SHIFTER’s Kevin Bourne calls Anderson .Paak’s directorial debut an “endearing, fun, and creatively rich film” in his K-Pops review.
One of our more anticipated films at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival was Anderson .Paak’s K-Pops. Not only did ,Paak co-write the film alongside Khaila Amazan, but it marks his directorial debut.
The idea for the film came about during the pandemic where he bonded with his son who was a fan of K-Pop. While the story is a bit over the top at times, the personal touch adds a sense of realism and believability to the story. Starring .Paak, Jee Young Han, and .Paak’s real-life song Soul Rasheed, K-Pops follows a washed-up musician, BJ (Anderson .Paak), who gets a second chance at success in Korea. His plans change when he meets his long-host son (and his mother played by Jee Young Han) who he tries to coach to super stardom on a popular music competition show.
Early on, it seemed that, similar to ,Paak’s music, what we were in for was a genre-defying film, complete with comedy and animation, with a dash of drama. While there were some corny moments in the early scenes, which can also be heartwarming, and .Paak appears to be playing a slightly over-the-top version of himself, the film was creative and unique, both in its storytelling and its blend of Korean and Black culture.
Visually, they did a good job of using animation to communicate time jumps. The film also stands out from other comedies by being set in Korea and providing a window into the world of K-Pop which we don’t typically see on-screen in North America, and by being centered around an interracial couple, especially a Black and Korean couple. This is a great family centered film with a unique story, where the main couple just happens to be interracial, instead of making it a central element of the story with cultural obstacles to overcome.
What also stands out is that it blends elements of a romantic comedy, which will appeal to adults, and a family comedy, which will appeal to children and youth, meaning there’s something for everyone, including music lovers. But while the film appears to be different on the surface, under the hood, it’s a universal story about love, second chances and pursuing ones dreams. In end, with its blend of original music, animation, and Black and Korean culture, K-Pops is an endearing, fun, and creatively rich feel-good film that you can watch over and over again.
Kevin Bourne is SHIFTER’s Toronto-based editor and Senior Entertainment Reporter focusing on Black music and film & TV. He was named one of 300 international voters for the 81st and 82nd Golden Globe Awards by the Golden Globe Foundation and a Tomatometer-Approved Critic by Rotten Tomatoes.
Related content:
https://shiftermagazine.com/film-and-tv/riff-raff-film-review