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No part of Beyond Hypothermia could not be replicated with much cheaper photography or equipment. Visual fidelity and a certain sense of kinetic motion would be lost with, say, a higher end HandiCam - that much is true. But one the surest virtues of this film is that if you were to translate every shot, every second of this film to a handheld camera, just about every single one could be replicated. Beyond Hypothermia is not only economical in its photography, but ready to emulate for anyone who wants to know how to frame stylish and arresting action.

But of course, a film like this would be nothing without its editing, which is breathless and as agitated as a shaken soda. The film stops for nothing and at nothing, as even moments of exposition happen during dramatic, high-stakes sequences or in moments of gentle intimacy. There's no room to linger, to take a deep breath and smell the flowers, the rooftop air of the swing set, the working class claustrophobia of the shops and restaurants and malls.

On the way out of the theater, two young men ruthlessly badmouthed the film's pacing, bemoaning that they didn't have time to get to know the villain's wronged fiance before she was killed. This, to me, illustrates one of the fundamental weaknesses to lay American tastes. There is this expectation that something be told to you, re-iterated to you, given ceaseless and nauseating detail to the point of becoming 'lore' from the modern Western audience. It's a greedy impulse, and one that degrades a fantastic film like Beyond Hypothermia, which has no time for 'lore' or the interior life of a side character who really only exists to illustrate what an unhinged guy the antagonist is.

That's the lost art of films like this, which trust the audience to take its absurd premise and plot choices at face value in exchange for stylish action and legitimate human expression. The narrative and its themes of ostracization and lost childhood are effective grounding points for the chaos, as it humanizes the protagonist beyond being an emotionless killer or stoic badass. The elevator pitch is simple - 'an assassin falls in love with a noodle vendor, who gets caught in the crossfire when she's spotted by a gang banger taking out his boss.' Everything else is character development, style, tone. There's no need for dull politicking or an exhaustive cast. There are three core players here, really, and everyone else is just filling the roster. That's fine!

It's fine because it ultimately helps Beyond Hypothermia to feel like an unbothered film. This is a picture that is unconcerned about sequels, franchise potential, merchandise. Instead, it's a Shakespearean tragedy that shines a light on the uglier sides of vengeance and cuts a compelling path of carnage through the interior life of a lonely assassin who just wants the girlhood that she was denied. When it's over, it's done, and all you're left with are the fleeting, frantic moments that it kept you hooked on the edge of your seat.

While the video quality was rough, and I'd have much preferred a subtitled cut, this was a treat to see on a large screen. I'm not necessarily sure it was the ideal format - honestly, I think a good home theater set-up might be best these days, unless a higher resolution version of this film exists - but it certainly helped soak me in the gray, industrial atmosphere and the brief moments of respite in dingy restaurant corners.