Okja

"We needed a miracle. And then we got one."

2017 2h 0m EN

👍

7.3

SOLID

🍅

87%

FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

7.3

IMDB

★7.3TMDB · 4,657🍅87%Rotten Tomatoes●75Metacritic★7.3IMDB · 138,895

AdventureDramaScience FictionAction

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A young girl named Mija risks everything to prevent a powerful, multi-national company from kidnapping her best friend - a massive animal named Okja.

“We needed a miracle. And then we got one.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

An Seo-hyun
Mija
Tilda Swinton
Lucy Mirando / Nancy Mirando
Paul Dano
Jay
Steven Yeun
K
Jake Gyllenhaal
Johnny Wilcox
Giancarlo Esposito
Frank Dawson
Byun Hee-bong
Hee-bong
Lily Collins
Red

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Bong Joon Ho
Writers: Bong Joon Ho, Jon Ronson, Bong Joon Ho
Languages: English, Spanish, Korean
Countries: South Korea, United States of America, Canada

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Mid-budget at $50M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 9 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: English, Spanish, Korean.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 3 countries: South Korea, United States of America, Canada.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

224+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Bong Joon Ho, shot by Darius Khondji. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Jung Jae-il. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Yang Jin-mo shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Bong Joon Ho directs. Darius Khondji behind the camera. Jung Jae-il scores. Yang Jin-mo cuts. Produced in South Korea, United States of America, Canada. Dialogue in English, Spanish, Korean.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Mid-budget at $50M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.
2Released 9 years ago.
3Dialogue crosses 3 languages: English, Spanish, Korean.
4International production across 3 countries: South Korea, United States of America, Canada.
5224+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.
6Directed by Bong Joon Ho, shot by Darius Khondji. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
7Original score by Jung Jae-il. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
8Editor Yang Jin-mo shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
9An Seo-hyun and Tilda Swinton and Paul Dano carry the top of the cast.
10Marketing tagline: "We needed a miracle. And then we got one.".
11IMDB entry: tt3967856 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
12Classified under 14 themes, including "new york city", "monster", "slaughterhouse", "east asian lead".

The technical file

Cinematography: Darius Khondji
Original score: Jung Jae-il
Editing: Yang Jin-mo
Production design: Lee Ha-jun
Costume design: Catherine George
Makeup / hair: Lee Hee-eun
VFX supervisor: Erik De Boer
Stunt coordinator: Jeong Jin-geun
Runtime: 120 min · 2h 0m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $50,000,000
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: Okja (2017)
Rotten Tomatoes: 87% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 75/100
IMDB rating: 7.3/10 · 138,895 votes
MPAA: TV-MA

Awards

7 wins & 14 nominations total

Also by

Bong Joon Ho

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

RoidDroidVoid2017-06-28
★ 10/10
Bong Joon-ho has brought us yet another masterpiece. Before viewing Okja, I was a little concerned that it would be just a sappy feel good family film about a kid that developed too much of an attachment to a farm animal. Now, I'm simply amazed at how Bong manages to always give us such emotionally and politically complicated films. If you understand his style and knack for subtle commentary, then you will see this as another excellent film in the same vein as The Host. The obvious commentary is clear but not overwhelming and the subtle bits are in true Bong style. I think many may misinterpret some of his choices, particularly with Gyllenhaal's character and performance, but if you grasp Bong's social and political stances then you'll appreciate the choices. For anyone who is unaware, all of Bong's movies contain certain elements. There are the overt elements that include humor (sometimes within the least humorous of situations), suspense, emotional connection, the folly of man and a lack of responsibility on the part of a government or corporation. But these elements are supported by subtle inclusions which are dotted throughout his movies like little watermarks and always serve to say the things that should be said without saying them. Besides these factors, and for those less inclined towards analytical movie watching, there is always a great story and magnificent cinematography. Okja is no exception. The only disappointing aspect of this movie is that it just came out, I've already watched it and now I'll have to wait another 2-3 years for another Bong movie to enjoy. I have seen The Host at least 10 times and I could watch it again right now. I'm certain to see Okja at least two more times with those with whom I enjoy seeing his movies and I don't think it'll feel like a chore either. In my opinion, Bong is one of the most consistent filmmakers to have ever made a movie and that streak remains unbroken with Okja.

Production companies