Okja Review

Okja is a movie with a simple plot and surprising depth as it follows a young girl as she attempts to save her super pig, Okja from being taken. As part of a special contest to showcase genetically enhanced pigs farmers from around the globe were given a special pig to grow. There's then a time lapse and we meet Mija (Seo-Hyun Ahn) in South Korea and her now best friend Okja having grown into a massive creature. There's more to the creature than just being a regular animal though as these super pigs have higher intelligence so it's easier to connect with them across the film.

Eventually the corporation comes back to take the pig and Mija chases after them to save her friend. It's got a relatively simple concept, but showcases this global journey in a strong way. I really did enjoy the narrative of the plot and found the multiple languages to feel natural throughout the course of the movie. It had some interesting messages but even throwing those aside it was highly entertaining and dark as well. This made everything feel real despite there being a mutant pig and for the most part the CGI was fine for Okja.

Not only did the film generally look good, I also found it be entertaining. There were some minor comedic elements, aspects of sorrow and interesting themes. The lead was great trying everything to save her friend, but the supporting cast was also excellent. Tilda Swinton brought a perfectly awkward sibling duo to life as the CEO of the corporation and Jake Gyllenhaal's animal expert with his lunacy really had him going all out.

There are other familiar faces that show up as well though I'll keep my mentions limited. The pacing of the movie felt right without it ever getting boring and I could see that everyone had clear motives. The concept of making the lives of these creatures matter and then the expansion of that towards the ending was great. You felt bad for what was happening to the core characters and their struggle against the corporation.

The Conclusion

Okja was stellar, I really enjoyed this movie finding it to be rather powerful with its message. The CGI looked fine for the most part and there was just enough action. It also felt plausible which is odd considering there were massive pigs and adding certain traits really helped to make a better case for Okja's problems.

It's definitely worth a watch even just to see these wildly large creatures interacting with people and the solid performance from Seo-Hyun Ahn. I also suggest watching past the credits as well.

Review for Okja at Home with Streamed Viewing

Rating Overall: 8.8