Blood Brothers: Bara Naga Review – A Propulsive Action Thriller
There has been a lot of hype surrounding Blood Brothers: Bara Naga, which reportedly took two years to complete and what I can see here is Syafiq Yusof continues to impress me with his genre know-how direction in the action genre, particularly after his last year’s box-office hit, Sheriff: Narko Integriti. Only this time, he co-directed his new movie with Abhilash Chandra, best known for his screenwriting works in Polis Evo 3 and The Experts. The first thing I noticed in Blood Brothers: Bara Naga is Nicholas Chin’s atmospheric cinematography that evokes a distinctly neo-noir visual styling, notably during the nighttime scenes.
And right from the start, Yusof and Chandra quickly get down to business with an action-packed opening set-piece. Boosted by Ricky Lionardi and Teoh Eng Hooi’s propulsive score along with the co-directors’ dynamic camerawork, the scene immediately reminds me of the iconic border ambush in Sicario. The ensuing shootout and hand-to-hand combats are thrillingly staged with enough verve, and it helps that the sound design accentuates the scene further, giving the viewers a palpable you-are-there cinematic vibe. The only gripe I have with the action scene is its tendency to utilise the fast whip pans, which becomes a recurring camera movement for the rest of the movie.
The story, in the meantime, is frankly nothing you haven’t seen before if you are used to watching movies revolving around the familiar themes of brotherhood and betrayal. And yet, I like that Yusof and Chandra keep their movie engaging, complete with twists and turns. Those who worry about the trailer being spoiled too much for its own good, rest assured that what you saw there is just a fraction of it. Chandra, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Ghazwan Tomasi, Ayam Fared and Ashraf Modee Zain, throws in enough red herrings and narrative misdirection for good measure.
Although I admit the twists aren’t anything out of the ordinary, they are entertaining enough to keep me hooked throughout the movie. What you need to know here is that the story follows Ariff (Syafiq Kyle) and his blood brother, Ghaz (Sharnaaz Ahmad), who serve as elite bodyguards working for the highly influential Dato Zul (Wan Hanafi Su), who is also the leader of the fearsome Naga organisation.
Ariff and Ghaz have been looking out for each other since their estranged childhood while living in poverty. But their life have changed for the better after reaching adulthood ever since working for Dato Zul. The latter is highly supportive of Ghaz, who always admires his loyalty and dedication. He even gives him the blessing of marrying his beautiful daughter, Sheila, played by Amelia Henderson.
Everything seems perfect at first until a tragedy occurs, resulting in Ariff being blamed for something he didn’t do in the first place. From there, the once-unbreakable bond of the brotherhood between Ariff and Ghaz is tested. With Ghaz increasingly blinded by rage and hatred, Ariff has to find a way to clear his name at all costs. And the only person, albeit an unexpected one, who can help him is his biological brother, Jaki (Syazwan Zulkifly), whom they have never been in touch with for years, ever since Ariff leaves his old life behind.
As expected from a local movie, there’s an obligatory comic relief, and here, we have it in the form of Zulkifly’s Jaki. While some of the lighthearted moments are welcome here to offset the gritty tone of the movie, there are times they get stretched too far to awkwardly misplaced results. Despite clocking a little over two hours, Yusof and Chandra manage to maintain a steady pace, and even when the movie takes a breather every now and then, it doesn’t stray too far to the point that it overstays its welcome.
Blood Brothers: Bara Naga also benefits from a stellar cast, notably Syafiq Kyle and Sharnaaz Ahmad as the two titular blood brothers, while the rest of the supporting actors, such as Shukri Yahaya and Zamarul Hisham, deserve equal mention for their respective roles as Dato Zul’s son, Fadlan and DSP Adli. Remember not to leave your seat too soon and stick around for a while, since there is a mid-credits scene.
