Slanted
Slanted
Joan Huang, a desperate-to-fit in, insecure Chinese American teenager, undergoes experimental trans-racial surgery to become white and secure her chances of being named Prom Queen and winning the acceptance of her peers.
Kevin Ward reviewedJuly 1, 2025
If Mean Girls and The Substance had an Asian baby and raised her in a society ruled by white standards of beauty. Thought it was a little slow going at first but it takes off once our Prom Queen hopeful decides undergo her physical transformation. It’s funny and poignant but also features a lot of cool smaller details that make it worth watching with keen eye for deeper symbolism—the gradually changing aspect ratios, the names of the businesses in the background, the school mascot—it’s incredibly entertaining in its own but also incredibly exciting to see such a strong directorial voice from a debut feature. Would love to see what Amy Wang does next.