Perkinsun Dzees

(As someone who really dug The Host and Snowpiercer, I really wanna see this on the big screen. Hopefully it plays somewhere near me.)


Directed by Bong Joon-ho (Snowpiercer, The Host), this Netflix original film stars Tilda Swinton, Jake Gyllenhaal, Paul Dano, Giancarlo Esposito, Steven Yeun, Lily Collins and newcomer An Seo Hyun.

Okja will premiere exclusively on Netflix on June 28.

Netflix has said that the film will also get a limited day-and-date theatrical release in the U.S.



For 10 idyllic years, young Mija (An Seo Hyun) has been caretaker and constant companion to Okja, a massive animal and an even bigger friend, at her home in the mountains of South Korea.

But that changes when a family-owned multinational conglomerate Mirando Corporation takes Okja for themselves and transports her to New York, where image obsessed and self-promoting CEO Lucy Mirando (Tilda Swinton) has big plans for Mija's dearest friend.

With no particular plan but single-minded in intent, Mija sets out on a rescue mission, but her already daunting journey quickly becomes more complicated when she crosses paths with disparate groups of capitalists, demonstrators and consumers, each battling to control the fate of Okja

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RichC2

I'll watch this since it's Boon Joon-ho, he isn't my favorite korean director by any means but his output is at least always interesting.

Well that and it's Netflix, so it's not like I have to go out of my way to see it.

TomOpus

Looks semi-interesting. I'll watch it because Netflix.

RichC2

Reviews are starting to come in from Cannes, where there's a big debate over "Netflix" as a movie release platform. Boon and Swinton defended Netflix (they're both producers), Boon stated they afforded him absolute freedom, Almodóvar (president for this year) hit back that he didn't consider any movie that wasn't going to be shown in French theaters as legitimate.

It was initially boo'ed, but apparently that was due to technical issues. 7 Reviews are out now, 6 positive 1 negative. It sounds like the typical Boon mishmash of genres.

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/okja

Now I'm waiting for Netflix to offer Almodóvar $15m for his next movie.

d2cheer

Almodóvar can fuck off. This is going to be the future for films that typically would not see a large audience (like many of his shitfests) so he should get on board.

eXcentris

Almodovar can fuck off, but in the end, it's the antiquated French law that is stupid. But the irony is delicious:

"Cannes demonstrates the superiority of the big screen experience by showing Netflix film "Okja" in the wrong aspect ratio."

RichC2

Starts today with a Netflix subscription near you.

82%@7.5/10.0 with 90 reviews: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/okja

brainee

I'll be checking it out for sure sometime in the next couple of weeks.

Why So Blu?

If you're in L.A. The New Beverly will be playing this on the big screen via a 35mm copy struck specifically for them -- I'm sure it was thanks to Quentin Tarantino since he owns the joint.

Orbi-Wan Techno

From my review page "Orbi-Wan Goes To The Movies":

IN MID-STREAM - Okja (TV-MA/R) - Netflix - What begins as a heart-warming tale of a girl and her super-pig turns dark and tragic

Whew, this was a tough one to sit through, but not because it is a bad movie - it’s actually very good, though (SPOILER) the ending is extremely bittersweet. It is from South Korean director Bong Joon Ho, best know in the states for The Host (2006) and Snowpiercer (2013). From the perspective of an animal-lover, the online trailers and images might lead you to believe Okja is the story of a plucky teenage girl who must rescue her beloved pet from an evil corporation intent on exploiting the animal. On the surface, that is the general plot. But within a few minutes of the film’s beginning, the primary villain drops an f-bomb during a press conference and lets us know upfront that Okja is NOT going to be a film that the whole family can enjoy together.

In 2007, the head of Mirando Corporation (Tilda Swinton, in a dual role) announces that it is shipping 26 eco-friendly pig-like mutations to farms around the world, to be raised by farmers in various countries. These mutations look like a cross between a pig and a hippo, with the temperament and intelligence of a pet dog.

Fast-forward ten years, and we meet Okja and her owner, Mija (An Seo Hyun), a teenager girl helping her grandfather scratch out a life on a mountain farm in South Korea. Okja is roughly the size of a full grown hippo, but is playful and protective of Mija. (The effects that bring Okja to life are amazing, by the way.) Mija and her grandfather are visited by representatives of Mirando, including Johnny Wilcox (Jake Gyllenhaal), a very profane and self-absorbed version of television personality Steve Irwin. Mirando is determining which of the 26 specimens they sent into the world turned out the best, and Okja is the winner, hands down.

