#FIRSTLOOK: “BEEF”

By Mr. Will Wong

If like me, you love seeing stories where picture-perfect worlds crumble, BEEF is here to satisfy your hunger. The ten-episode A24 Series stars Funnywoman Ali Wong as Amy Lau, a businesswoman who married into an iconic Art family. Her world unravels one day when she gets into a road rage incident with Danny Cho (Steven Yeun) and both their lives subsequently spiral out of control.

While we saw this idea in 2020’s Unhinged, BEEF travels its own course as we delve into each side of the fight with these adults facing a lifetime of consequences after their missteps. Amy decides to vandalize Danny’s truck and sabotages his business online, but winds-up meeting his little brother Paul (Young Manzino) and forms an unlikely secret bond with him which if uncovered, could further destroy both the brothers’ already strained relationship and also Amy‘s marriage to George (Joseph Lee).

As the stylishly-shot Series progresses, we quickly learn that both Amy and George already actually have broken lives and toxic habits of their own. Did this road rage incident really ruin their lives or did it just uncover things in their lives that really needed to be confronted head-on?

Writer Lee Jung Sin, Jake Schreier (Robot & Frank, Paper Towns) and Hikari (Tokyo Vice) share directing duties here and draw a wide range of emotions from this talented Ensemble. We never have thought of Ali Wong as a dramatic actress but she is perfect here in Amy‘s more nuanced moments, just as when she’s full-on raging. Yeun embodies Danny‘s lostness and desire to find himself, even though he can’t help but be drawn to trouble. A joy also seeing Maria Bello back as the larger-than-life Jordan, whom Amy spends much of the Series stressed-out striking a deal with, which could secure the future of her family’s legacied business. Did we mention Ashley Park (Emily in Paris) also stars in a Supporting Role as a meddling neighbour?

We weren’t quite sure where the Series was gonna go, but it proves a funny, twisty and worthwhile watch. BEEF arrives April 6, 2023 on Netflix.