The Story of Black Licorice
Black Licorice tells the story of a man whose planned romantic escape becomes something far more complicated. He travels to Thailand with his girlfriend Daeun, but when she falls ill, he's left to explore the country alone—and that's when he meets Saejin, an attractive photographer who captures more than just his image. What begins as a chance encounter becomes an emotional entanglement that forces the protagonist to confront the fragility of his relationship and his own desires. The film's premise is deceptively simple: a love triangle set against an exotic backdrop. But within its lean 60-minute runtime, director Frankie Latina packs genuine tension and moral ambiguity.
Behind the Making of Black Licorice
Frankie Latina directed this 2019 thriller with a cast that brings unexpected weight to the material. Sasha Grey—known for her work in both mainstream and independent cinema—anchors the film with a performance that carries the emotional core. Danny Trejo, whose filmography spans decades of genre work, lends his distinctive screen presence to the ensemble. The supporting cast includes Kelly Cunningham, Mark Borchardt (who's appeared in numerous indie productions), Kumar Pallana, Andrew Swant, and Cade Carradine, bringing a mix of seasoned and emerging talent to the production.
The Thailand setting isn't just window dressing—it's a character in itself, providing both visual contrast and thematic weight to the story. Shooting on location in Southeast Asia allowed Latina to capture the sensory richness of the environment while keeping production lean and focused. At 60 minutes, Black Licorice operates in that interesting space between short film and feature, a format that demands economy and precision. The compressed runtime means every scene has to earn its place. There's no room for filler, no time for slow burns. What you get is distilled narrative tension, the kind that doesn't announce itself with dramatic music but creeps up on you instead.
What Makes Black Licorice Stand Out
What's striking about Black Licorice is how it refuses easy answers. The protagonist isn't a villain for being attracted to someone else while his girlfriend is vulnerable. Saejin isn't a temptress designed to wreck a relationship. Daeun isn't a helpless victim. Instead, everyone exists in shades of gray—people making choices under stress, confusion, and genuine emotional pressure. That's harder to pull off than it sounds, especially in a thriller framework where audiences often expect clear heroes and villains.
The performances anchor this moral complexity. Grey brings an understated intensity to her role, playing someone who's clearly intelligent and aware of the dynamics at play. There's no melodrama here, no overwrought declarations. Instead, the tension builds through glances, silences, and small moments of vulnerability. Trejo and the supporting cast create a world that feels lived-in despite the brief runtime. They're not just hitting plot points; they're inhabiting actual relationships with history and weight.
I keep coming back to how the film uses the Thailand setting as more than just scenery. The displacement, the sensory overload of travel, the way foreign environments can strip away our normal social armor—all of that feeds into the emotional instability at the story's center. It's a thriller that works on character and atmosphere as much as it does on plot mechanics. Some viewers might want more conventional dramatic beats, but that restraint is actually the film's strength.
Where to Stream Black Licorice Online
Black Licorice is currently available to stream on Prime Video, making it accessible to the millions of subscribers who already have access to Amazon's platform. If you're looking for where to catch this compact thriller, you can find it through your Prime subscription or rental options. Movie OTT tracks current streaming availability across all major platforms, so you can verify exactly where titles are currently streaming in your region. The film's short runtime means it's perfect for a single sitting—no commitment required, just lean, focused storytelling. The Where to Watch widget at the top of this page shows you all the platforms currently carrying Black Licorice, so you can start watching right away.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who directed Black Licorice?
Frankie Latina directed this 2019 thriller. It's a focused, economical piece of filmmaking that makes smart use of its 60-minute runtime and Thailand setting.
Q: Where can I watch Black Licorice?
Black Licorice is currently available on Prime Video. Movie OTT's streaming database helps you find the latest availability across all platforms in real time.
Q: What's the runtime of Black Licorice?
The film runs exactly 60 minutes, which is notably compact for a thriller. This brevity forces the narrative to stay tight and the emotional stakes to remain high throughout.
Q: Who stars in Black Licorice?
The cast includes Sasha Grey, Danny Trejo, Kelly Cunningham, Mark Borchardt, Kumar Pallana, Andrew Swant, and Cade Carradine. Grey carries much of the emotional weight, while Trejo provides seasoned support.
Q: What's Black Licorice about?
The film follows a man whose romantic trip to Thailand with his girlfriend takes an unexpected turn when she becomes ill and he develops feelings for a photographer he meets while traveling alone. It's a character-driven exploration of temptation and emotional entanglement.
Final Thoughts on Black Licorice
Black Licorice won't appeal to everyone—it's deliberately understated, morally complex, and resistant to neat resolution. But if you're looking for a thriller that trusts its audience, that builds tension through character and atmosphere rather than plot mechanics, it's worth your time. The short runtime means you can experience the whole thing in a single evening, and honestly, that's exactly how it's meant to be consumed. It's the kind of film that lingers after the credits roll, making you reconsider the choices these characters made and wonder what you'd do in their place.
