Deleted Review: Zheng Geping, Vincent Ng Take On Human Traffickers In Underpowered, Unintentionally Funny Thriller
Plus: 100-word review of Blumhouse’s survival thriller Run Sweetheart Run.
Deleted: Zheng Geping is about to have a bad day.
Deleted (NC16)
Starring Zheng Geping, Vincent Ng, Fattah Amin, Dato Rosyam Nor, Zhu Houren, Jack Neo
Directed by Ken Ng
Zheng Geping, the husband of Ajoomma’s Golden Horse Award contender Hong Huifang, is the star, co-writer and one of the producers of this well-intentioned but unintentionally hilarious human-trafficking thriller. ZGP goes Liam Neeson as an ex-cop who infiltrates a crime syndicate behind his daughter’s kidnapping; Vincent Ng makes a showbiz comeback as a special task force top dog. They’re both going after the same scum — an underworld figure nicknamed Four-Faced Buddha (a comically miscast Zhu Houren, who’s more Chinese Santa than Cripple Ho). With its stilted dialogue (Ng’s killer abs have better lines than he does), overwrought and balsa wood acting (chill, ZGP, or you might rupture a blood vessel or two), and clumsy and underpowered action (always take cover behind oil barrels in a gunfight), Deleted works better as a parody of a 1990s/2000s tele-feature, if only the actors knew they were making one. Deleted is also an accidental shriek-fest — when Jack Neo turns up in a cameo… (2/5 stars) now in cinemas
Photos: Golden Village Pictures
Run Sweetheart Run: This is the last time Ella Balinska is using Tinder.
Run Sweetheart Run (M18)
Starring Ella Balinska, Pilou Asbaek, Clark Gregg
Directed by Shana Feste
Blumhouse put out a movie a few years ago called Sweetheart, with Hearts Beat Loud’s Kiersey Clemons marooned on an island with a monster. Run Sweetheart Run, another Blumhouse joint, has zilch to do with Sweetheart. Superficially, that is; look under the hood, both are survival thrillers. In Shana Feste’s case, Ella Balinska (Charlie’s Angels) plays a legal firm secretary who goes on a business date with a seemingly nice client (Game of Thrones’ Pilou Asbaek), only to be attacked and chased by him around LA. The taut Terminator-serial killer narrative then takes a supernatural turn where things get crazier. (3/5 stars) on Amazon Prime Video
Photo: Amazon Prime Video
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