There are big releases this weekend, but if you want to stay with the Minari vibes, try these.
If you haven’t watched the wonderful Minari yet, start right there.
With a poised script that gently subverts expectations and circumvents cliches, writer-director Lee Isaac Chung turns a beautifully-observed and moving immigrant story into a universal tale of sacrifice and family. Add pitch-perfect, unshowy performances, as well as a lovely look and feel, and it makes for a tangible and affecting journey that will linger with you.
Continue on that road with another beautiful and transcending 2021 awards-juggernaut indie that lives up to the hype.
Nomadland takes us to another side of the American Dream, through a character who’s been left behind by the modern economy. Frances McDormand’s unforgettable Fern chooses solitude and sparse camaraderie on the road over family and mainstream society. While melancholy, it’s almost meditative and healing to spend two hours in her shoes and in the invisible world the nomads inhabit. Rotten Tomatoes 94% | Hulu
Leave No Trace (2018) is another grounded and touching tale about taking your scars off the grid – this time with family back at the heart of the story. Ben Foster and Thomasin McKenzie are captivating as a PTST-afflicted war vet and his caring daughter, as they try to keep their bond in a world that doesn’t understand their way of life. Uncoincidentally, it is also directed by a woman and, like Nomadland’s Chloe Zhao, Debra Granik has non-professional actors playing themselves to great effect. RT 100% | Starz / VOD
Alternatively, you can go for the more bombastic documentary The Donut King (2020), the amazing rags-to-riches story of Ted Ngoy. Whereas Minari’s Jacob tries to get his slice of the American Dream by planting Korean vegetables, the Cambodian refugee went straight for the US’ favourite treat. He became a mutli-millionaire and a beacon for other immigrants – but with success came hubris and temptations of the non-sugary type. RT 97% | VOD
MS