What is it that will ultimately draw the following four characters together: the misfortunate maintenance man at a men’s sauna, a crooked customs officer, the resilient boss of a glittery nightspot, and the battered B-girl she takes under her wing? Narcotics? Nope. The other drug: money — in this case, a sizable Louis Vuitton bag stuffed full of it that has passed through more hands than a cloth napkin. We won’t know which of the Beasts Clawing at Straws stashed the bag in a locker until almost three-quarters of the way through the picture, and the identity of the ultimate beneficiary will remain a mystery until seconds before the curtain shot. That leaves the viewer ample time to try and crack this nifty Korean thriller. Occasional blasts of gratuitous violence belong in another movie, as do some of the films more reachable moments. From what I read, the character of Joong-man’s (Bae Seong-woo) mother had much more to do in the novel upon which this is based. There’s a touching scene between mother and son towards the picture’s close, but other than spewing bile, her sole function here appears to be causing her son to show up late for the job. It will take a good hour for the bouncing time-frame to stabilize (and even longer for the director to remove his Tarantino training wheels). Still, it’s a wild, multi-character ride that’s rife with energy and style, complexly knotted with an ending as simple as it is satisfying. (2020) — Scott Marks
This movie is not currently in theaters.