This multi Oscar nominated family drama from writer/director Lee Isaac Chung is a semi-biographical take on his rural upbringing in 1980s. The Walking Dead’s Steven Yeun and Yeri Han (Worst Woman) star as a married thirty-something couple with two children building a new life on a farm in Arkansas.

After years of working as chicken sexers in a Californian hatchery, Jacob and Monica Yi buy 50 acres in Arkansas in the hope of growing and selling their own produce. Things however don’t quite turn out the way they’d hoped as they finds themselves struggling to make ends meet.

Forced to take on a new job to help with expenses, Monica calls upon her elderly widowed mother to come from Korea to look after their ailing seven year old son David (a thrilling performance from Alan S. Kim) and his older sister. Despite a bumpy start, David and his eccentric grandmother form a close bond leading him to understand his own parents’ motivations.

Sensitively written, sparse and gorgeously acted, Minari is the kind of film that stays with you long after the credits have rolled. Its meticulous depiction of quotidian chores and inner turmoil is reminiscent of Kelly Reichardt’s beautifully intricate rural narratives. Chung’s film is peppered throughout with weird and wonderfully eccentric characters and some truly exhilarating performances from a great cast.

Minari’s strength resides in the simplicity of its story and the way in which its characters interact with one another. It’s a film full of heart, warmth and honestly. This truly is a genuine treat from start to finish.