In 1993, Ang Lee’s The Wedding Banquet was an unexpected indie success, and a notable breakthrough as the first mainstream film to center a gay relationship in an Asian-American context. It was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, turned a tidy profit, and was, I can personally testify, a smash hit on VHS. It was also selected for preservation as part of the National Film Registry in 2023. Now, director Andrew Ahn (Fire Island) and co-writer of the original James Schamus have teamed up for a re-imagining of this queer comedy of manners and deception.

In some ways, it appears to be a very different world for LGBTQ+ folks and their families. It’s a lot easier, for instance, to imagine a young lesbian being embarrassed by her mother’s excessively enthusiastic dancing during the 15th Annual Seattle AAPI LGBTQIA+ Equality Gala, as happens in the opening scenes of Ahn’s film. Angela (Kelly Marie Tran), attending the event with her girlfriend Lee (Lily Gladstone), is just as mortified when mom (Joan Chen) freely shares the news that the couple have been trying to get pregnant using IVF. Angela and Lee are besties with Min (Han Gi-chan, in a charming debut performance) and Chris (Bowen Yang), and when the latest IVF treatment proves unsuccessful, it leads to a scheme reminiscent of that in the original. Another difference between 1993 and 2025, of course, is that gay marriage is, at least for the moment, legal nationwide, which changes the comedic calculus a bit.

Min is the orphaned scion of a Korean conglomerate whose student visa is about to be withdrawn by his imperious grandmother Ja-Young (Youn Yuh-jung), who doesn’t know he’s gay, so that he can return home to help run the company. Desperate to stay in Seattle (played here by Vancouver, B.C.), Min proposes to Chris, who recoils at the notion of a green-card union and at the prospect of commitment in general. Instead, Angela agrees to wed Min in exchange for him funding the next round of IVF. It seems like a perfect plan, until Ja-Young flies in from Korea to make sure Angela isn’t a gold digger. In a refreshing twist, the grandmother susses out the scheme almost instantly and agrees to go along, but insists on hosting an elaborate traditional Korean celebration—hence the titular banquet.

This necessarily robs the narrative of a certain dramatic tension, but on the other hand the sitcom-esque plot device of a closeted queer person trying to hide their true selves from older relatives is, at this point, rather tired. Instead, this Wedding Banquet focuses on the relationships between its central foursome and the ways each are affected by Ja-Young’s visit. The result is a modest success powered primarily by its least-familiar faces. This is Tran’s worthiest role since her regrettable sidelining from the Star Wars sequel trilogy (and there’s a great Star Wars joke involving her in the movie’s final act), and Gi-chan emanates a guileless appeal in his first English-language role. While it’s great to see Gladstone get a chance to play something lighter than the tortured characters from Killers of the Flower Moon or Hulu’s Under the Bridge, there’s a stiffness to her performance that’s distracting. Yang, while hilarious on Saturday Night Live, has yet to find a big-screen opportunity to showcase either his comic ingenuity or dramatic chops.

It would be too mean to dub this Wedding Banquet a parade of leftovers, since it does cleverly update the original’s logline. And any positive representation of the queer community on screen these days should be embraced. Which is why it’s disappointing Ahn wasn’t able to put a little more bite in this potential-rich premise. (Wide release)

ALSO THIS WEEK

Gazer: The story behind Ryan J. Sloan’s debut feature is almost as gripping as the story it tells. Shot on nights and weekends by Sloan, a self-taught New Jersey electrician and film nut, and his star and co-writer Ariella Mastroianni, it’s a triumph of microbudget ingenuity and was almost miraculously selected to screen during Critic’s Week at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival after being submitted cold. None of that would mean anything, however, if it wasn’t also a clever (occasionally too clever) psychological thriller impressively shot in widescreen on 16mm that’s anchored by a haunting, intense performance from Mastroianni. She plays Frankie, a down-on-her-luck single mom who suffers from dyschronometria, which any student of Greek can tell you is a condition that affects a person’s ability to perceive time. Frankie experiences random lapses in memory and carries around a Walkman, recording her experiences and impressions on cassette tapes in Memento-esque fashion. She also attends a support group for people whose loved ones have committed suicide as she tries to put her life back together after her husband killed himself, while her daughter lives with that husband’s alcoholic mother.

