Spa Night
Nonetheless Productions (2016)
Drama, Queer Themes/Interest
In Collection
#537
6*
Seen It:  Yes
(12/7/2016)
IMDB   6.0
93 mins USA / Korean
DVD  Region 1
Joe Seo David
Haerry Kim Soyoung
Janice Pak Stella
Director
Andrew Ahn


Los Angeles' Korean spas serve as meeting place and bridge between past and future for generations of immigrant families; Spa Night explores one Korean-American family's dreams and realities as each struggles with the overlap of personal desire, disillusionment and sense of tradition. The closeted teenage son takes a job at a Korean spa to help his struggling family, only to discover an underground world of gay sex at the spa that both scares and excites him.
Edition Details
No. of Discs/Tapes 1
Personal Details
Purchase Date 11/19/2016
Location Personal Library
Owner Deitz
Store Amazon.com
Purchase Price $27.99
Condition New
Links ‡ Commentary: Advocate
± Review: NY Times
± Review: Roger Ebert
Spa Night at Core for Movies
IMDB
TheMovieDb.org
References
Lists ‡ Advocate: The 12 Best LGBT Films of 2016
Festivals & Awards Sundance 2016
IMDb Voters <500

Notes
A melancholy tale of cultural conventions and generational tensions -- The slow moving plot added to my unease, and Director Andrew Ahm seems to offer no hope of redemption -- While the film is sound technically, in the end its substance is weak -- It would, I think, offer a starting point for group discussions; I suspect many in the gay community could offer similar experiences in their own life stories -- I found the depiction of Korean immigrant culture educational.