Film: Minari

GENRE: Drama
RATING: PG-13 for some thematic elements
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 55 minutes
PLATFORM: Online Rental
STARRING: Steven Yeun (The Walking Dead, Okja)
Alan Kim (newcomer), Yuh-Jung Youn (Sense8)
DIRECTOR: Lee Isaac Chung (Abigail Harm)
WRITER: Chung (Lucky Life)
PLOT: A Korean family adjusts to farm life in Arkansas.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I loved Steven Yeun as Glen in Walking Dead.  

STORY STUFF: I was totally on board with all the family dynamics. The son and grandmother interactions were wonderful. The parents struggling to keep their family afloat was heartbreaking at times. It was compelling to see this Korean family maintain their heritage while adjusting to what the wife refers to as ‘hillbilly’ land. Unfortunately, the farm part and some of the other plot details just didn’t grab me.   

ACTING STUFF: Great acting all around. The family chemistry is fantastic. Yeun projects loads of emotion in every quiet moment. Youn as the ‘not typical’ grandmother was lively and fun. But the breakout performance is Alan Kim as the young son, David. He is perfectly cast with his mix of adorableness and bratty attitude. I was disappointed with Will Patton’s (Remember the Titans) performance with his over-the-top craziness, numerous exorcisms and cross carrying. Just weird.      

ARTISTIC STUFF: Not much to say here. It was well shot.

VERDICT: Three stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You want to see interesting family dynamics and subtitles
UPCOMING REVIEW: Trial of the Chicago 7