Pierce

Nelicia Low’s gripping atmospheric thriller is a nerve-wracking duel between the ideals of brotherly love and the illusions that we project onto those close to us.

The question of guilt lurks in every frame of Nelicia Low's gripping debut feature. Against his mother’s advice, Jie excitedly anticipates the release of his older brother Han, who has served seven years in prison for brutally murdering his fencing opponent. Jie has always wrestled with his brother’s innocence, conflicted between his idolisation and evidence of the crime. As Han supports Jie’s exploration of his sexuality and coaches his fencing, Jie duels with his commitment to his brother and his family’s safety as the story lunges towards an explosive finale.

"Its core strength [...] is the narratively fleet yet psychologically layered screenplay from Low (herself a former national fencer), which ensures that Pierce plays as a sophisticated genre piece." - John Berra, Screen Daily