Why do people abandon others? Broker is about the complexities of life, about the reasons people make the difficult decisions they do. It is a film of families and adopted families, which fits in well with the filmography of Hirokazu Kore-eda. Despite focusing on the heavy subject matter of child trafficking, Broker is not depressing. It is actually very affecting and at times sweet. Which perhaps makes it too sentimental. It presents people as complex, good at heart yet committing actions we consider bad, but simultaneously the film feels reductive when almost every character ends up in that dynamic. Broker is a solid movie that tells a moving story well, but it doesn't have the depth or nuance to really go further. It's a quiet drama executed by a talented director, but somehow doesn't achieve quite as much as it promises.

Also, there's a random scene that basically exists just to reference Magnolia. Not sure why!

2022 Ranked