‘BA’ Review – Impressive Style Gets Lost In Clunky Narrative

The first thought that comes to mind while watching writer/director Benjamin Wong’s BA is how gorgeous it looks. It is no secret that cinematographer Ming Jue Hu-famous for Laroy, Texas’s stunning look-is the one behind this saturated, blue/green color palette. Add some orange hues and use anamorphic lenses to evoke a neo-noir aesthetic, and you have a sensory feast that preserves a haunting and resonant storyline.

The feature starts slow with the devoted but broke dad Daniel (Lawrence Kao), who accepts a creepy job offer to work as the Grim Reaper to better provide for his daughter Collette (Kai Cech). From the first moment, Wong makes the viewer sympathize with Daniel. He is a dancer who suffered an injury that likely contributed to the decline of his career and financial situation. But he is a dedicated father who will do anything for his daughter, so his choices, though questionable, are ones to root for.

But as the saying goes, everything comes at a price, and his nightly trips don’t pay off very well. It’s amusing to present a struggling, working man as a Grim Reaper instead of an overpowering, larger-than-life manifestation of limitless power and success. This adds depth to the narrative, which is weighed down by the cheesier, more endearing elements. Daniel’s problems pile up, and soon he gets chased when the reality of his job clashes with his daily activities, and that leads to a strained relationship with his daughter. Then more troubles ensue.

Admittedly, BA works best during night shoots when Daniel is the Grim Reaper. The costumes, the neon lighting, and the boxes within boxes as frames within frames, work best in creating the atmospheric mood throughout the film. However, the film loses its footing when the focus shifts to real-life Daniel, and not Grim Reaper nighttime Daniel.

As complicated as that sounds, this feature works best at its darker moments. I wish I had seen more of Daniel’s Grim Reaper night flights rather than his daily life, and what a good father he is. The emotional resonance of the film is great on its own, but the powerful impact of Daniel’s scary night job is too cool to waste on familial dynamics and his guilty conscience. 

In terms of acting, Kao is good as Daniel during his dad phase. Kudos to him for acting half of the film draped in layers of clothing. It must have been suffocating to embody Daniel with his daughter. When it’s time for the Grim Reaper Daniel to be unleashed on the world, Kao struggles to create an alternate persona for that. It’s not as much his problem as it is the script that lacks a poignant structural unity, nor even the perfect separation of two moody aesthetics that complement one another. Cech excels as Collette, and her storyline as the struggling daughter wondering what is wrong with her father is surprisingly more compelling than the turn of events for Daniel, probably due to the fact that the stunning poster (designed by Drew Struzan) and the high expectations whoever saw it placed on the film.

What I would’ve also wanted to see more of is Daniel’s feelings and physicality as the Grim Reaper. What his new night obligations do to his body, his soul, and his interactions with the people around him. This could have elevated this film to a suspenseful, blood-pumping thriller with a touch of drama, rather than merely a family drama with scant elements of the supernatural and fantasy sprinkled in between.

BA is a twist on the horror-drama genre. It lacks the needed cruelty, but aesthetically it’s perfect nonetheless. It has its moments, but generally, the drastic shifts in tone take away from its power.

BA is currently available on digital platforms courtesy of Ethos Releasing.