Director KEFF’s engrossing and taut directorial debut explores a young man’s world turned upside down when political corruption, disloyalty, and love collide in the neo-noir film Locust (Chong).
The mononymously known Taiwanese-American director KEFF made an impressive international breakthrough with his second short film, Taipei Suicide Story. This film was part of the 2020 Cannes Cinefondation and later swept the 2021 Slamdance Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award. KEFF is back at Cannes with his feature-length debut film, the 136-minute Locust (Chong), the first Taiwanese film to compete in Critics’ Week.
The film follows a mute 23-year-old man named Zhong-Han (Wei Chen-Liu), who works as a dishwasher at an old-fashioned eatery run by Ah-Rong (veteran actor Yu An-Shun, known for his roles in Hou Hsiao-Hsien‘s films) and his wife. The couple treats Zhong-Han as their own child. However, by night, Zhong-Han transforms, reveling in the dark underworld of Taipei. He is a member of a local gang, accompanying them on intimidating debt collection runs that have recently escalated to armed robbery. The gang leader, Kobe (David Pan), describes Zhong-Han as “quiet but deadly” due to his loyalty to the group. When the ownership of the restaurant changes hands, Ah-Rong must protect his place at all costs, setting off an unexpected chain reaction that forces Zhong-Han to witness and confront corruption firsthand.
Set against the backdrop of the 2019 Hong Kong anti-government protests, KEFF uses this period as a metaphor and parallel for Zhong-Han’s life, highlighting how political aggression and the current social climate disrupt his existence. With the new landlord’s ambition to take over the restaurant—marked by abrupt power cuts and escalating rent from NT$15,000 to NT$60,000—Zhong-Han’s workplace becomes doomed. Meanwhile, he develops a love interest with convenience store clerk I-Ju (Rihmong Ihwar), which causes his ties to the gang to fade and transforms his actions into a personal quest for revenge.
KEFF’s exploration of crime and morality in Locust is a classic action drama with an intriguing mix of ideas. The film serves as a love letter to great Taiwanese cinema, containing a touching story with the points KEFF wants to make. Locust operates on multiple levels beyond the sociopolitical, delivering a complex neo-noir thriller while exploring the psychological dynamics between Zhong-Han and Ah-Rong. KEFF’s steady direction maintains momentum and keeps viewers on the edge of their seats until the full reveal.
Locust (Chong) is produced by Anita Gou and Siuloku O for Kindred Spirit, with MK2 Films handling international sales and co-producing through its production banner MK Productions. Tandem will release the film in French cinemas.
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