If director Bong Joon-Ho's 2013 sci-fi action drama, Snowpiercer, has taught you nothing else, it has shown his ability to invoke any scale of warfare through schisms that reflect centrally on man's own desire to consume and survive. It had a terrific, shameless villain in actress Tilda Swinton and she has since returned as graceful and blunt as ever in antagonistic fashion in Bong's latest adventure drama, Okja.
For 10 idyllic years, young Mija 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 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…while all Mija wants to do is bring her friend home.
The film is screening In-Competition at Cannes on Friday with Swinton starring opposite lead actress Ahn Seo-Hyun (Monster, The Divine Move), now front and center in the latest, and delightfully energetic and action-packed official trailer for its Netflix release on June 28.
This has definitely garnered my appeal. Take a look!
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