Monsoon

2020 1h 25m EN

😐

5.4

MID

★5.4TMDB · 41

DramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Kit can’t remember much of his native Vietnam. When he returns to the Land of the Golden Star for the first time in over thirty years, he takes in his local surroundings as any Western tourist would, and the environment is as exotic as the language is incomprehensible. The aim of Kit’s travels – to find a place to scatter his parents’ ashes – thus becomes part of a journey back to his roots and to the discovery of his identity, which external circumstances have rendered ambiguous and complex.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Henry Golding
Kit
Parker Sawyers
Lewis
David Tran
Lee
Molly Harris
Linh
Ho Nhi
Katie
Phan Bao Ngoc
Tran
Olivia Hearn
Sophie
Edouard Leo
Stephane

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Hong Khaou
Writers: Hong Khaou
Languages: English, Vietnamese
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

85 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 6 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Vietnamese.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Hong Khaou, shot by Benjamin Kračun. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by John Cummings. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Mark Towns shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Henry Golding and Parker Sawyers and David Tran carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt8090564 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Hong Khaou directs. Benjamin Kračun behind the camera. John Cummings scores. Mark Towns cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English, Vietnamese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

185 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Released 6 years ago.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Vietnamese.
4Directed by Hong Khaou, shot by Benjamin Kračun. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by John Cummings. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Mark Towns shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Henry Golding and Parker Sawyers and David Tran carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt8090564 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 41 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Benjamin Kračun
Original score: John Cummings
Editing: Mark Towns
Production design: Miren Marañón
Costume design: Adam Howe
Makeup / hair: Paul Boyce
Sound: Howard Bargroff
Runtime: 85 min · 1h 25m
Status: Released
Box office: $83,446
Original language: EN
IMDB: Monsoon (2020)

Also by

Hong Khaou

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

SWITCH.2020-02-20
★ 6/10
Henry Golding gives a very emotional performance, but it's unfortunately lost as 'Monsoon' is simply uninteresting. Everyone's intention here means well, but the final film is just a waste. That's not to say the film isn't worth watching - it opens the door to the conversation of cultural identity, and is worth a small applause for its portrayal of a gay relationship. Read Chris' full article... https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-monsoon-look-at-loss-of-cultural-identity-misses-the-mark
CinemaSerf2022-03-28
★ 5/10
This is a beautiful film to watch - the cinematography of Vietnam, the bustling rejuvenated city of Hanoi and the welcoming nature of the people - all a magnificent advertisement to go visit. The story, on the other hand, is just.. well... wet! Henry Golding goes back after 30-odd years to scatter the ashes of his parents. Once back, he hooks up with an American guy for some nookie and with a distant cousin who points out, rather ironically, that after all they had to do to escape the Pol Pot regime in the first place, it's odd that he decided to bring them back! It has potential, this - if we knew a little more about any of the characters then that might add substance, but as it is it's a sort of low grade gay romance centred around an attractive enough, but unremarkable actor, and with a story that is about as thin as a banana leaf.