Ryan Gosling has defended his latest movie Only God Forgives for what seems like the ten billionth time, though admits the shocking violence and unconventional narrative structure will alienate audiences.

Ryan GoslingRyan Gosling in 'Only God Forgives;

Collaborating with Danish filmmaker Nicolas Winding-Refn for the second time, the Hollywood poster-boy plays a violent drug dealer on the hunt for his brother's killer in Bangkok.

The majority of critics tore the movie apart, though both Gosling and Refn have defended its content, with the former explaining that the success of Drive allowed the director to finance something more 'personal,'

"We knew when we made the film that it doesn't have the essential elements that you kind of need to be successful, but it's still a personal film nonetheless," he told the BBC ahead of the film's UK release this week.

"In Nicholas' case, he took that freedom to go and make something more personal and it alienates people when you do that," he added.

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David Edelstein of Vulture said: "I thought it was just about the worst ... thing I've ever seen. In fact, I was depressed it wasn't laughed off the screen."

Mike LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote: "Refn's nerve is admirable, even if his film often borders on unwatchable."

There has been good reviews. Richard Roeper said of Only God Forgives: "This is one of the most shocking and one of the best movies of the year."

Watch a clip from Only God Forgives:

Damon Wise of Empire Magazine was one of the first British critics to weigh in this week, writing, "Experimental and uncompromising, Winding Refn and Gosling's Drive follow-up is a tripped-out riff on the crime family movie in which The Grifters - literally - go to hell."

The movie hits cinemas in the UK on August 2, 2013.

Watch the Only God Forgives trailer: