The Wedding Banquet: Old and borrowed, yet refreshingly new
Driven by director Andrew Ahn's desire to honour and modernise Ang Lee's acclaimed 1993 classic, this remake may borrow its premise, but make no mistake, this is far more than a vow renewal.
At just eight years of age, the Korean-American filmmaker first encountered The Wedding Banquet when his mother rented it - a formative experience that would go on to shape both his personal identity and artistic vision. More than 30 years later, his desire to update the narrative to reflect contemporary LGBTQ+ experiences became a calling he could not ignore. And so, once again, the power of cinema triumphs.
Relocating the story from Manhattan to Seattle, the 2025 film follows Min (Han Gi-chan), a closeted Korean artist facing deportation, who proposes a green-card marriage to his lesbian friend Angela (Kelly Marie Tran) in exchange for funding her partner Lee's (Lily Gladstone) IVF treatments. Their carefully laid scheme starts to fall apart when Min's headstrong grandmother, Ja-Young (a scene-stealing Youn Yuh-jung), unexpectedly shows up from Korea, determined to throw a hooley.
Screenwriter James Schamus, who co-wrote the original with Ang Lee, offered his full endorsement of Ahn's reimagining, and the result is nothing short of cinematic harmony. Blending subtle gags and quiet melancholy, the remake offers a fresh, affecting perspective on the story, peppered with loving homages to the original including an updated twist on the infamous banquet scene, now tailored for the Gen Z'ers.
Kelly Marie Tran and Lily Gladstone deliver nuanced, deeply human portrayals of a long-term lesbian couple, capturing both the quiet intimacies and unspoken tensions of their relationship.
Youn Yuh-jung, the Oscar-winning actress from Minari, earns her place at the top table with her portrayal of the reserved grandmother, imbuing what could have been a one-dimensional character with complexity, wit, and heart.
Han Gi-chan and Bowen Yang effortlessly serve up emotionally resonant performances, seamlessly balancing poignancy with lighter moments, while navigating the complexities of a modern queer relationship caught between cultural expectations and personal conflict.
No wedding is complete without an awesome soundtrack, and Jay Wadley's score renowned for his work on I'm Thinking of Ending Things and Swan Song masterfully intertwines traditional Korean motifs with contemporary orchestrations.
Much like the lull that follows a wedding dinner, the final thirty minutes struggle to balance levity with drama, as comedic moments clash with more somber tones. But, by this point, viewers will have journeyed so far down the aisle that all is forgiven.
The Wedding Banquet (2025) ties the knot, delivering a heartfelt celebration of love and culture that certainly warrants a toast.
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