Despite Mija’s protests, Okja is taken from their home to a corporate location is Seoul. Mija follows, and as Okja is being moved from Seoul to New York for public presentation, an animal rights group called the Animal Liberation Front, lead by Paul Dano, “rescues” the super-pig and Mija. The rescue is short-lived, we discover, as the ALF has their own plans to use Okja to take down the Mirando Corporation.

Despite some bouts of humor and corporate satire, Okja is a dead-serious movie about animal cruelty, corporate greed, and consumerism. During the film, you actually fear for what’s going to happen to both Okja and Mija, as the Mirando crew will do anything to get their end product to market, and the second half of the film is extremely dark and terrifying for our heros.

Again, this is NOT a family-movie, however it is well-made and absorbing in various spots. Jake Gyllenhaal’s character is a bit over the top bizarre, and Tilda Swinton’s Lucy is a tad overdone in spots, as well. Overall, I give Okja 3.5 lightsabers out of 5, but I am not sure this is one I would choose to revisit in the future.

NOTES FOR PARENTS - Despite the relationship between the heroine and her amazing animal companion, Okja is rated TV-MA/R for frequent uses of the “f” bomb and other profanity in various forms throughout the film (spoken and in subtitles), and escalating violence against both people and animals, especially in the second half of the film. There is no sexual content. Mija, Okja, and other characters are shown in peril and getting hurt at different points in the story. A lab that works with deformed super pigs is very disturbing, and the last act takes place at a super-pig slaughterhouse, where we see the animals being processed for consumption. In a humorous scene, Okja’s ability to fire poop-pellets on demand is demonstrated during an escape.

There is an after-credits scene showing members of the ALF preparing for another strike against the Mirando Corporation.

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TomOpus

Yeah, Jake takes his character over the top and keeps going. He was having a blast, I imagine. I heard this is the role for the actress that plays Mija. Good job.

I really liked it. The craziness of the plot kept me interested and It's beautiful to look at. It's a tough decision for parents to let kids see this. It's a young girl trying to save her pet pig but it has some adult content outside of the f-bombs.

Orbi-Wan Techno

Yeah, that third act is definitely nightmare fuel for kids....

asianxcore

Saw this today. Really enjoyed it.

The small bouts of humor were appreciated among all the images of Animal Cruelty.

When the film gives Ahn Seo-hyun more to do than scream Okja's name, she is absolutely fantastic. The entire cast is solid.

RichC2

Was Gyllenhall channeling Rip Taylor? I was just glad to finally hear the term "fucktard" in a movie.

I also feel like this was Bongs most normal and accessible movie. Not that it's a bad thing, he's one of the few foreign directors to get good performances out of english speaking actors. Enjoyed it, glad it only had a semi-Korean ending.

Why So Blu?

Watched it this morning and it's one of the best films of the year. Bong-joon Ho continues to do no wrong. I'm hoping we'll see a sequel to The Host -- they did create some "proof of quality" reels a few years ago, so here's hoping Netflix gives hims more carte blanche.


Here's a Host 2 test from a few years ago:

devilshalo

Now I wish I had gone to the New Bev screening.... Tarantino and Bong Joon-ho were both there.

candyrocket786

Really enjoyed this one. Debating if I'll let my nieces watch considering some of the content at the end. Great film though.

devilshalo

I'm curious as to what it would taste like.

candyrocket786

Abob Teff

Started to watch this, was tired and got bored so I shut it off during the scene where Jake Gyllenhall and crew get to the mountain top. Too much time spent traipsing around the woods beforehand -- started to think it was a Lord of the Rings movie. I'll go back to this, but I'm in no hurry.

funkyryno

I have a feeling there are going to be a lot of kids who are going to end up as future vegetarians after watching that slaughterhouse scene.

RichC2

For what it's worth, it speeds up substantially after that

Abob Teff

Thank you Rich! I think I'm going to have some time this weekend to catch up on a few things (if I don't just crash out asleep) and will try to get back to this.

Baron Of Hell

Really liked this movie. I didn't know anything about it before seeing it and was surprised by some of the cast members. I was also surprised by where this movie went at times. Torture, rape and mutilations are in this movie. I wouldn't let any young people watch it or watch it first to know which parts to skip over.

Abob Teff

Hmmm. I had trouble staying with this one. I think every tonal shift caused me to check out for awhile, then I would get back into it and things would shift again. I'm thinking just about any part may have been good, but the sum of the parts just didn't add up to a greater whole.