''Ms. Purple'' is a 2019 American

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by

Justin Chon Justin Jitae Chon (born May 29, 1981) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has directed three films, ''Gook'' (2017), '' Ms. Purple'' (2019), & '' Blue Bayou'' (2021). He is also known for portraying Eric Yorkie in '' The Twilight Saga'' fil ...

. It was screened in the U.S. Dramatic Competition section at the

2019 Sundance Film Festival The 2019 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 24 to February 3, 2019. The first lineup of competition films was announced on November 28, 2018. Films U.S. Dramatic Competition * '' Before You Know It'' by Hannah Pearl Utt * '' ...

Plot

Kasie and Carey live in Koreatown in Los Angeles. Abandoned by their mother and brought up by their father, the siblings struggled with profound emotional wounds from the difficulty of the parental dynamic. Now, with their father on his death bed, the estranged Carey comes home to help Kasie care for him.

Cast

* Tiffany Chu as Kasie * Teddy Lee as Carey * Octavio Pizano as Octavio *

Jake Choi Jake Choi (born January 14, 1985) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Miggy on the ABC comedy '' Single Parents''. He previously starred in ''Front Cover'', an LGBTQ independent film. Choi has also appeared in ''Younger'', '' ...

as Johnny * James Kang as Young-Il * Mark Krenik as Boozr *

Crystal Lee Crystal Lee is a co-founder of the Silicon Valley startup LifeSite. Lee was the first runner-up in the Miss America 2014 pageant, Miss California 2013, Miss Chinatown USA 2010, and Miss California's Outstanding Teen 2008. She is currently the ...

as Sora * Alma Martinez as Juanita

Reception

Box office

''Ms. Purple'' grossed an estimated $15,734 from the Landmark NuArt in Los Angeles in its opening weekend. It expanded to three more theaters and earned an estimated $13,650, with a per-theater average of $3,413. It later opened in the top 10 markets the weekend of September 20, 2019. It went on to gross $80,657 domestically. The film was crowdfunded via

Kickstarter Kickstarter is an American public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative projects to life". As of July 2021, K ...

. Chon raised $73,634 to make the film.

Critical response

On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 87% based on 45 reviews, with an average rating of 7.1/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "A finely layered drama with rich visal allure, Ms. Purple sifts sensitively through the emotional wreckage of a broken family." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 71 out of 100, based on 15 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter wrote: "dwells quietly in the limbo of those waiting for a loved one to die."

References

External links

* 2019 films 2019 drama films 2019 independent films American drama films American independent films Asian-American drama films Films about Korean Americans Films set in Los Angeles Films shot in Los Angeles 2010s English-language films 2010s American films {{2010s-drama-film-stub