Hit ‘pause’ on binge-watching your favourite series to make way for this inspiring tale of friendship, activism and adventure.
You’d be forgiven if you were led to believe that Okja would be a light-hearted affair from the film’s opening sequence – with CEO Lucy Mirando’s (Tilda Swinton) restrained humour and quirky dialogue. But deception quickly unfolds, as you realise that the shrewd but narcissistic businesswoman has cruel intentions for her 10-year pet project of genetically-modified pigs, disguised in an environmentally-friendly package.
The biggest victim of deception however, is our protagonist Mija (Seo-Hyun Ahn) who is introduced to us in her countryside home in present-day South Korea, where she spends her days with her best friend Okja – an endearing hybrid of a pig, dog and hippo she’s raised her whole life. But the world she’s known for a decade crumbles in a flash, when famed TV host and presenter Dr. Johnny Wilcox (Jake Gyllenhaal) arrives to document Okja’s “homecoming” for Mirando’s Super Pig Competition master plan. It’s too late by the time the betrayal is realised, which sends Mija on a fearless, hell-bent journey to save her friend from becoming literal dead meat.
What follows is a gripping East-meets-West adventure, where our young heroine is lost in translation across borders. Scenes are well-balanced between Lucy Mirando’s conniving intentions of manipulating Mija to her favour, and the latter’s tug-of-war against the corporation. But the film’s most enlightening and emotional moments are those focussed on the inhumane meat trade, that tug relentlessly at your heartstrings and may even make you reconsider your dietary habits.
Its strong storyline is further supported by solid turns from familiar Hollywood faces. Lily Collins, Paul Dano and Steven Yeun form the trio leading the Animal Liberation Front (ALF), that’s looking to put a stop to Mirando’s animal abuse and mirroring Mija’s end goal of rescuing Okja. Possibly the only somewhat weak link is Jake Gyllenhaal’s impression of a washed-up television personality clinging on to his fading fame, instead coming off as convoluted and exaggerated. On the contrary, Tilda Swinton continues to strengthen her niche for off-kilter roles, shining as the extravagant Cruella de Vil-esque villainess and almost singlehandedly steals the show.
Okja’s standout factor remains its clear and powerful message, one that should resonate with audiences both young and old. By the time the movie draws to its explosive, nail-biting finale, you may even realise that the real enemy is not even the self-serving Lucy Mirando after all, but us humans instead. And perhaps thats what director and writer Bong Joon-ho aims to achieve and ultimately succeeds with – a thought-provoking social narration on our actions and how they should be re-evaluated.
Okja is available on Netflix from Wednesday, June 28.
