Netflix has more than a few contenders for the 98th Academy Awards, but the last Oscar-worthy movie the streaming service has added might be its best shot at winning. "Left-Handed Girl" just hit the platform over the weekend, and it's got some serious pedigree.
It's directed by Taiwanese-American filmmaker Shih-Ching Tsou, who worked with acclaimed director Sean Baker on his films "Take Out" (co-director), "Starlet," "Tangerine," "The Florida Project" and "Red Rocket." Notably absent from that list is last year's Best Picture winner, "Anora," though as I'll explain later on, "Left Handed-Girl" and Baker's Oscar winner have some commonalities.
One thing they have in common? Baker wrote (or co-wrote) both of them, and you can feel his imprint on the film throughout its hour and 45-minute runtime. That's not a bad thing either, and most people agree. "Left-Handed Girl" currently holds a 99% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and it's the Taiwanese entry for Best International Feature Film at the upcoming Oscars.
'Left-Handed Girl' feels like 'Anora' while still being different
So I won't bury the lede any further — this movie is good. I enjoyed watching it a lot, and came away impressed by the breakout performance of Shih-Yuan Ma, as I-Ann, who, while not the titular left-handed girl, is certainly the star of this film.
For those of you who aren't familiar with this Taiwanese drama, it centers around Shu-Fen (Janel Tsai) and her family: daughters I-Ann (Ma) and I-Jing (Nina Ye). Shu-Fen has moved them from the countryside back to Taipei and opened a noodle shop in a popular night market.
The movie isn't about the noodle stand, though. Nominally, it's about I-Jing, a five-year-old girl who gets scolded by her grandfather for using her left hand, which he calls her "devil hand." This leads her to the conclusion that this hand has a mind of its own, and causes her to do all sorts of "evil" things, like shoplifting, stealing from her grandmother and even causing the accidental death of a small animal.
If that sounds dark, well ... that's because there's definitely darkness to the story of "Left-Handed Girl." As a slice-of-life drama, you get the bad experiences in life with the good experiences. But darkness isn't what is at the heart of this story.
Watching this movie, I couldn't help but think of "Anora." Maybe it's because of Baker's influence, maybe it's because I knew going in that he was involved. But there's a dark story with plenty of dark comedy. There's also a chaotic feel at times, as if you're watching a train wreck and you can't look away.
The characters of the story also have some similarities; everyone in "Left-Handed Girl" is a flawed person, some deeply so. And the person you find yourself connecting with the most is a young woman, struggling to get by in the world, facing challenges that aren't entirely her own fault, but some other challenges that very much are.
These women are also both portrayed by young actresses performing what will (likely) prove to be a breakout performance. In "Anora", it was Mikey Madison as the titular Anora. In this movie, it's Ma as I-Ann, the eldest daughter of Shu-Fen, who drops an absolute bombshell at the movie's climactic moment.
But while both movies have so many similarities, including stunning endings, there are some key differences. First, this is Tsou's creative vision as well, not just Baker's, and that brings relatable but distinctly Chinese/Taiwanese elements to the struggles the characters are dealing with.
More importantly, though, this is a happy story in the end, or at least ends on an intentionally hopeful note, despite its billing as a drama. "Anora" may have hilarious moments, but it's a tragedy that ends on a heartbreaking note.
So if you liked Baker's writing in "Anora" but thought it ended on too much of a downer, then this is the movie for you. But even if that's not you, I think you'll still enjoy watching this movie. It's got funny moments, sad moments and truly shocking moments, but in the end, it produces a bittersweet but hopeful ending that feels satisfying, and one that's well worth a watch.
Stream "Left-Handed Girl" on Netflix now
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