Pen-Ek Ratanaruang • Thailand-France • 2011

A stylish Buddhist neo-noir of karmic retribution.

Tul used to be a good man. Before he was blackmailed by a powerful politician, Tul was earnest and scrupulous; now he’s just a corrupt cop hell-bent on revenge. Soon he is recruited as a hitman, leading to an accident in which his vision becomes inverted. With his world turned upside down, Tul has trouble reconciling if he’s suffering from a medical condition, or karmic retribution.

Blending pulp elements with wide-screen cinematography and art-house aesthetics, Headshot is a stylish Buddhist neo-noir. Pen-Ek Ratanaruang’s ninth film premiered at Berlin, Toronto, Tribeca and Sitges, where it won Best Cinematography. Headshot was Thailand’s official submission to the 85th Academy Awards. The country has never been nominated.