If the pandemic spike has you staying put this Holy Week, here are two streaming options that are perfect for binge-watching. The Serpent drops on April 2, Friday; while Justice League, the Snyder Cut, is on HBO Go. For the Korean noir fans, look out for Night in Paradise come April 9.
The Serpent (Netflix UK) - This is a gripping, well-acted, true crime drama series that recounts the sordid career of conman and serial murderer Charles Sobhraj (portrayed by the excellent Tahar Rahim, a French actor of Algerian descent). The murdering spree of Sobhraj occurred in the mid-1970’s, and were geographically spread out over Thailand, India, and Nepal. Taking full advantage of the ‘hippie trail’, we would prey on the unsuspecting, back-packing European and American tourists. An intelligent sociopath, Sobhraj worked with two main accomplices, his French-Canadian girlfriend, Marie-Andrée Leclerc (British actress Jenna Coleman), and an Indian conman, Ajay. At one point, Sobhraj was Interpol’s Most Wanted.
What really works with this 8-ep Limited Series, is how it’s also as much the story of Dutch junior diplomat Herman Knippenberg (British actor Billy Howle), and his German wife, Angela (played by British actress Ellie Barber). The disappearance of a young Dutch couple spurs him to find out what happened; when all around him, the embassies aren’t taking much interest in the hippies coming from their respective countries. And I keep mentioning how these actors are British, as they inhabit their roles excellently, putting on Dutch, German, or French inflections as required - something you don’t see American actors do very well. There is some repetition in the narrative structure, that I felt meant we could have done just as good a story-telling job over 6 episodes; but this is, by and large, an excellent crime series.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League (HBO Go) - After all the rumors and social media buzz, the Zack Snyder version of 2017’s Justice League can finally be viewed. It won’t be a spoiler to say that most film critics have declared this the much better version of the film - if you recall, Snyder dropped out and Joss Whedon was brought in to perform major surgery on the film that we saw released back then. And what’s also seems to be unanimous, is that the length of the film, four hours and two minutes, is a daunting proposition. In fairness to Snyder, he has broken down the film into six Acts, and there was an idea on the part of Warner to release this as a Limited Series. But given that it debuts on HBO, we can make up our own minds as to whether to watch this over one extended sitting. So yes, we now have a Lav Diaz-type superhero film.
And the result will have to be called a prime example of Snyder at his best in terms of camera angles, exposition, and story-telling, but also the indulgent and self-absorbed Snyder that comes out in his style of film-making. Some members of the Justice League finally get the back story and spotlight they needed to make the audience invest in them. The main villain also now makes more sense, and is no longer the unfocused entity he was in the original release. I’ll leave it to you to make your own final judgment; but if the fan demand wasn’t as vociferous as it was over the years, we might never have seen this Snyder Cut. For that, we can be thankful, as it certainly helps us appreciate what Snyder had in mind, before it was cut up and mangled. If you’re a superhero movie fan, it will definitely be a reward to watch this, as it’s more than just a FOMO experience.
Night in Paradise (Netflix South Korea) - Director Park Hoon-Jung is perhaps best known for his New World; and here in his latest, we again see his trademark take on Korean noir, depicting with cinematic flourishes the hard-boiled lifestyle of the Korean criminal underworld. His main protagonist is the top killer/enforcer of a minor crime boss, who’s out to move up in the hierarchy. In a violent, bloody early sequence, lit by the yellowish hues of a sauna bath, our completely naked and tattooed anti-hero, uses a knife to dispatch a Korean Mafia Don and his henchmen. This forces our enforcer (played by Um Tae-Goo) to lay low and hide out on Jeju Island until a boat can take him to Vladivostok. On Jeju, he’s sheltered by a semi-retired arms dealer and his sickly niece (portrayed by Jeon Yeo-Been, who one might remember from the Korean crime series, Vincenzo).
What follows on the island is a protracted battle of wills between our anti-hero, and the young woman. For some action enthusiasts, this may be seen as too long a lull from what they were expecting; but it is exposition of a high order, as we really invest in these characters. Besides, there is a fantastic pay-off, as the last 40 minutes or so, puts us firmly back on action and violence territory. Exciting, visceral and wonderfully staged, there’s a scene at the Jeju airport, and a car chase on the highway that are in fact, mere preludes for the more than dramatic coda and resolution that the film closes on. This is strong Korean noir, with incisive action, strong portrayals, and compelling plot developments. Highly recommended.