The great news about Bong Joon-ho's latest, Okja, besides that it exists, is that Netflix is giving the monster flick a theatrical run alongside a streaming release. They've been pretty reluctant to do that in any measurable way, and hopefully they'll realize this is the kind of movie the popular director's fans will want to see on the big screen rather than on their couches.
A handful of new images have been released featuring Jake Gyllenhaal, Tilda Swinton, and young star An Seo Hyun. But the most important update is the longer synopsis, which fleshes out details on the story of a young girl on the run from an evil corporation that threatens her best friend, a creature named Okja.
For 10 idyllic years, young Mija (An Seo Hyun) has been caretaker and constant companion to Okja — a massive animal and an even bigger friend — at her home in the mountains of South Korea. But that changes when the family-owned multinational conglomerate Mirando Corporation takes Okja for themselves and transports her to New York, where image obsessed and self-promoting CEO Lucy Mirando (Tilda Swinton) has big plans for Mija’s dearest friend.
With no particular plan but single-minded in intent, Mija sets out on a rescue mission, but her already daunting journey quickly becomes more complicated when she crosses paths with disparate groups of capitalists, demonstrators and consumers, each battling to control the fate of Okja… while all Mija wants to do is bring her friend home.
Deftly blending genres, humor, poignancy and drama, Bong Joon Ho (“Snowpiercer,” “The Host“) begins with the gentlest of premises — the bond between man and animal — and ultimately creates a distinct and layered vision of the world that addresses the animal inside us all.
Also starring Lily Collins, Steven Yeun, Paul Dano, and Giancarlo Esposito, Okja hits Netflix on June 28th.
