Okja is the name of a specially-bred "superpig", one of many, who have been created to revolutionize the meat industry. Bit of a slow-burning plan however because it takes ten years for the first few pigs to grow up. Okja being one of them, growing up on a distant Korean mountainside. But then the meat packagers, Okja's creators, come back for their property.
Director Bong Joon-ho is more known for his social dramas focusing on class boundaries, but he has dived into science fiction before. Most notably with Snowpiercer. Okja is a bit lighter in tone than that one, more like a fairytale. It's still off-puttingly dark in certain places, especially near the end, but for most of the duration, it's not so bad. Caricatured and exaggerated, certainly, but not so bad.
Where the film falls short, in my opinion, is the execution. It's a weird story idea to begin with, but nothing much is done with it. Not helping is the fact that the message of the story is so obvious and chewed. Eating meat is bad, capitalism is bad, industry is bad. Nature is good, small farms are good, animals are good, living simple lives is good. It's not a bad message, but it's so blatantly shoved down our throats that you end up rebelling against it as reaction.
Still, at least it was a unique viewing experience. You don't see story like this every day. And for that it earns some points.
Director Bong Joon-ho is more known for his social dramas focusing on class boundaries, but he has dived into science fiction before. Most notably with Snowpiercer. Okja is a bit lighter in tone than that one, more like a fairytale. It's still off-puttingly dark in certain places, especially near the end, but for most of the duration, it's not so bad. Caricatured and exaggerated, certainly, but not so bad.
Where the film falls short, in my opinion, is the execution. It's a weird story idea to begin with, but nothing much is done with it. Not helping is the fact that the message of the story is so obvious and chewed. Eating meat is bad, capitalism is bad, industry is bad. Nature is good, small farms are good, animals are good, living simple lives is good. It's not a bad message, but it's so blatantly shoved down our throats that you end up rebelling against it as reaction.
Still, at least it was a unique viewing experience. You don't see story like this every day. And for that it earns some points.