A new one that just made its American debut on the big screen is Bandit, Brian L. Tan's feature-length debut. A tightly constructed crime-thriller that never loses sight of the human stakes that make the entire thing compelling, Bandit transcends language barriers to be a strong addition to the modern indie scene.
Bandit Is Perfect For Crime-Thriller Fans
Perfect for fans of movies like Drive, Bandit is a solid crime thriller that reminds audiences about the strength of the global indie film scene. The film centers around Gatra and Tiar, two down-on-their-luck friends who find themselves venting about their problems one night over drinks.
Both of them are desperate for cash -- Gatra has a pregnant wife in need of medicine, while Tiar's work for a local crime lord hasn't been paying off enough. An impulsive decision to steal a car takes a very grim turn when they discover a body in the trunk -- and find out that the driver, the ruthless mob enforcer Beni, is now out for revenge.
Handsomely shot in Indonesia, director Brian L. Tan has a good eye for turning the average settings into neon-lit landscapes or making small homes feel both homey and claustrophobic depending on the tone of the scene. The slow-burning approach to the drama makes the tense action all the more harrowing, especially as it subverts expectations about anti-heroes and villains.
The film indulges in some clever cinematography and framing without ever removing the natural tension of a realistic fight or the brutality of a beating. This is where T. Rinfu Wikana really steals the show as Beni, keeping the character quietly horrifying even as his own situation grows more precarious with each passing scene.
This balance is what makes Bandit so compelling, as it easily shifts from character drama to crime thriller to outright horror depending on the scene, with Tan doing a great job handling those tonal transitions. While the central narrative might not be surprising, the lived-in performances and tightly constructed visuals go a long way towards keeping the audience engaged and on the edge of their seat.
Bandit Is Part Of A Recent Global Push For Indonesian Filmmakers In The Indie Scene
One of the really exciting things about Bandit is the way it plays into a recent trend in independent filmmaking coming out of Indonesia. While The Raid films really opened the door for movies from Indonesia to blow up on the global scale, movies like The Night Comes For Us, The Shadow Strays, and A Normal Woman have really helped it explode for a global audience.
Bandit plays with the grim bluntness of a grounded thriller and the more intense touches of an action-crime narrative. That's definitely the tonal balance and storytelling confidence that, as reported by Deadline, earned it the Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature at the Dances With Films Festival in Los Angeles.
It only all works if the central storytelling is strong enough to make potentially one-note gangsters sympathetic or have the willingness to make its lovable losers desperate enough to cross some serious moral lines. The film doesn't pull punches, especially with the way it tackles the messiness of morality in a criminal world.
As a showcase for Tan's talents, the film is solid proof of concept for future endeavors. However, it does more than just prove the filmmaker's directorial chops. Just as a tightly constructed thriller, Bandit is a great reminder that the global indie film space is full of unsung films that deserve your attention.
Source: Deadline
English (US) ·