arthur_tafero Review of Sheep Without a Shepherd

Sheep Without a Shepherd (2019)

Almost a Classic - Sheep Without a Shepherd

[6/10 · 31 December 2019]

Sam Quah is a great talent; one of the best directors in Asia in my estimation. And this film had the potential to be an Asian classic, if only it hadn't opted for the unrealistic ending. Joan Chen steals the film as the heavy, but the other actors do a fine job as well. The production values are first-rate and the references to classic films in the movie such as Montage and others was a nice touch. However, it is readily apparent that Hitchcock also had a great influence on Quah. His car scene is almost identical to the one in Psycho, but that film seems to have been ignored by the brilliant police chief, while catching a far less recognized film like Montage. The film is terrific until the last ten minutes, and if you don't want to see the following spoiler, I recommend you stop reading the review here. Suffice it to say, the ending was a big letdown. The film veers wildly from rooting for the family to get away with the crime to the almost certainty of them getting caught. This tension is wonderfully created by the script and the director. However, the highly unbelievable ending of two "reformed" monsters (who had spawned a third monster), becoming saintly and humble is topped only by the highly unlikely behavior of the protagonist confessing his crime to them to relieve their anxiety. Please. No person who had gone to the extremes that this individual had gone (and he was meticulous) to have his family unscathed, would just give himself to the authorities and leave his family helpless at the end. It would make no sense whatsoever if he really cared for his family. Who wouldn't put their family first before these two creeps of human beings posing as caring parents? Sorry, there is just no sale for those last ten minutes. The film would have been a classic in the mold of The Usual Suspects and one or two Hitchcock films. But the filmmakers, producer, and whoever made the decision to go with those last phony ten minutes ruined a potential classic; opting for a corny, unrealistic set of behaviors and outcomes. What a pity. Still good viewing.