Gook
Samuel Goldwyn Films | Release Date: August 18, 2017 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
69
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 19 Critic Reviews
Positive:
16
Mixed:
3
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
78
Austin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenSep 27, 2017
The provocatively titled indie film Gook is both incendiary and lyrical. Read full review
75
IndieWireDavid EhrlichAug 18, 2017
Raw and compelling from its poetic opening shot to its gut-punch finale, Gook doesn’t always find the best way to express itself, but it knows what needs to be said, and it knows that words can lose their meaning in a conversation where so many people are denied their own voice. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesSheri LindenAug 17, 2017
The low-budget movie, shot in artful black-and-white by Ante Cheng, pulses with yearning and sorrow and love for its characters. Its brightening touches of underplayed humor strengthen and comment on the main action. Read full review
75
Movie NationRoger MooreAug 14, 2017
Touching, disheartening and surprising, Gook punches through the noise of 2017’s clamor over race with a sobering look at a defining moment in modern American history. It’s a simple, straight-forward and compelling reminder that the villains and the victims were spread further across the spectrum than we’ve ever dared to accept. Read full review
70
New York Magazine (Vulture)Emily YoshidaAug 18, 2017
The images of polo-shirt wearing Asian men with rifles lining the rooftops of Koreatown is one of the more troubling images from April 1992. Gook purposefully chooses not to tell a story of that scale, but I did wish it could have found more moral complexity in the corner of the city it chose to depict. Read full review
75
New York PostSara StewartAug 17, 2017
If the plot becomes a bit scattered in its third act, a generous interpretation might be that it’s a reflection of the chaotic cultural backdrop. Chon directs with style and a humane eye for all parties; he’s a dynamic young director to keep your eye on. Read full review
75
Paste MagazineOktay Ege Kozak Aug 24, 2017
It’s a major step up for the filmmaker in both narrative and technical terms. Read full review
50
RogerEbert.comGlenn KennyAug 18, 2017
The moments of charm and fun are few. Read full review
75
Rolling StonePeter TraversAug 30, 2017
Like Kathryn Bigelow's "Detroit," set half a century ago, Chon's Gook uses the past to speak to a tumultuous present. Chon has created a hardass yet hypnotically beautiful film that snarls and sparks to incite, not a fever in the blood, but an urgent conversation about what makes us human. Godspeed. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleWalter AddiegoAug 24, 2017
Gook is at its best when detailing the interactions of the three in the shoe store, but it strikes a more urgent note when the riots break out and the store comes under threat. Read full review
50
Slant MagazineClayton DillardAug 13, 2017
Justin Chon fumbles the take on how his characters' anger fits into the greater landscape of a L.A. during the aftermath of the Rodney King beating. Read full review
75
The Film StageDan MeccaAug 17, 2017
Chon has a vision and a voice and a good story to tell, full of social relevance and fiery emotion. Something this energetic and cared for is hard to criticize all that much. It’s a film worth seeking out and telling others about. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeAug 2, 2017
Gook rises above message-movie mediocrity, enjoying its characters too much to use them as political mouthpieces. Read full review
70
The New York TimesBen KenigsbergAug 24, 2017
The film isn’t perfect — Mr. Chon’s wild camera motions seem more undisciplined than electric — but it does find an angle on the riots that hasn’t been seen much onscreen. Read full review
58
The PlaylistKyle KohnerAug 16, 2017
In only his second film, it’s evident that Chon possesses a forcible voice for storytelling and a keen eye for character building. Read full review
90
TheWrapInkoo KangAug 18, 2017
Chon’s dense, ambitious, and observant film is full of impressive craft and insight. Read full review
70
VarietyGuy LodgeAug 2, 2017
Chon’s sophomore feature wavers uncertainly in tone, getting a little too cute for comfort in spots, but is otherwise a lively, auspicious breakthrough. Read full review
70
Village VoiceAlan ScherstuhlAug 24, 2017
At Gook’s best, Chon captures, with sharply memorable dialogue, both the essence of his particular characters but also the broad drift of generations. Read full review
63
Washington PostStephanie MerryAug 24, 2017
The uneven tone especially undermines the ending — one that’s as tragic as it is predictable. Viewers may expect — even crave — to feel an emotional impact, but the movie hasn’t laid the groundwork. Read full review
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