ReviewTigertail film review: engaging Netflix drama recalls immigrant experience of Taiwanese-American family
- Alan Yang, Emmy Award-winning writer and producer of Master of None and Parks and Recreation, makes an impressive directorial debut in this family drama
- Film shrewdly sums up the immigrant experience and the sacrifices made over the years by a struggling Taiwanese-American family
4/5 stars
Tzi Ma plays former factory worker Pin-jui, who returns to New York following a rare trip home for his mother’s funeral. As he reflects on his failed marriage, and estranged relationship with his grown-up children, there’s also the realisation that he is now his family’s sole surviving link to their homeland.
Tigertail marks a rare starring role for Ma, who was born in Hong Kong before forging an impressive 40-year career in Hollywood, where he has starred in everything from Rush Hour to Arrival . Ma also featured prominently in Lulu Wang’s 2019 indie hit The Farewell , a similar Asian-American story of an immigrant family, told predominantly in the character’s first language, rather than English.
Taiwanese star Lee Hong-chi plays the younger Pin-jui, as he abandons his mother (Yang Kuei-mei) and one true love (Fang Yo-hsing) for the chance to start a new life in America, albeit one married to a girl he barely knows (Li Kunjue).