Parents' Guide to

Okja

By Renee Longstreet, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Extreme peril, swearing in violent eco-fable.

Movie NR 2017 118 minutes
Okja Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

  • Okja Movie: Lucy and Mija
  • Okja Movie: Okja and Mija
  • Okja Movie: Doctor Johnny
  • Okja Movie: K, Jay, and Silver

Community Reviews

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age 14+

Based on 19 parent reviews

doctora
doctora Parent of 5-year-old
June 11, 2022
age 15+

It's very good but the animal cruelty parts feel too real and are quite upsetting

Oh geez...what a film...the young star fits all of the requirements of a young and petite and Korean young peasant girl that lives in the mountains. Everyone plays their parts well. Swinton is of course commanding and Gyllenhaal appears to do what he is supposed to do and I am not sure that is enough. But that feels like it is more an issue of the writing than the performance although everyone goes ALL IN. As for Okja, I found that I was convinced he was real and the animal cruelty sounds are pretty horrific. This film reminded me of Snowpiercer and its moments of let down were similar. That is still an endorsement, I'm just saying it's not like Parasite.
raising2boys
raising2boys Adult
February 26, 2021
age 15+

What the heck was that??

My 15-year-old son watched this movie for a school assignment. Since he's doing school at home, I watched with him. What the heck? This is a very violent movie, from the beatings during the parade to the previously mentioned pig rape scene, to the meat production line. Lots and lots of f-bombs. We both asked, who is the intended audience for this film? I'm into unusual movies, but this was not something I would recommend to anyone.

This title has:

Too much violence
See all 19 parent reviews

What's the Story?

To gain notoriety and universal support for its megalomaniac leader (Tilda Swinton), the Mirando Corporation, a mammoth business with a checkered past, announces the arrival of the company's 26 superpigs in OKJA. Calling them "Mother Nature's Gifts" and the answer to the world's dwindling food supply, the adorable little pigs will be sent out to 26 countries to live with 26 families, and after 10 years of nurturing, the superest pig of all will return to NYC and be crowned. The 10 years pass. One of the enormous grown-up pigs, Okja, is living an idyllic life on a mountaintop in Korea with young Mija (An Seu Hyun, who breaks your heart) and her grandfather. The idyll doesn't last very long. Okja's progress has been charted, and the female superpig has been chosen to make the journey to New York City. When a small army of escorts, including TV celebrity Johnny (Jake Gyllenhaal), host of Dr. Johnny's Animal Magic, arrives at their home, Mija is tricked and Okja is taken away from her. The steadfast girl gives chase -- all the way to Seoul, South Korea's capitol, where Okja's appearance and Mia's efforts to rescue her create chaos. Only a bizarre band of animal rights activists, led by Jay (Paul Dano), appear to help her. Unfortunately, Mija is too trusting once again, and, once again tricked, she finds herself in dire straits. It's one narrow escape after another; until she's reunited with her precious Okja, Mija must face their greatest enemy: the Mirando Corporation and its harsh CEO. In New York City, the cruel intentions of the company are revealed and Mija must risk all once again to save her beloved friend.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (19):
Kids say (32):

Alongside some outrageous comic performances and a lovely connection between a young girl and her giant pet pig lives a big, violent, imaginative ecological fable guaranteed to touch hearts. South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon Ho has created a timely movie with larger-than-life villains; a calamitous, one-sided depiction of GMOs (genetically modified organisms) as an optional food supply; and a traditional "prince fights a dragon to save the princess" story at its heart. In this story, the "prince" is a little girl; the "dragon" is Tilda Swinton in a dual role, and the "princess" is an adorably lovable enormous pig. The director and his team have mastered the art of combining satire with farce and then hitting hard with solid notions about man's greed and his ability to destroy everything beautiful in his path. For families hoping to enjoy the fable and its messages with their younger kids, Okja is far too intense, violent, and fraught with animals under siege to make that work. The film is for mature teens only.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the violence in Okja. Even though in its way this movie is a fairy tale, why is the violence so disturbing? How does the defenselessness of animals increase our empathy?

  • In what way or ways did this movie have a happy ending? In what ways did it not? What was your final takeaway?

  • Use your response to this film to find out more about GMOs (genetically modified organisms). What are some of the pros and cons associated with GMOs in our food supply?

  • Which positive character traits does Mija display?

Movie Details

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