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Jack Kesy has been quietly building a serious action-film arsenal, and the actor best known lately for stepping into the Hellboy mantle is finally starting to win me over as a true old-school, one-man-army star. He has already appeared in adrenaline-fueled fare like The Outpost, 12 Strong, Bruce Willis’ Death Wish and Hellboy: The Crooked Man, following in the footsteps of Ron Perlman and David Harbour. Kesy has the imposing presence of a classic action hero, and in his latest vehicle he plays a hitman whose entire world detonates after he is ruthlessly gunned down. Director Wych Kaosayananda brings plenty of brooding noir atmosphere to the chaos, while RoboCop himself, Peter Weller, adds serious weight to a thriller that builds toward a gloriously chaotic, all-out-war finale with the body count to match.
The film is fittingly titled Bang, with Kesy playing William Bang, an elite hitman who is the absolute best at what he does: eliminating targets with extreme prejudice. Bang works for Morgan, a sociopathic criminal who operates his lucrative assassination business from an antiques store—because apparently even murder-for-hire needs a little old-world decor. But everything changes when Bang is mercilessly gunned down at a cigar bar by a criminal seeking revenge for a flawlessly executed hit.
Near death, Bang receives a heart transplant at the eleventh hour. The donor was an unfortunate father-to-be who died in a car crash while rushing his pregnant wife to the hospital. When Bang wakes up and discovers what happened, fate delivers a cruel twist—and a new purpose. He tracks down the donor’s widow, Gwen (Marie Broenner), now a new mother, and immediately tries to turn his life around. Bang wants forgiveness, but redemption comes with a price: he betrays his former gang, infuriating Morgan, a man who believes nobody ever retires from his organization. Now Bang is the target, and Morgan will stop at nothing to erase him.
If you have followed Wych Kaosayananda’s career, you know he likes his action steeped in feverish noir and shaped by the atmosphere of his native Thailand. His homeland often becomes a character in its own right, and Bang is no exception, using bright lights, unfamiliar textures and foreign aesthetics to create its world. Kaosayananda first made noise with the big-budget action film Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever. Although that movie failed at the box office, it remains a cult curiosity and an early glimpse of what he can do when given room to cut loose. Since then, he has worked in the indie-action trenches with low-scale thrillers like The Driver and One Night in Bangkok, both starring martial-arts icon Mark Dacascos, as well as Zero Tolerance with Scott Adkins. Kaosayananda understands the power of a slow burn, letting tension simmer before unleashing savage, unforgiving bursts of action.
Bang is the perfect showcase for that approach, turning Kesy into Kaosayananda’s instrument of destruction—and a one-man-army muse. Kesy gives Bang a subtle, unnerving edge as an anti-hero desperate to find something better, even if reaching Gwen means putting his life on the line. The performance works because Kesy reveals both sides of the character: the merciless killer and the unlikely savior. That transformation sits at the heart of the film. Make no mistake, though—when the final 30 minutes arrive, Kesy brings the swagger, bravado and intensity. He unleashes his inner Schwarzenegger and tears through a fleet of faceless goons with bullets, rocket launchers and icy tactical precision.
Peter Weller brings up the rear as Morgan, and even in his twilight years the Hollywood icon still has the gravitas and attitude to dominate the screen. Weller plays Morgan as an unhinged crime boss who enjoys studying photographs of Bang’s kills and, in his own warped way, views Bang as a surrogate son—one who means more to him than his actual son Johnny, played by Steve Bastoni. Once Bang turns against him, Morgan treats the betrayal as unforgivable and makes killing him his life’s mission. Weller always delivers, whether he is leading the charge or supporting the main players, and he proves once again that he can attack every performance with absolute authority.
I was also glad to see Kane Kosugi, son of legendary ’80s ninja Sho Kosugi and an excellent action star in his own right, appear in a smaller role. He plays a criminal Bang is ordered to kill—but ultimately spares after his change of heart. Kosugi is used well and becomes especially visible during the climax, where he gets a brief but brutal empty-handed fight that allows his skill set to shine. He previously worked with Kaosayananda on Tekken 2: Kazuya’s Revenge, so seeing him throw down again is a welcome treat in a movie otherwise powered by firepower and explosions.
Bang will not be for everyone. Its slow-burning first half may test hardcore action fans who want instant gratification, but stick with it and the film rewards your patience with a ferocious final act. The closing stretch delivers a massive body count, stellar practical stunt work and military-style action design loaded with theatrical firepower. The ending gives me almost everything I want from a low-budget indie action flick. Kaosayananda assembles a standout set piece with the tools available to him, and Kesy gets to unleash Bang’s tactical instincts while arming himself with the finest high-tech automatic weaponry. When the moment finally arrives, he delivers the adrenaline-junkie goods. I was entertained, and that remains the most important thing in my little world.
All in all, Bang will not win any awards, but hardcore action cinephiles like myself will find plenty to enjoy: a committed lead performance, an iconic co-star and a finale that erupts into nonstop savagery. When I review a film, I consider what the filmmakers had to work with, and it is clear that Kaosayananda and his crew know how to maximize limited resources. There is genuine character development as Kesy reveals his range, along with enough action and violence to satisfy anyone searching for something a little different.
There is no denying that Bang will not reinvent the wheel, but it packs in enough surprises and strong performances from Kesy, Weller and the supporting cast to earn a watch. The final sequence comes loaded with gunfire, martial arts and gratuitous carnage. Honestly, what more could you want from an indie actioner?
VERDICT: 3.5 Out of 5 Stars
Bang may be small scale, but it oozes atmosphere, violent action and a bruising new anti-hero in Jack Kesy!
Available in Select Theaters, Digital and On Demand on July 11th
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