Sundance Film Festival 2026 – Financial struggle, assimilation, and alcoholism are just a few of the issues that arise in writer/director Stephanie Ahn‘s well-crafted debut Bedford Park. Yet the movie doesn’t make any of those issues the focus. Instead, this is a character-driven film about two lonely people who find connection over unusual circumstances. It’s a strong debut with just the right amount of humor to balance the otherwise serious subject matter.
Moon Choi stars as Audrey, a Korean-American physical therapist who returns home to care for her mother (Won Mi Kyung) following a car accident. Audrey isn’t exactly happy to return to her childhood home, but she does what she needs to do to care for her mom, who at one point tries to marry her off to a wealthy Korean-American suitor. Audrey’s father (Kim Eung-soo) is largely unavailable and in the grip of alcoholism. In one potent sequence late in the film, he breaks down and confesses how in Korea, he was a man in a suit and tie who worked for corporate. He had respect, but when he came to America, he worked at a grocery store, mocked by his fellow employees because he couldn’t speak English well. It’s a powerful and effective scene that speaks more broadly to the challenges of the immigrant experience in the U.S.
Not long after she returns home, Audrey encounters Eli (Son Sukko), who was involved in the accident with Audrey’s mom. It’s not exactly a warm and fuzzy encounter. Eli is stressed over his job as a mall security guard, which he balances with his classes at a local community college. He’s doing his best simply to survive, and this is very much a movie centered around working and middle-class people. This is reflected in Eli’s cramped living quarters and run-down Jersey neighborhood. When Audrey returns to Eli’s home again to sort out the invoice from the accident, she has a miscarriage. This causes Eli to soften his attitude and interactions towards Audrey. Meanwhile, she offers to drive him around while his car is in the shop.
Many of Sukko and Choi’s scenes together are mesmerizing. For example, there’s one scene where Eli, a former wrestler, starts rocking out to the theme song from “Rocky.” It’s utterly heartwarming and also funny. Audrey says nothing, but Choi’s facial expressions convey it all. Thankfully, none of their scenes veer into the cliche. For instance, Audrey asks Eli about his ability to speak Korean, and he refuses to say anything in his native language to her, simply because it’s too painful.
There is another subplot regarding Eli’s adoptive family wanting him to work a nefarious job in Miami. However, not enough is done with this thread, though it is clear Eli never received the love and affection he so desperately desires from his adoptive family, especially the mother who adopted him. There’s one heart-wrenching scene they have in a diner that conveys the depth of Sukko’s acting chops. Yet, when Eli’s mother gets what she needs from him, namely money, she just leaves.
Bedford Park is an emotionally gripping film with two breakout performances from Sukko and Choi. This is a weighted, character-driven movie that showcases Ahn’s talents as a writer and director. While the film tackles some weighty subjects, including class and the immigrant experience, it boils down to two people who desperately long for connection and find it after meeting each other. This is a gem of a debut.