One night during her job at a gas station, she witnesses an act of violence through an upper-story apartment window. Shortly thereafter, she meets Paige (Renee Gagner), who claims to have been the victim of that violence, at a support group meeting. Paige offers Frankie $3,000 to sneak into the apartment, retrieve Paige’s car keys, and drive her car to an isolated spot in the Meadowlands so Paige can flee her abusive brother. Frankie, desperate for funds to support her daughter when Frankie’s condition inevitably worsens, accepts. And we’re off on a Newark noir featuring mistaken identity, confused cops, and even…murder. Sloan and Mastroianni’s attempts to link their protagonist’s odyssey with a conspiracy involving the pharmaceutical industry don’t quite gel, but Gazer remains a taut, smart film that, if the press notes are to be believed, should spawn two future features exploring the world it built. (Regal Fox Tower)

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The Ugly Stepsister: Fresh off its screening last weekend during Portland Panorama, this dark Scandinavian twist on the Cinderella story subverts its paradigm to center the experiences of Elvira (Lea Myren), who reluctantly welcomes her mother’s new husband and his daughter Agnes (Thea Sofie Loch Næss) into their household. When said husband expires shortly thereafter, turning out not to have had the financial resources advertised, Elvira sets her sights on winning the hand of the local handsome prince (Isac Calmroth). Convinced by the patriarchy that her appearance needs perfection, she undergoes a series of brutal, 17th-century-style cosmetic treatments, including a wince-inducing nose job and some regrettable experiences with tapeworm eggs. Pushing her forward in these endeavors is Rebekkah (Ane Dahl Torp), Elvira’s ruthless stage mother, who brings in a demented, coke-addled plastic surgeon (Adam Lundgren) to oversee this sadistic transformation. To be clear, writer-director Emilie Blichfeldt, making her first feature, doesn’t simply flip the audiences sympathy in a binary manner. Agnes, whose blonde hair and fine features drive Elvira to fits of jealousy, is in some ways just as much a victim of patriarchal beauty standards. If there’s a villain, it’s Rebekkah, so desperate to profit in a marketplace where female physicality is the only coin she has that she turns her daughter into a freakish monstrosity in the pursuit of landing a mate. (Regal Fox Tower)

ON DEMAND

Captain America: Brave New World: As an avid Marvel Comics fan for decades, and one who took great pleasure in seeing that world depicted on the big screen, it’s been disappointing to see the narrative ambition of the MCU betrayed at times by the formulaic, sloppy execution of some recent entries. Still, this was the first Marvel movie I couldn’t rouse myself to see in a theater. It’s now available on demand, and I can unequivocally say that was the right call. It’s a mess. One feels terrible for Anthony Mackie, who finally gets a chance to take his Captain America out for an IMAX-sized spin, only to find the character betrayed by director Julius Onah and a screenplay with five credited authors just as much as Sam Wilson is betrayed by the subtly racist President of the United States, Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (Harrison Ford, who deserves no pity for sullying his filmography this way).

The movie suffers from some of the same flaws as other Phase Four (or is it Five now?) films. There’s an overreliance on audience familiarity with previous lore, including 2021’s Eternals, the series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier from the same year, and even 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. There are far too many repetitive action scenes and generic McGuffins. None of the actors, all capable ones, are given an opportunity for genuine character moments. I could go on. The plot involves a cannister of stuff that everybody’s after, including the Israeli agent Ruth Bat-Seraph (Shira Haas), known in the comics as Sabra, whose appearance is at least a bit awkward considering real-world geopolitical controversy. After the original, Black, Captain America (Carl Lumbly) is brainwashed into attempting the assassination of President Ross, Wilson and his partner, Kid Falcon or something (Danny Ramirez), set out to clear his name.

