with her real reason for coming to America.

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Critics Consensus

Snakehead struggles to maintain a consistent grip on its narrative ambitions, but the cast really sinks its fangs into the material.

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Leslie Felperin

Guardian

07/26/2022

3/5

Even the soft, hazy cello-intensive score has a Wong vibe, but somehow the package as a whole feels like a smooth synthesis of elements instead of a derivative rip-off.

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Odie Henderson

RogerEbert.com

10/29/2021

3/4

Snakehead entices you with a lurid premise, but the empathy that shines through the cracks of its tough exterior is the real surprise.

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Beandrea July

New York Times

10/28/2021

"Snakehead" tumbles all too quietly under the weight of its ambition.

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Grace Han

Asian Movie Pulse

05/25/2022

3/5

Leong does well to coordinate his moving parts into a smooth-running machine, even if it isn’t a sexy one. “Snakehead” ultimately reads more like a book than it does a film: it leaves more to the imagination than what meets the eye.

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Todd Jorgenson

Cinemalogue

11/12/2021

Heartfelt ambition gives way to heavy-handed execution in this gritty crime thriller that tries to find a different angle to the immigrant struggle.

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Dennis Harvey

48 Hills

11/08/2021

The film is a good introduction to the general subject, but it pales beside the book's neck-deep inquiry.

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Cristian s

@cristiansj Feb 5

Simple pero resultona. Una película de suspenso con mucho crimen y poca accion que cumple.

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09/05/2022

gritty, intense movie, with atmospheric music throughout - the real star here is the streets of Chinatown itself, which the film lovingly but honestly showcases

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06/20/2022

2 out of 5 stars. Snakehead is a boring crime drama film about a young woman who was smuggled into america and forced to work as a prostitute. Until they hire her to become a snakehead and help with immigrants that are coming to america. The plot is tedious and forgettable. The direction and script is dull and boring. The cast is forgettable. Acting is stale. This film felt too long and boring. Sure it could have been better.

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harris r

@Harrisons_reviews 11/23/2021

It felt too long, was too slow, and riddled with plot issues. I don't know if I watched a botched edited version, but there were many scenes that felt pieces were missing, and/or came out of nowhere. This is writer and director Evan Jackson Leong's feature film debut - previously known for documentaries and short films. Overall he did a great job for a newb filmmaker; most of the cinematography and camera work was excellent, but the slow-mo scenes were annoying. It was a visually stylish story, but the cliched gangster narrative fell short on its own heavy ambitions. The short 89 min runtime felt much longer and dragged out with the slow pacing and dragged out and/or unnecessary scenes. Casting was decent, with the stand-out performances by Sung Kang and Jade Wu, but I wasn't impressed with Shuya Chang; her character was unconvincing and it felt like she didn't want to be there with her constant straight-faced look and demeanor. Overall not a bad film, watchable to the end, so it's a 6/10 from me.

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11/09/2021

Engaging + well directed flick. I've been a fan of Evan Leong's since his work with Justin Lin on Tokyo Drift, so it's great to see this newest project from him. Sung Kang is a high point on screen, and the actors are all given plenty to work with. Glad I checked it out!

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11/09/2021

Great movie, loved it! Some decent action but the plot was amazing. Jade Wu is an amazing actress. The Godmother!

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Evan Jackson Leong

Director

Shuya Chang

Sister Tse

Jade Wu

Dai Mah

Yacine Djoumbaye

Zareeb

Catherine Jiang

Rosie

Richie Ng

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Snakehead: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Sister Tse comes to New York through a Snakehead, a human smuggler. She gains favor with the matriarch of the family of crime and she rises the ranks quickly. Soon Tse must reconcile her success with her real reason for coming to America.

Director: Evan Jackson Leong
Producer: Anson Ho, Evan Jackson Leong, Dan Mark, Brian Yang
Screenwriter: Evan Jackson Leong
Distributor: Samuel Goldwyn Films
Production Co: Valiant Films, 408 Films, Arowana Films, King Street Pictures
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 29, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 29, 2021
Runtime: 1h 29m

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