“John Wick 4” is by far the most successful part of the action saga and receives almost nothing but praise from all sides. Hard-hitting and stylistically a stunner, the nearly three-hour action epic is considered by many to be one of the best action films ever – and of course also one of the highlights of the current cinema year, which can finally be seen this week. also for home cinema* gives.
And yet the recent shooting orgy with Keanu Reeves, which even made it one of the most successful films with 18 ratings of all time in Germany, has to admit defeat on one point. At least for FILMSTARTS editor Daniel Fabian. Despite all the success, the matter is clear to him: The title for the best FSK-18 film of 2023 goes to “limbo“!
Hong Kong’s response to “Seven“ is a brutally brutal, terrible hunt for serial killers, staged with unconditional style, immediately making it the absolute flagship of the genre – but so far it has received far too little attention. After the film celebrated its German premiere at the Fantasy Filmfest White Nights at the beginning of this year, it found its way directly to home theaters in June without any regular theatrical release.
And that’s exactly where you can discover the gem for yourself – either via streaming on Amazon Prime Video* and co. or further DVD/Blu-ray* as well as in the limited 4K collector’s edition (also direct in the store of distributor Capelight Pictures* available):
Anyone who is already worrying about their highlights of the year as the (film) year slowly comes to an end should definitely watch ‘Limbo’ before making their final rankings.
Stylish, intense and uncompromising
To first explain the claim in the title of this article: Yes, both films are approved by the FSK for ages 18 and over, but they are obviously in completely different genres. And yet a comparison does not come entirely out of the blue:
“John Wick 4” and “Limbo” share not only the 18 rating, but also their almost unprecedented directorial consistency. While author Björn Becher speaks in the FILMSTARTS review of the fourth ‘Wick’ about a ‘work of art of modern action cinema’, FILMSTARTS editor Daniel Fabian already dares to claim this: There probably won’t be a movie in 2023 that looks as amazing as “Limbo.”
Kept monochrome in black and white and enhanced by rich contrasts, the film’s look visually reflects the abyss into which the characters plunge. The persistent rain and the often night-time murder hunt do the rest to ensure that the audience is sucked into a wet, dark and dirty maw of the big city from which there seems to be no escape.
Yes, you have to think far back to come across a film that depicted the mega-metropolis of Hong Kong as fascinating as it was creepy, as sad as it was beautiful. For all fans of thrillers like ‘Nightcrawler’, ‘Drive’ or the films of ‘Heat’ maker Michael Mann, in which the big city shapes the events almost as a fully-fledged character, ‘Limbo’ is a real treat – and a welcome one. A change from Los Angeles, which is usually used in such cases.
Like “John Wick 4,” “Limbo” is an overly stylized rush for the senses from the first minute to the last – one that still gets under your skin. Action fans are certainly better served with the Keanu Reeves vehicle, but they also get something to see in the insider tip from Hong Kong. Especially towards the end, director Soi Cheang (“Dog Bite Dog”) definitely pushes the boundaries – managing to walk the extraordinary tightrope of becoming “overly surreal” while remaining “painfully grounded,” as in our fourth film. -Star review of the film is called.
That’s what ‘Limbo’ is about
Fresh out of police academy, Will Ren (Mason Lee, “Hangover 2”) must clash with Cham Lau (Lam Ka Tung, “Ip Man”), who has returned from suspension. Together the two must catch the infamous “Hand Fetish Ripper”. And to get their hands on the serial killer, the unlikely duo will use almost any means necessary. And so they quickly resort to an extraordinary measure:
The police search for criminal Wong To (Yase Liu, “Donnie Yen’s Sakra”), who once destroyed Cham’s family and now wants to make amends. The cop now uses this for his own purposes and decides to use the woman as bait and delve into the underworld of Hong Kong with her help. Because that’s where the killer looks for his victims among the homeless and junkies…