This latest film from Japanese director Hirokazu Koreeda is masterful storytelling. I came out of the screening with a similar feeling to when I watched Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite (2019); contemporary South Korea where the dramatic tension comes from depth of character not plot.

The rainy opening scene (immediate Parasite vibes) is the first intersection between our main protagonists. Young mother So-young (Lee Ji-eun AKA K-Pop idol IU) abandons a baby in a rather ingenious ‘baby box’, monitored by a church. Two detectives, Lee (Lee Joo-young) and Soo-jin (Bae Doona), watch from a car, trying to catch a baby-selling scam. Church employee Dong-soo (Gang Dong-won) is the culprit, whisking baby Woo-sung away to his accomplice, affable dry-cleaner Sang-hyeon (Song Kang-ho who plays a similar role to his one in Parasite).

The baby brokers are not so great at their scam and begin a cat and mouse game with unsmiling detective Soo-jin who is intent on catching them in the act. All is complicated by a murder that it seems So-young is connected to.

The ensemble cast and the time Koreeda takes to fill out the story are what makes this so satisfying. Song won Best Actor at Cannes for this role and this and his association with Bong Joon-ho (The Host, Parasite, Snowpiercer) can’t help but elevate his profile to international audiences. I was expecting less from Lee Ji-eun given her K-Pop celebrity but she is thoroughly convincing as the ‘tougher than she looks’ girl who has never had a break in life. Gang does a great job in the rather thankless role of Dong-soo – he is the glue that keeps the rough band of hapless outlaws together. His low-key good looks and poise help us forgive him for his part in one of the most disappointing sequels ever, Peninsula (2020).

I felt very satisfied by the narrative arc. It’s neat with a good dose of bittersweet.

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Have you seen this film? Let me know your thoughts.