Minari

"Minari tells a story that belongs to a Korean-American family with a throbbing emotional pull that casts a far wider net. It’s wrought in the timeless language of sacrifice, adaptation, identity and hope. It’s the sound of your parents arguing about something you don’t quite understand in the next room. It’s the crippling weight of bank loans, the joy of watching your own Garden of Eden flourish, the odd-tasting herbal remedies from the homeland you’re forced to drink, and the unconditional love of an ageing grandmother who will fly across the world just to see you."

"There is such tenderness in the telling here, helping to bolster your resilience as this story deals out some punishing emotional blows amidst the moments of pure delight..."

"The film’s orderliness of plot somewhat undermines the sense that the family at its center is steeped in a truly messy situation."

"That rare slice-of-life drama that contains multitudes without needing to look beyond the borders of its highly specific story."

"This is a lovely, unique film."

"Minari shares its secrets with a whisper, and as it unfolds, you find yourself leaning into it, enraptured."

"Chung’s nuanced portrait of a family figuring out their place in the world is both small and somehow rather grand."

"Minari is never downbeat, despite the challenges the characters face. Chung’s love for his characters—and the Arkansas farmland where he grew up—always shines through."

"Minari is a modest pic but very human and accessible, and quite distinctively so in comparison to the vast majority of high-concept and/or violent movies rolling out today."

"Chung transforms the specificity of his upbringing into something warm, tender and universal."

"Chung’s directing feels drawn from memory, the scattered and sparkling quality of recollections, carefully assembled. It’s perhaps why every second rings so true."

"Chung’s loving — and immensely lovable — immigrant drama interrogates the American Dream with the hard-edged hope of a family that needs to believe in something before they lose all faith in each other."