Crazy Rich Asians Movie Review | Becca Clark

Crazy Rich Asians Movie Review

by: Becca Clark

Crazy Rich Asians, the box office breaking romantic comedy directed by Jon M. Chu, has taken the world by storm. Within its first week in theatres it brought in an astonishing $26 million and in the second week another $25 million. In an average scenario, movies typically experience a 30-40% drop in their second week after its opening, but Crazy Rich Asians defied the norms and only had a 6% drop in sales. After making it through the first few weeks unscathed, it is still booming now with an estimated $169,134,942 in only the U.S. as of October 7th, 2018.

With a budget of $30 million, Jon Chu and producers Nina Jacobson, John Penotti, and Bradford Simpson give a new take on an old story of a couple with trouble in paradise. The story, which starts in New York but mostly takes place in Singapore, follows the long time couple Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) and Nick Young (Henry Golding) through their journey back to Nick’s home for his best friend’s wedding. While back at the family compound, Rachel finds out how unprepared she was when she realizes the overwhelming wealth of the Young family. Throughout the movie, Rachel goes through the ups and downs of Young family life, dealing with jealous ex-girlfriends, strict family values, strange relatives, and many other obstacles along the way that test Rachel’s commitment to Nick. Lucky for Rachel, her college roommate, Goh Peik Lin (Nora Lum), lives in Singapore and is there to help her get through the trip and add some fun flavor to this movie.

The stars of the summer, Henry Golding, Constance Wu, and Nora Lum or as she is known by her fans Awkwafina, are the breakout stars of the summer. Henry Golding, who also stars in A Simple Favor which came out in September, has been surprising us left and right with his two lead roles that premiered only a month apart from each other. Nora Lum/Awkwafina has been on the rise for her acting as well as her rap career. With her role in Ocean’s 8 as a pickpocketer, acting alongside Anne Hathaway, Rihanna, Sandra Bullock, and other groundbreaking actors she distinguished herself as a clear talent. This past weekend on October 7th, she hosted Saturday Night Live joining the long list of artists that have come before her on the popular late-night television show that has been running since October of 1975.

Crazy Rich Asians, receiving a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, has gotten amazing reviews and is praised for its newaged, diverse cast. Following all its interesting twists and turns was a delight to experience and I would highly recommend this movie.