'Okja' A Review

Okja is an adventure/speculative future film about a young girl Mija(Ahn Seo-hyun) raising a Super Pig in rural South Korea, the titular Okja, one of several spread throughout the world as a publicity stunt by Mirando Corporation's head Lucy(Tilda Swinton). After ten years the pigs are inspected by spokesman and eccentric TV zoologist Johnny(Jake Gyllenhaal) and one of them crowned the winner in a celebration in New York. Okja wins the prize and is taken from Mija who chases after her running into Mirando Corp stooges, law enforcement, and radicals from the ALF(Animal Liberation Front).

Seo-hyun is perfectly cast as the young Mija, confident and determined yet vulnerable, driven on her wild quest by her love of Okja. Although a CGI creation Okja herself is startlingly emotive and empathetic. Their duet is the real heart of the film and its portrayed with marvelous nuance and tenderness. Swinton, as always, is delightful however she is a side-character and not exactly integral to the story, any villainous CEO would have been sufficient but Swinton brings some pleasing eccentricity to a role that could have been flat. Gyllenhaal, god bless him, goes for broke in his most wild and over the top turn. Not always a success but fun. Paul Dano as the leader of the ALF is exceptionally Paul Dano, not distracting but nothing too surprising. The film is really about Mija and Okja and all supporting roles serve that, the film only meanders when it strays too far from that central relationship.

All the visuals are striking from the action sequences to landscapes, the way Okja is integrated is incredible, some of the most seamless use of CGI to date. It is a little unclear what the comment of the film is as it starts as more of a straight-up satire then changes to more of a straight-forward coming-of-age adventure. Certainly it is rife with allegory- Monsanto, genetic engineering, political and social unrest- but what comes across the most strongly and what is the most compelling is the love between Mija and Okja and the lengths that love will drive them to reunite. A Netflix original the only improvement would have been seeing it on the big screen.

Surprisingly effecting, potent, and unique.

Don't Miss It.