A Black Shaolin monk breaks a vow of nonviolence to save his students from a gang.
TWISTING TIGER is used with permission from Joseph Le. Learn more at josephle.squarespace.com.
As a younger man, Tarrell was involved in a gang fight in which he accidentally killed his best friend. Since then, he has become a Shaolin monk devoted to a life of zen and pacifism, teaching and mentoring kids in the martial arts.
But when one of his students, Virgil, is threatened by a menacing gang, Tarrell must decide whether or not to break his vows of nonviolence to protect his students. In doing so, he must confront the trauma of his past and the person he's become since.
Directed by Joseph Le and written by Nick Hoang, this stylish, engaging action thriller short mixes the iconic urban crime dramas of the 1990s, like MENACE II SOCIETY and BOYZ N THE HOOD, with Hong Kong kung fu cinema. The rest is a fresh, entertaining take on a classic redemption story, shot with a slick, elegant eye and featuring terrific action sequences at a level not often seen in the short film format.
This is a type of narrative especially beloved in this genre, of a man confronting the past consequences of earlier, thoughtless violence. The redemption arc here hits reliable beats but is made deep by its unique main character, its focus on L.A. gang violence and its respect for its inspirations. At just over 30 minutes, the writing takes advantage of its runtime to go deep into the roots of Tarell's past, and the depth amplifies themes of the cyclical nature of violence and the connection between the trauma of the past to the violence of the present.
Actor Tarell Kota Bullock plays the main character with stoicism and groundedness that evokes tough experience and wisdom but also captures the haunted nature of PTSD. But where he and the rest of the film shine are the fantastic fight sequences, shot with the grace of dance with the clarity of great camerawork. This isn't surprising, considering director Le is well-regarded in Hollywood for his stunt work and action sequence design in films like SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS.
But the film smartly avoids making the action gratuitous. Instead, it's tied intimately to the progression of character and story -- even the way Tarell fights as an older, more haunted man differs from the more volatile movements of his younger self. Those aspects of himself come into collision, unleashing a torrent of emotion that comes out in a masterful, suspenseful set of fights that both dazzle the eye while raising the question of just how far we can leave the past behind.
Powerful, immersive and undeniably compelling, TWISTING TIGER has the confidence of knowing exactly what kind of film it is and committing whole-heartedly to its genre, character and story. As a result, it's not just resonant as an anti-violence character-centered drama, but it's also just a lot of fun to watch.