Paul Elliott’s review published on Letterboxd:
Writer and director Hong Khaou develops a poetical expressive portrayal of a young man fractured between two cultures in this contemplative story of Kit, a Vietnamese man living in England returning to Saigon for the first time since fleeing the Vietnam War to scatter the ashes of his recently deceased mother. There's a sense of melancholia running through the narrative which promotes a serene atmosphere that subverts many of the sentimental pitfalls which could all too easily spoil its tone.
Henry Golding is superb in the role of central protagonist Kit, who was only six years old when he and his family fled the country as refugees. He provides the delicate and emotional predicament of dual identities with a charming and true-to-life performance. It recalls the achievements which Sam Adewunmi was superbly able to deliver with his role as Femi in Shola Amoo's semi-autobiographical film The Last Tree earlier this year.
Kit begins in recapturing a close affinity with the territory which he became compelled to depart while jointly reconnecting with an American named Lewis, played by Parker Sawyers. Lewis’s father had fought in the war, and he is struggling to bring about a sense of peace with his parent's involvement in the country's history. As Kit attempts to find a way in reconciling with the past through the reawakening of memories, the film displays some luxuriously captured cinematography by Benjamin Kracun that helps to facilitate in the country looking elegantly gorgeous. Monsoon is a contemplative drama that never relinquishes its humanistic power.