Even the soft, hazy cello-intensive score has a Wong vibe, but somehow the package as a whole feels like a smooth synthesis of elements instead of a derivative rip-off.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 26, 2022

Leong does well to coordinate his moving parts into a smooth-running machine, even if it isn’t a sexy one. “Snakehead” ultimately reads more like a book than it does a film: it leaves more to the imagination than what meets the eye.

| Original Score: 3/5 | May 25, 2022

Heartfelt ambition gives way to heavy-handed execution in this gritty crime thriller that tries to find a different angle to the immigrant struggle.

| Nov 12, 2021

The film is a good introduction to the general subject, but it pales beside the book's neck-deep inquiry.

| Nov 8, 2021

While Leong's examination of the human trafficking landscape is captivating, the film falters when it swims in the overly crowded pool of gangster films.

| Oct 30, 2021

Snakehead entices you with a lurid premise, but the empathy that shines through the cracks of its tough exterior is the real surprise.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Oct 29, 2021

Despite some uneven storytelling Snakehead succeeds because of the dual performances at its heart.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Oct 29, 2021

Visually stylish but narratively awkward, Snakehead fails to reconcile protagonist Sister Tse's contradictory ruthlessness and sympathetic motivations.

| Oct 29, 2021

The familiar crime story tells of a have-not rising through the ranks of organized crime but is given a new female twist.

| Original Score: B | Oct 28, 2021

"Snakehead" tumbles all too quietly under the weight of its ambition.

| Oct 28, 2021

There's an eye for atmospheric detail, and the performances from all are solid (especially the women,), but nearly every 15 minutes Evan Jackson Leong trips up the narrative by introducing a compelling aspect that usually goes on to bomb in execution

| Original Score: 2/5 | Oct 26, 2021

The film looks and sounds amazing with performances that pull the viewer to them and make them want to see what happens next.

| Original Score: 4.5/5 | Oct 26, 2021

"Snakehead" impactfully depicts the clear and present danger facing the undocumented, making it painfully obvious that many of its contemporaries are works of white filmmakers far removed from the subject matter.

| Oct 13, 2021

A decent watch that had the potential to reach a different level of engagement & thrill....

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Oct 12, 2021

Though it switches tone abrasively at times, and some story aspects feel a little too formulaic, "Snakehead" burns brightly when focused on the Faustian relationship of its formidable female characters.

| Sep 23, 2021

Because it's not saying anything particularly new, when it does fall into a gangster narrative, it has a vibrancy that you'll want more of.

| Original Score: B- | Sep 23, 2021

Leong adroitly captures both the vulnerability and the menace of a woman who finally takes control of her life after decades of victimization, delivering a taut crime drama...

| Sep 18, 2021

A solid directorial debut from Leong, which highlights a rough-and-ready visual style and confident performances from Chuya and Wu.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 18, 2021

If your heart can take it, this is an incredibly raw and full experience.

| Sep 18, 2021

While sleazily entertaining to a point and offering a compellingly unique point-of-view, Snakehead too often succumbs to crime thriller cliches, undermining Jade Wu's fierce performance in the process.

| Original Score: 2.5/5 | Sep 17, 2021