Okja (2017)

A young girl risks everything to prevent a powerful, multinational company from kidnapping her best friend - a fascinating beast named Okja.

Jess' Review

Oh boy, here we go. Okja got me. It was only a matter of time given my track record in even the most mildly emotional films. So let the bells ring out, I cried. And goddamnit, I will not be shamed for it - looking at you, Sam.

Okja was my choice tonight. It tells the story of Mija (Ahn Seo-hyun) and her journey to keep ‘super pig’, Okja, safe from the meat industry. It wasn’t what I’d expected - a quaint, feel-good piece of gorgeous cinematography. No no no. Whilst it was visually striking and there were fleeting moments of joy, the film was remarkably bleak and highly politicised. Harrowing, at times, as it stands unflinching in its assessment of issues surrounding animal rights and the meat industry.

Tilda Swinton is a delight to watch, as the film’s ‘big bad’, incompetent and eccentric in her flimsy empire. Supported by strong performances from Jake Gyllenhaal in a repugnant, pseudo-Ace Ventura homage, and the ALF team lead by Paul Dano, the film isn’t lacking any depth of character. Okja, the enormous pig-creature is the star, alive with wonderful visual effects artistry, but the human ensemble completely holds their own.

The plot moves at a good pace, and slowly eases the viewer out of the comforting bubble of the idyllic Korean mountains before dropping them into grimy laboratories and slaughterhouses. There is a sprinkling of comedy, but it soon becomes apparent that this isn’t going to be sunshine and rainbows. It is emotional, at times intense and doesn’t shy away from the message it seeks to convey. It makes the viewer question their own morals and ethics, promoting animal rights in a way without totally bombarding them. It was done tactfully, yet unapologetically.

Okja made me cry; but it also made me think. And that to me, is what filmmaking is all about.

7.5/10

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Sam's Review

Day 3. Well, I've had a rough few days. Jess, coming in strong with her film suggestions, decided on Okja, an uplifting, feel-good film. Except. It's not that uplifting. It certainly has it's darker moments. A distressing scene in a laboratory is still unsettling me.

Visually film is astounding. The fluid camera movement captures the serenity of nature and the hustle of the city impeccably. The environment grows harsher as the film grows darker. Paired with the music composition (shout out to Jung Jae-il), it's a work of art, with the soundtrack gently tugging at my emotions. And, the ending, while somewhat predictable, was certainly powerful.

Ahn Seo-hyun, around 12 years old at the time of filming, was utterly incredible, and had me convinced that Okja must be real. She was a little badass. Jake Gyllenhaal's performance as the washed-up zoologist Johnny Wilcox is noteworthy, he captured the disturbed nature of the character perfectly. And Okja was so well crafted that I am surprised that the VFX team weren't at least nominated for awards. (I am also surprised that she wasn't real.) She is so full of life, with intelligence lurking behind her eyes.

Some minor notes. Silver was pretentious. How did a young girl manage to SPOILER jump onto a moving lorry and get off pretty unscathed? While I admire the fact that Tilda Swinton's Lucy Mirando was an antagonist that wasn't malicious, it irked me at how susceptible she was. It wouldn't have effected the narrative if she had been totally in charge, and was naively trying her best whilst getting it wrong. Just an opinion.

Okja is clearly an intelligent creature, that is clear in her actions. And yet, she is a new food source for the world, ready to be butchered by the Mirando Corporation in order to make a profit. The film brutally holds a mirror up to the meat industry, the reflection is found wanting. It makes me wonder if eating meat is right. The obvious, and honest, answer is, it's not. No matter how you slice it (pun intended...?) it's wrong. Animals, just as any living thing should, surely have rights too? However, that doesn't mean I'll stop eating meat. Because while I know that it is wrong, my own selfish desire shamefully wins out. However, surely we as a society can do better? If not, maybe I can... Even if it's as simple as cutting down my meat intake and buying ethically sourced meat. I never want to come across as preachy... again, Silver was pretentious, but Okja masterfully raises questions about a lot subjects (the meat industry, environment, etc), and I hope that we can do better. Okja deserves it.

8/10