Spa Night

Andrew Ahn's debut feature tells a gay coming-of-age story with uncommon subtlety and an exceptionally strong sense of place. The protagonist is David Cho (Joe Seo), a shy young Korean-American living in Los Angeles who is clearly under the thumb of his parents. When the family's small restaurant fails, David resists his mother's insistence that he enroll in college—especially after spending some time with the son of a family friend at USC and finding his incipient feelings for other men aroused by the experience. While pretending to devote all his energy to preparing for the SAT, David secretly takes a job at an all-male spa, where he not only witnesses assignations occurring between customers upstairs but is asked by his boss to ensure that such things are not allowed to happen. This doesn't stop David from experimenting, a decision that leads to discovery and shame. Meanwhile, David's dejected father becomes an alcoholic, threatening to destroy his own marriage. Spa Night skillfully sidesteps any hint of sensationalism, taking a restrained approach that seems as interested in providing insights into Korean-American culture as in detailing David's path of self-discovery. Although some might be put off by the film's deliberate pacing and subdued style, this is an assured, mature debut. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include an interview with writer-director Andrew Ahn and star Joe Seo (19 min.), deleted and extended scenes (9 min.), Seo's audition tape (5 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a quiet, effective drama.] (F. Swietek)