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‘Pierce’ Review: A Saber-Sharp Sociopathy Thriller in Which Brotherly Love Duels With Suspicion
Nelicia Low's superbly performed thriller debut "Pierce" follows two Taiwanese fencing-enthusiast brothers in a duel between truth and deceit.
But there is also an emotional component to the brotherly reunion, with Zihan innately understanding and encouraging what their mother refuses to see — that Zijie is gay and has a sweetly bumbling crush on cute sparring partner Hui (Rosen). But most of the film’s real power is contained in the interactions between the two terrific young actors, in the nuances of their body language and their contrasting expressions; Liu’s doe-eyed gentleness and yearning defining Zijie, while Tsao’s chiselled features make Zihan almost foxlike with sharp instinctual cunning. The overblown ending paradoxically feels like a rare failure of nerve in a film more often notable fro its control, exemplified in a chilling restaurant scene during which Jihan’s easy, glittering charm successfully hoodwinks his soon-to-be-stepfather’s clan, until the little boy sitting next to Zijie whispers, “What’s wrong with him?
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