Top 5 Films by AAPI Creators:
Disclaimer: First and foremost, this is my own opinion, and is based entirely on my own life experiences as an Asian-American growing up in Air Force Bases. If I have missed your favorite film, or if another film did the same thing but earlier than one of my picks, its not a slight in any way.
Better Luck Tomorrow (2002) Dir. Justin Lin. I saw this film in college, and before this I didn’t know that Asian Americans (like myself) could be portrayed as just normal kids. Usually we were relegated to the smart overachiever, or the butt of a joke (Long Duk Dong ring a bell?). So to see guys that looked like me, using their intellect in clever ways—like the scene where Ben is eating a giant cookie and claims it’s for his low blood sugar. Also the idea that smart kids can be gangster, too. Loved it.
The Doom Generation (1995) Dir. Gregg Araki. Saw this when I was a junior in high school. If you aren’t familiar with the “Trilogy of the Teen-Age Apocalypse”, it involves young people doing lots of drugs, having sex, and sometimes ultra violence. I was once told that my celebrity doppelgänger was James Duval; Gregg Araki’s films let me believe that a half-Asian guy could be a leading man. Note: these films are super over the top and camp. Not to be taken seriously. Preceded by The Living End, and followed up by Totally Fucked Up, featuring my favorite Ryan Philippe performance.
Saw (2004) Dir. James Wan. If you tell me that you saw the twist coming, I will not believe you. The whole film being in one room (mostly) is part of the fun, and this one keeps you guessing at every turn. Of course, after you watch this film, you and your friends will discuss how you would fare against the diabolical Jigsaw, which makes the film that much more interactive (spoiler: you would not make it, not matter how smart you think you are). Also, the presence of Cary Elwes makes every movie better (even Twister).
Swiss Army Man (2016) Dir. Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert. Sure, you saw Everything Everywhere All At Once and thought “the Daniels are genius-level legends”, but did you see their movie with a dead, farting Harry Potter? It’s surreal, sweet, and funny, with a dark, dark ending. This film hits the “hot dog fingers” level of silliness and brings an emotional gut punch while being a paean to loneliness. Like many, 2016 was a rough year for me, and this was such a bright spot. In the words of the Daniels themselves, “the first fart will make you laugh, the last fart will make you cry.” If you don’t enjoy dark fantasy with a deep vein of humor, this ain’t for you. Also, if you haven’t seen the Daniels video for Lil John’s “Turn Down for What”, close this tab and go to YouTube. Trust me.
Jennifer’s Body (2009) Dir. Karyn Kusama. With a whip-smart script by Diablo Cody and starring the ridiculously beautiful Megan Fox, this should have been an instant classic. Instead, we have critics only looking back on it now with fresh eyes and realizing how subversive the script is and how wry the commentary on contemporary high school relationships was. Coupled with the use of satanic sacrifice as a metaphor for sexual assault, the direction by Kusama balances the humor of the film with dim lighting and scenes framed in a claustrophobic manner to create a more horrific story. Must see.
Honorable Mention:
Aeon Flux (1991-1995) Dir. Peter Chung. Not a film, but an animated series that showed on MTV’s Liquid Television, a sort of precursor to today’s Adult Swim on Cartoon Network. Each of the first season’s short was about 2 minutes long, and featured a heavily stylized dystopian future. The titular protagonist is a sparsely clad secret agent; if you did not see the episodes in order (there was no on-demand at the time), it was a difficult plot to parse. I read the series WIkipedia page in preparing for this post and was like “I had no idea that’s what was going on.” Aeon did not speak in the first season, and I remember that she died at the end. Of course, much like MTV back then, it wasn’t about the story, but the super strong cyberpunk vibes. Damn I wish I could watch this again for the first time.