Just in time for summer comes a film that seriously threatens the core component of barbeques, baseball games, and block parties. To be blunt, “Okja” may force you to put down that hot dog.
Director Bong Joon Ho’s uneven movie is about a girl, her giant, adorable pet pig, and an evil corporation that wants to separate them—and also to separate our porcine heroine into bacon strips. There’s not a lot of nuance here: The bad guys are very bad and the heroes are very good. It makes the finger-wagging of “Avatar” seem demure.
But it’s not always a well-marbled ride. There’s an inconsistent tone, with horrific moments spliced with satire and detours into vaudeville and a few moments when it’s kidnapped into a heist movie. “Okja” also has too much Tilda Swinton, a curious Jake Gyllenhaal, and some weird musical choices. But Bong must be congratulated for forcing us to see what’s for dinner, even if his message is as heavy-handed as a public service announcement for veganism.
“Okja” has already gotten plenty of attention, but not because of its message. It was the subject of handwringing from traditional film folk because it was picked to compete for the coveted Palme d'Or top prize at the Cannes Film Festival despite Netflix’s plans to release the movie online in most markets, bypassing the movie theatres. Whatever form you see it in, the effects that bring the lumbering title character to life are remarkable.
The film centres on the fate of Okja, who was created by the malevolent Mirando Corp.—a less-than-subtle stand-in for the Monsanto biotechnology corporation. The sow is a genetic freak created in a lab, one of two dozen hippopotamus-sized miracle pigs with skin like an elephant, floppy ears, understanding eyes, a wagging tail, and nostrils that flare expressively.
The company—led by Swinton channelling the public relations savvy of Gwyneth Paltrow and the iciness of Anna Wintour—insists these beasts will reduce hunger and waste. “The world is running out of food and we’re not talking about it,” she says.
