Director: Jing Ai Ng
Writer: Jing Ai Ng
Stars: Kelly Marie Tran, Andie Ju, Brandon Soo Hoo
Synopsis: Siblings Raymond and Coco Zhang run a forgery ring. Coerced by a disgraced millionaire, they create counterfeit masterpieces for his family’s collection. FBI agent Emily Lee investigates a new string of art forgeries.
Since I was a young kid, I’ve been told that the American Dream is something I can obtain with hard work and ingenuity. What the people who told me that didn’t mention was that I’d also have to deal with the roadblocks of classism and racism from companies and institutions that are supposed to be a helping hand on that journey. The characters in Jing Ai Ng’s Forge are ambitious and still figuring out their identities. They’re willing to do whatever it takes to climb the social ladder, make real money, and prove to themselves that they can hold their own without relying on anyone outside their inner circle.
Forge tells the story of siblings Coco and Raymond Zhang (Andie Ju and Brandon Soo Hoo), who run a forgery ring that includes everything from classic art reproductions to fake passports and IDs. Coco is the painter — she can replicate any classic work and make it look indistinguishable from the original. Raymond specializes in documents: IDs, passports, anything that requires precision. They have a good thing going until they sell a replicated painting to an unsuspecting art dealer for twenty thousand dollars. The rush from that score is unlike anything they’ve felt before. Soon after, they’re coaxed by disgraced nepo‑baby millionaire Holden Beaumont (Edmund Donovan) into forging his dead grandfather’s art collection. The siblings hesitate, but ultimately decide they need the money. Unfortunately for them, FBI agent Emily Lee (Kelly Marie Tran) has just transferred from New York to Florida. She’s investigating a string of art forgeries — and the siblings’ work is at the top of her list.
The performances from Ju and Soo Hoo are profound and multi‑layered. To their family, they’re hardworking college dropouts trying to find themselves in Florida. In reality, they’re a team of scammers using the skills they developed in college to make serious money. They’re chasing the good old American Dream that so many people pursue. In the end, Coco and Raymond learn that their class status will always be frowned upon by the upper elite — even though those elites are often bigger scam artists and criminals than they’ll ever be. Donovan’s Beaumont is a straight‑nosed, smarmy asshole desperate to make a quick buck. He treats Coco and Raymond like they need him, when in truth, without their help, he’d be in prison for creating fake start‑up companies and scamming donations from a long list of friends.
When the third act arrived, I felt like Emily was going to do everything she could to help Coco and Raymond. She sensed they were being taken advantage of by Holden and pressured into the job. During her recon around Florida, she notices Raymond walking around his old workplace in a brand-new suit and driving a brand‑new car. That moment reminded me of the scene in American Gangster when Richie spots Frank Lucas at a boxing match dressed to the nines — and instantly knows he’s in the drug business. The characters in Forge have the depth and development needed for this story to work. Jing Ai Ng wrote a detailed script that could make even a veteran writer like Gillian Flynn say, “Girl, how did you do that?”
I’ve watched this film multiple times, and each time I find something new to appreciate. There’s so much to discover — from the well‑framed, painterly cinematography by Leo Purman to the revealing and refined costumes by Colleen O’Connell. Ng’s second feature film shows audiences that she continues to wield a mighty pen and the directing skills to go far in the entertainment industry.
