#REVIEW: “INTERIOR CHINATOWN”

By Mr. Will Wong

We absolutely are here for this new wave of stories told in Asian-American stories and INTERIOR CHINATOWN from Producer Taika Waititi is no exception. Balancing comedy, drama and suspense on all wheels, this ten-episode series (approximately 40 minutes each) takes us through a journey with an unlikely hero.

The story centers on Willis Wu (Jimmy O. Yang), a waiter at a Chinese restaurant and struggling background actor on a cop show, who finds himself in a mystery of his own after witnessing a woman get abducted. As the story progresses, we learn more and more about the criminal underworld of Chinatown, while he seeks to find out what happened to his estranged brother. He teams with up-and-coming Detective in Lana Lee (Chloe Bennet) to solve the crime, but she also faces some of her own dilemmas trying to gain respect and competition at her bureau from her peer Sarah Green (Canadian Lisa Gilroy). Willis is set on breaking through the confines of his environment to figure out where he truly fits in his own story.

Though it takes a moment to find its footing, this is a fun thrill ride of a satire which at its core is a look at how we the under-represented are placed into boxes, and what it means to find your own Main Character Energy. And believe me, someone out there needs to see someone who looks like them on-screen and could use this message.

Yang gets his moment in a leading role is able and ready for the challenge, navigating the more dramatic elements and also the comedic. It’s been a moment since we’ve seen Bennet, but we’ve always been a fan and she is magentic here, while Chieng brings the laughs as Fatty, a good friend and co-worker at Golden Palace where he and Willis work. This Cast is rounded out by some familiar faces including funnyman Archie Kao who balances this out with a bit of drama as Uncle Wong, and of course everyone’s favourite on-screen Asian dad, Tzi Ma as Joe Wu.

INTERIOR CHINATOWN arrives November 19, 2024 on Disney+ Canada.