Sundance Film Festival 2023: 20 Movies You Need To Know About
9. Shortcomings
Randall Park makes his directorial debut with this charming yet refreshingly sharp-edged romantic comedy which has a lot to say about the modern day experiences of Asian-Americans.
Justin H. Min stars as Ben, an insufferably cynical aspiring filmmaker whose life is thrown into a tailspin when his partner, Miko (Ally Maki), moves to New York for an internship, leaving him to figure things out for himself.
Though Park's film paints in relatively broad strokes, the culturally unique lens through which Park reimagines the rom-com ensures Shortcomings is a diverting, memorable entry into the genre.
Much of the credit goes to The Umbrella Academy star Min, who fearlessly dives into a tough-to-like protagonist who is nevertheless forced to grow over the film's runtime.
It's worth watching alone for an outrageously funny opening segment which pokes cheeky fun at Crazy Rich Asians - complete with a few unexpected cameos.
Shortcomings is currently seeking distribution.