Far be it from me to offer marketing advice to the Marvel brain trust, but trailers for Brave New World readily revealed that Ross would at some point transform into Red Hulk, a crimson (for some reason) version of everyone’s favorite gamma-irradiated rage monkey. It doesn’t happen, though, until the final act, which means (a) you spend the entire movie waiting for this, and (b) the marketing folks knew it was the only decent visual hook they could use for their purposes. This is also, to be blunt, a dumb movie. People just don’t behave the way actual people would. Half of the dialogue is clumsily delivered exposition. President Ross, in his simplistic bombast and ignorance of political complexity, makes the Current Occupant look like a veritable James Madison. Sigh. Tl;dr—even if you’re a Marvel completist, this is one to sit out. ($24.99 to rent via Apple TV, Amazon, or Fandango At Home)

ALSO OPENING

Pride and Prejudice (2005): Sparks fly when spirited Elizabeth Bennet (Keira Knightley) meets single, rich, and proud Mr. Darcy (Matthew Macfadyen). But Mr. Darcy reluctantly finds himself falling in love with a woman beneath his class. Can each overcome their own pride and prejudice? 20th anniversary re-release. (multiple locations)

Sinners: Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers (Michael B. Jordan) return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back. Directed by Ryan Coogler. (wide release)

Sneaks: When a designer sneaker unwittingly finds himself lost in New York City, he must dig deep into his sole in order to rescue his sister and return to his rightful owner. Animated.

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ALSO THIS WEEK

The Jungle: Unraveling centuries of greed and exploitation in America’s meat industry, this modern-day take on Upton Sinclair’s shocking 1906 novel calls into question the profiteering of ecosystems and reveals how indigenous knowledge may hold the key to creating an equitable food system for both people and the planet. (Monday 4/21, Clinton St. Theater)

REPERTORY

Friday 4/18

• Atonement [2007] (5th Avenue Cinemas, through 4/20)
• The Big Sleep [1946] (Academy Theater, through 4/24)
• Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure [1989] (Academy Theater, through 4/24)
• The Fly [1986] (Cinema 21, also 4/19)
• The Long Goodbye [1973] (Academy Theater, through 4/24)
• The Miami Connection [1987] (Cinemagic, also 4/21)
• Purple Rain [1984] (Clinton St. Theater)
• Redline [2009] (Cinemagic, also 4/19 & 4/22)

Saturday 4/19

• Ghost in the Shell [1995] (Cinemagic, also 4/20 & 4/24)
• Miller’s Crossing [1990] (Cinema 21)
• Robin Hood [1973] (Clinton St. Theater)
• Weathering With You [2019] (Cinemagic, also 4/20, 4/22, 4/24)

Sunday 4/20

• The Big Lebowski [1998] (Salem Cinema, also 4/22)
• Dazed and Confused [1993] (Tomorrow Theater)
• Phantom of the Opera [1925] (Salem Cinema, with live soundtrack)

Monday 4/21

• L.A. Story [1990] (Hollywood Theatre)
• Phantom of the Opera [1925] (Salem Cinema, with live soundtrack)
• RRR [2022] (Hollywood Theatre)

Tuesday 4/22

• New Indigenous Short Films (Hollywood Theatre)
• The Tune [1992] (Clinton St. Theater)

Wednesday 4/23

• As Tears Go By [1988] (Cinemagic)
• The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari [1919] (Kiggins Theatre, with live soundtrack)
• Eraserhead [1977] (Hollywood Theatre, on 35mm, also 4/26)
• Inland Empire [2006] (Hollywood Theatre, also 4/24 & 4/27)
• Nightmarewave: Yugoslavian Animation (Clinton St. Theater, Church of Film)
• Wild at Heart [1990] (Hollywood Theatre, also 4/25)

Thursday 4/24

• Blue Velvet [1986] (Hollywood Theatre, also 4/26)
• Mulholland Dr. [2000] (Hollywood Theatre, on 35mm, also 4/26)
• Pink Floyd at Pompeii [1972] (multiple locations)