‘Minari’ Review: Sinking Korean Roots in the Arkansas Soil

Moving into a city conveys both the blessing and the curse of anonymity. The newcomer is not automatically entitled to assistance or consigned to rejection. For migrants to a small town, however, everyone will be watching. Help, advice, and criticism—the locals are ready with it.

Lee Isaac Chung, the director of this movie, understands deeply how challenges and opportunities occur in the migrant’s quest for stability and independence. It’s one of the many charms of this film about a Korean family learning to farm and finding a market for unfamiliar products.

Another is a twist on the standard story of tensions between grandparents from the old country, their Americanized offspring, and the children who are taking it all in.