Okja

Do you like meat? Well, if you do, I’d advise against watching this movie. Okja is one of Bong Joon-Ho’s best films. Overall, while it does have its flaws, the strong story and message more than makes up for it. One thing that Bong Joon-Ho is clearly good at is building tension. Between Parasite and Okja, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time waiting to see what happened. And that suspense truly is a driving force in a lot of his work, in a good way. The suspense is all built off of the message in the story. That message of the cruelty of animals before they are slaughtered for profit is all heightened by the care we feel for the film’s protagonists. Okja itself is surprisingly well done, especially for a Netflix movie. This is an especially good thing, if Okja didn’t work, nothing in this film would. For the most part, the action was also incredibly solid, aside from a few beats that seemed out of place. The star power in this was shocking, Tilda Swinton and Jake Gyllenhaal were surprising to see to say the least. However, while the cast is strong, I didn’t feel that any of them gave particularly meaningful performances, a lot of them went just a little too far over the top, which is unfortunate considering how much the rest of the film is so meaningful. If you’re looking for an excuse to become a vegetarian, Bong Joon-Ho’s Okja is a great option. 8.3/10