Furie (film)

Furie (Hai Phượng) is a 2019 action martial arts film directed by Lê Văn Kiệt. It stars Veronica Ngo, Cát Vy, Phan Thanh Nhiên, Phạm Anh Khoa and Trần Thanh Hoa. The film was released on 22 February 2019 in Vietnam and was released on 1 March 2019 in the United States, becoming the first Vietnamese film ever to be released in the United States. The film was released to positive reviews, with critics praising the action and Veronica Ngo's performance.

Plot
Hai Phuong (Ngô Thanh Vân), is an ex-gangster who is estranged from her family after her father disowns her for having an affair with a gangster. After giving birth to her daughter Mai, Hai Phuong decides to lie low in the countryside and retire. She works as a debt collector, and barely supports her daughter. Mai has been bullied due to Hai Phuong's reputation as a debt collector, and she wants to stop going to school so that she can support her mom. One day, while in the market Hai Phuong sees Mai being accused of stealing a wallet. The other witness pressures Hai Phuong to take their side, which hurts Mai’s feelings when Hai Phuong does not believe her, resulting in Mai running away. It is revealed that someone framed Mai, and Hai Phuong tries to find Mai, but Mai is captured by thugs.

Hai Phuong tries to catch up to the thugs, but she has to fight through many henchmen. After a lengthy chase, Hai Phuong barely loses them, but not before learning that the thugs are taking Mai to Ho Chi Minh City. Hai Phuong hitches a ride in a truck, and she later arrives in Ho Chi Minh City. Hai Phuong tries to get help from her fellow gangster member, but she is rebuffed. Hai Phuong goes to the police, and steals reports of criminals related to missing children. Hai Phuong confronts a criminal name Truc, and nearly kills him, but spares him because of Truc's mother. The police enlist Detective Luong to solve the case.

Truc then tells Hai Phuong where the thugs are, and Hai Phuong finds their base of operations, which reveal that the thugs are using children as illegal child organ donors. She then defeats many henchmen, before facing the boss of the operation, Thanh Soi. Thanh Soi soundly defeats her, and knocks her out and tells her henchmen to throw Hai Phuong in the river, but not before Hai Phuong hears the train that Thanh Soi would be taking. Hai Phuong is rescued in the river by Detective Luong, but escapes with the help of a nurse. Hai Phuong then goes to her brother for help, but he refuses to help her, due to him not getting over the fact that Hai Phuong never reconciled with the rest of her family, and never attended her parents funeral. Detective Luong finds Hai Phuong, and convinces her to team up with him.

Hai Phuong and Detective Luong finally finds the train, and both of them fight off the henchmen. While on the train, Thanh Soi tells her henchmen to change the train tracks on her signal, as well as split the train. Hai Phuong confronts Thanh Soi, and finally kills her, but not before the train tracks switch, splitting the train apart. Hai Phuong reunites with her daughter, and reconciles with her. Hai Phuong then quickly defeats the remaining thugs, but is shot in the chest by a random thug. The thug plans to kill her, but Detective Luong kills the thug. In the end, Hai Phuong is hospitalized and makes amends with her brother. Mai is treated well by her peers, and Hai Phuong promises Mai she will teach her how to fight.

Cast

 * Veronica Ngo as Hai Phuong, an ex-gangster who's skilled in Vovinam.
 * Cát Vy as Mai
 * Phan Thanh Nhiên as Detective Luong, a detective who's also skilled in Vovinam.
 * Phạm Anh Khoa as Truc
 * Trần Thanh Hoa as Thanh Soi

Release
Well Go USA Entertainment officially bought the U.S. distribution rights for the film, which was released on 1 March 2019. The film is also available on Netflix from May 21, 2019.

Reception
The movie was released to positive reviews. Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 90% based on 10 reviews with an Average rating of 6.55/10. Nafees Ahmed of High On Films in his review writes, "it is a hyper-stylized martial art action film that packs clean and high octane action scenes." The movie broke the record for highest-grossing Vietnamese film in history.