Spa Night
- Director: Andrew Ahn
- Writer: Andrew Ahn
- Producer: Il Ahn; Terry Ahn
CGiii Comment
Not quite sure what to make of this film...
To date...it's been shown at countless film festivals (LGBT & mainstream)...yet, no poster, no trailer!
Is it so good that it needs no publicity?
In a word: No.
Like its marketing...it's lazy. As a film, it's lifeless...yes, there are many who will declare it to be thoughtful, even introspective...when, in reality, it's the definition of ponderous.
The protagonist, a closeted rather old-looking, not-too-bright teenager who is more boring than terminal...he has a penchant for taking a naked selfie whenever he's in the bathroom and an over-arching desire to ogle men whenever he's in the spa. Throw into the mix...a nagging when-you-get-married mother and an alcoholic, slapstick-played father and you soon realise that this is no different from all the other and usual Asian-American films with a gay bent...only this one takes its time, goes nowhere and stops dead in its tracks. Literally, the film just ends when you least expect it...supposedly saying, life goes on...with or without a resolution.
Now, it does sound as if we utterly hated this film...we didn't hate it...we just didn't get it. The message that the director was trying to relay was as vague as a naked man in a steamroom...was it a comment on immigration and imaginary integration? A powerful statement to make...there was very little integration on show. Over 20 years in your adopted country and you still can't speak the language! Over 20 years of living in an enclave...living the American Dream and ending up with nothing! These are powerful statements! Yet the film has no power!
The fact that traditional [heterosexual] Korean spas are being infiltrated and defiled by penis-hungry, self-centred, non-Korean gay men is a deplorable (and criminal) practice...yet the film refused to take a bold stance...rather than managing it, ban it...NO GAYS ALLOWED...think of the profound conflict with the young/old-looking closet case...his place of work bans the very essence of his being, his culture bans the very essence of his being...wow, that would have made a blisteringly good film!
Spa Night had a ridiculous amount of potential to become a standout, standalone production...it had the opportunity to say something important...instead, it whispered rather than roared.
Independent film-making requires bravery...every 'new' director needs to scream, bellow from every rooftop to be heard, to be watched. Being sheepish will get you nowhere. Andrew Ahn needs to free his inner wolf...because, it's lurking in there somewhere.
Trailer...
The(ir) Blurb...
David Cho is in that curious threshold between late teens and manhood. He lives in a tight-knit, traditional home in the heart of Koreatown, Los Angeles, with his first-generation parents. David works at the family restaurant, but business is slow and the restaurant is forced to close. His mother, Soyoung, finds another waitressing gig, but his unemployed father, Jin, begins to spiral downward. As the patriarchal balance teeters, tension builds at home.
Appeasing his mother, David pretends to go to SAT classes but secretly takes a job at a Korean spa to help his family make ends meet. At the spa, he discovers an underground world of gay sex that scares the hell out of him but also really excites him. As David dares to explore his sexuality, his family life crumbles, forcing him to reconcile his own desires with his parents’ hopes, dreams, and expectations.
Joe Seo shines in the role of David, as he grapples with a percolating yet forbidden sexual awakening. With this feature debut, writer/director Andrew Ahn, like his main character, is on the brink of something big.
Strand Releasing
Initially upon its founding in 1989, Strand Releasing’s focus was primarily LGBTQ inclusive films. Now, it has branched out, releasing nonLGBTQ films as well, and maintaining a focus on foreign films. Notable films from the past include The Living End (1992) a drama about two gay men on a dangerous road trip; Stonewall (1995) a fictionalized telling of the Stonewall Riots; Yossi and Jagger (2002), a love story between two Israeli army officers, as well as the 2013 sequel Yossi; and 2014’s Mala Mala, exploring Puerto Rico’s drag and transgender communities. Last year’s Strand releases include the GLAAD Media Award-nominated Spa Night, a personal and compelling film about a gay Korean-American teenager trying to deal with the pressures from his parents and exploring his own sexuality. Other LGBTQinclusive Strand Releases from 2016 include Front Cover, Summertime, Being 17 and Closet Monster.
Cast & Characters
Joe Seo;
Haerry Kim;
Youn Ho Cho;
Tae Song;
Ho Young Chung;
Linda Han