Smoking Tigers: A Beautifully Filmed Coming of Age Story

Smoking Tigers is a Korean-American coming of age story directed and written by the talented Soo Young Shelly Yo.

It follows the smart, teenage girl, Hayoung, portrayed by the wonderful Ji-Young Yoo, who longs to be accepted by her peers and desperately wants to heal her parents crumbling marriage.

Using outstanding imagery, this film softly lulls you into its world in a way that I’ve not seen done before.

the end of innocence

Hayoung lives with her Umma (mother) (Abin Andrews) and her little sister Ara (Erin Choi). Her Umma has just separated from her Appa (father) (Jeong Jun Ho), a carpet salesman, and both Hayoung and Ara are feeling the tension between them.

Umma is very strict and wants Hayoung to get better grades in school, as she is nearing graduation and Umma wants her to get into the best college possible..

Umma signs Hayoung up for a ultra competitive Korean boost school, that promises students that they will up their grades in just a few months. With the high cost of going there, most of the other kids come from very wealthy families.

When she befriends Rose (Erin Yoo), Hayoung becomes part of her group of wealthy friends. Hayoung basks in their easy going, partying lifestyle, wishing she could be that rich. Trying to hide her own shame, she lies to rich kids, claiming that another big house near her friends houses, is her family’s.

Tensions rise between Hayoung and Rose when Hayoung starts helping Rose cheat on her exams. Hayoung begins to learn that certain choices can lead to serious consequences, and that all people that one regards as friends, may not always be.

She also learns, like many children do when a crisis arises between family members, that most things don’t last forever, and that she must embrace change in order to grow.

In all honesty…

Heyjin Jun

Smoking Tigers is a stunningly dreamy and graceful film, that shares a coming of age story from the perspective of a Korean-American teen girl, but would resonate with most American girls who desire to find where they fit, during the uncertain and, often, cruel period of adolescence.

With stunning cinematography by Heyjin Jun and a superb performance by Yoo, who literally embodies a typical, adorable, shy teenage girl, that instantly connects us with Hayoung and her world. Yo shoots this with a quiet intimacy, that allows the audience to feel and clearly understand each character.

Ho and Andrews also shine as a bumbling Appa who is struggling to keep a connection to his children, and an Umma, who bravely bears the weight of her stress and troubles, while trying to stay steadfast for her children.

The nuances of this film are so subtle and, though the plot isn’t terribly dense, Yo stays dutifully focused and true to the elements surrounding the honest and complex emotions of each character. The actor’s use of facial and body expressions, speak more than dialogue ever could.

There is a purity and tenderness that cannot be denied. Yo doesn’t need anything flashy to create an exquisite piece of art.

For me, that is what sets true artistry apart from everything else.

Smoking Tigers is now streaming on Max.