Could Ryan Gosling and Nicholas Winding Refn be on the verge of forming one of movie history’s great screen partnerships? Well, probably not, given that Gosling has vowed to take a break from acting pretty soon. But Refn clearly thought a lot of Gosling because straight off the back of the success of Drive, he’s signed the guy right back up for another cool, calm and collected slice of cinematic violence in Only God Forgives.

The red band trailer for their new collaboration has just hit the net and Gosling fans will be salivating over this one. With a touch of Tarantino influence here and there, Only God Forgives tells the tale of a Bangkok police lieutenant and an exiled American, Julien (Gosling) who eventually settle their scores in a Thai boxing match. Much like Drive, Ryan’s landed the role of the quiet, moody tough guy that you wouldn’t look twice at if you passed him in the street and who wouldn’t think twice before smashing your face in, if he felt it was all for the greater good. 

Ryan Gosling
Ryan Gosling - pictured here at the Place Beyond the Pines premiere

The trailer itself begins with Kristin Scott Thomas’ voice, as Gosling’s mother, saying “when I was pregnant with you, you were strange, you were different. They wanted me to terminate, but I wouldn’t. I don’t understand you and I never will…” Aaaaaaand then the scene changes to a shot of Gosling dragging a man down an empty corridor by his jaw. 

Warning: Redband trailer for 18+ only