There has been a lot of debate lately regarding the launch of films on streaming services instead of theatres. “Okja”, Bong Joon-Ho’s latest film is being used as an example to fuel either side of the debate . We are not sure if promising films should be reserved for the big screen, or if they belong on streaming services with millions of followers, but we do know that “Okja” just launched its first trailer, and it looks quite spectacular.
Corporations vs the environment
“Okja” tells the story of the titular super pig who has been adopted by a young girl named Mija.
The duo clearly shares a very powerful connection and their complex and heart-warming relationship is explored during the course of this film. Unfortunately for Mija, Lucy Mirando (played by Tilda Swinton) who is the head of the Miranda Corporation is out to exploit Okja in order to revolutionize the meat industry, and she will stop at nothing to separate Mija from her best friend.
Working in Mija's favor, however, is a pro-Okja task force intent on rescuing the wondrous animal and reuniting it with its human companion, and this task force is led by the talented and capable Paul Dano.
What to expect
Bong Joon-Ho is a wonderful director with a couple of fascinating hits already attached to his name.
The South Korean director and screenwriter clearly has a special affiliation to environmental themes and it is visibly seen in his last feature film “Snowpiercer”. His handling of these types of issues is always on point which is why we can expect “Okja” to gently straddle the line between preachy and meaningful.
The cast of the film is incredibly strong, and includes the likes of Tilda Swinton (“Only Lovers Left Alive”, “Dr Stange”), Jake Gyllenhaal (“Prisoners”, “Nightcrawler”), Paul Dano (“Swiss Army Man”, “Little Miss Sunshine”), Stephen Yeun (“The Walking Dead”), and Shirley Henderson (“Trainspotting”).
Although the supporting cast is extremely reliable, the film will predominantly rest on the gentle shoulders of Seo-Hyun Ahn and her CGI bestie. This film is shaping up to become the "E.T" of our time, as genetic cloning for the sake of satisfying our insatiable appetites as a civilization seems like the logical next step. While some of us clearly still care about the larger ecosystem, corporations continue to detach themselves from any emotional ties in order to carry out their business.
"Okja" will look to resolve these extremely challenging scenarios.
“Okja” is currently screening in a few film festivals including Cannes and it is set to hit Netflix on June 28, 2017. You can catch the intriguing trailer below until then.
