Review of Okja (2017) by Charlie H — 04 Aug 2017

Okja (2017) is a captivating sci-fi drama that intertwines powerful statements on globalisation and animal rights in a fairy tale-like story. The balancing of tones that Okja's story requires is tricky to do, but it works very well.

It's light, it's innocent, it's dark and intense - all in equal measure. Okja juxtaposes the delightfully innocent relationship of the girl and the CGI-pig creature with the horrors of corporate greed to great effect.

Okja is biting and socially observant in the way it explores denial, and how powerful people can use it to gloss over their unethical actions. Its peculiar characters contribute to the film's ability to send its audience's conscience spinning.

Gyllenhaal and Swinton are fantastic villains. Okja himself, the genetically-modified Pig, is a delightful work of CG and captures the hearts of the audience instantly - the cinematography as a whole is very impressive.

Okja is a disarmingly powerful film that you shouldn't miss. Bong Joon Ho's filmmaking continues to intrigue me, and I can't wait to watch more of his films.