Crossroads: One Two Jaga

synopsis

Nam Ron's third feature is the latest representative of an exciting new wave of Malaysian cinema we first showcased with Brutal/Jagat two years ago. The thriller is structured around a rookie cop whose moral compass is tested by the systemic corruption that surrounds him: his senior partner is collecting bribes from illegal immigrants to fulfill his wife's middle-class aspirations. Its dizzy pleasures include an honest depiction of familial bonds, a humane portrayal of migrant workers, and imaginative casting, with Indonesia's Ario Bayu (Buffalo Boys) and the Philippines' Timothy Castillo (Neomanila) playing illegal immigrants pushed to the edge.