We know Randall Park as a pretty fine comedian; he was first known for the ABC sitcom “Fresh Off The Boat,” but since he joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in “Ant-Man and the Wasp,” he’s since shown up in “WandaVision,” ‘Quantumania,’ and seems like he’ll continue as a utility player in that universe. But he’s also turned filmmaker with his directorial debut, the comedic drama “Shortcomings,” which premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.
Written by Adrian Tomine, the film stars Justin H. Min (“After Yang,” “Beef”), Sherry Cola (“Joyride”), Ally Maki (“The Big Door Prize”), Debby Ryan, Tavi Gevinson, Sonoya Mizuno, Jacob Batalon, and Timothy Simons. The film centers on a trio of young Bay Area urbanites–Ben Tanaka, Miko Hayashi, and Alice Kim–as they navigate a range of interpersonal relationships, traversing the country in search of the ideal connection.
Here’s the official synopsis:
Ben, a struggling filmmaker, lives in Berkeley, California, with his girlfriend, Miko, who works for a local Asian American film festival. When he’s not managing an art-house movie theater as his day job, Ben spends his time obsessing over unavailable blond women, watching Criterion Collection DVDs, and eating in diners with his best friend, Alice, a queer grad student with a serial dating habit. When Miko moves to New York for an internship, Ben is left to his own devices and begins to explore what he thinks he might want.
Here’s some more context from Sundance that evinces the mood, flavor, and tone.
Cleverly and precisely scripted by Adrian Tomine (based on his own acclaimed graphic novel of the same title), the delightful Shortcomings is Randall Park’s assured directorial debut. Exposing a multiplicity of Asian American identities in a fresh and groundbreaking way, the film is poised to challenge audiences with its protagonist Ben — who is cynical and snobbish with a dash of charm — gamely played by Justin H. Min. With wit, humor, and a deep understanding of being an outsider within a marginalized community, Shortcomings embraces the complexity of being human, flaws, and all.
“Shortcomings” opens August 4 via Sony Pictures Classic. Check out the first trailer below.
