Minari

D: Lee Isaac Chung

A24 / Plan B (Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner & Christina Oh)

US/South Korea 🇺🇸🇰🇷 2020

115 mins

Drama

W: Lee Isaac Chung

DP: Lachlan Milne

Ed: Harry Yoon

Mus: Emile Mosseri

Steven Yeun (Jacob Yi), Han Ye-Ri (Monica Yi), Alan Kim (David Yi), Noel Kate Cho (Anne Yi), Youn Yuh-Jung (Soon-Ja), Will Patton (Paul)

Minari is a Korean-language drama about a South Korean family who move to an Arkansas farm in the 1980’s in the pursuit of the American dream.

Steven Yeun is the family patriarch, but much of the story is seen from the eyes of the young son, David Yi, and in particular the boy’s relationship with his elderly grandmother.

Though the plot is quite light, the narrative holds interest throughout, mostly due to the excellent performances from the ensemble and a screenplay that was clearly deeply personal to writer-director Lee Isaac Chung.

The Academy Awards nominated the film as one of the Best Pictures of 2020, and I would be highly inclined to agree.

8/10