BEDFORD PARK
(director/writer: Stephanie Ahn; cinematographer: David McFarland; editors: Malcolm Jamieson, Stephanie Ahn; music: Michael Brook; cast: Moon Choi (Audrey), Kim Eung-Soo (Audrey’s father), Son Sukku (Eli), Won Mi-kyung (Audrey’s mom), Jefferson White (Eli’s step-brother Jay); Runtime: 119; MPAA Rating: NR; producers: Theresa Kang, Gary Foster, Chris S. Lee, Russ Krasnoff, Son Sukku; Sony Picture Classics; 2026)
“Bleak but observant Korean immigrant drama.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
Stephanie Ahn directs and writes this bleak but observant Korean immigrant drama for her feature film debut. It’s an intense character study involving children of immigrant Korean parents in America trying to come to terms with their new culture.
The single 36-year-old Audrey (Moon Choi) is a Korean-American physical therapist who lives alone in a cramped Brooklyn apartment and her thing is to visit porn sites showing kinky sex. One day her Korean immigrant mom (Won Mi-kyung) calls to tell her she’s been in a car crash whereby she hurt her wrist and her car was damaged. She wants Eli (Son Sukku), who she says caused the crash, to have his insurance pay her bills. But he refuses. Mom makes Audrey move back to her New Jersey suburban home to take care of her, as she takes a leave from work.
When Audrey comes by Eli’s home to meet the the 30something community college student and N.J. mall security guard, a former wrestler, they have a confrontational first meeting. But on their second meeting, instead of arguing, the two lonely souls are attracted to each other and he turns out be a better person than it first appears. She drives him to school while his car is being repaired and goes out with him, as we learn he’s so sour because the Korean born Eli is in a toxic relationship with his conniving white step-brother (Jefferson White).
Their dates show how beat down they both are because of family expectations, as they slowly and cautiously try to make their relationship work by talking mostly about things that make them feel uncomfortable but serve as giving them a connection.
Audrey comes from a stable but unhappy Korean immigrant family living in a suburban home in New Jersey, where her alcoholic but strict dad (Kim Eung-Soo) is unhappy because he lost status being a white-collar office worker in Korea but is only a blue-collar grocery worker in America. Her demanding mom is a pest, who wants her only to meet a nice rich guy.
Eli lives in NJ but was born in Korea. In America, his mom died when he was ten and his father was abusive to him. Eli lost his Korean heritage when he was adopted as a child by a white mother, who loves him only when he gives her money.
The would-be lovers must deal with their troubling family issues as they slowly, in a series of contrivances, try to see if they can make a love connection. The film suffers slightly because of all the contrivances. But the story’s a gem, and is sensitively directed.
It played at the Sundance Film Festival.
REVIEWED ON 5/7/2026 GRADE:B+
dennisschwartzreviews.com