Zibby Mag

By Patty Lin

When Everything Everywhere All at Once swept the Oscars this year, a long-awaited and well-deserved spotlight was put on Asians in entertainment. In celebration of AAPI Heritage Month, I’d like to share a handful of my favorite TV shows and movies that Asian artists either contributed to or created.

Beef (2023)

This Netflix dark-comedy series starring Ali Wong and Steven Yeun, created by Korean writer-director Lee Sung Jin, is so good it makes me both exhilarated and angry. Angry because I can’t believe it took this long to see an Asian show like this on TV. Anger is, in fact, the overarching theme of Beef, which starts with a road rage incident and escalates into a full-blown revenge feud. Impeccably written and acted, Beef is full of madcap twists and reversals that somehow manage to be believable. It’s a decadently fun trip that also explores deep emotional territory—including anger as a rational response to microaggressions, as well as the by-product of self-hatred and feeling “other.”

Bao (2018)

Written and directed by Domee Shi (who later created Turning Red), Bao is a fantastic Pixar animated short, a perfectly crafted story told without dialogue. In the course of eight minutes, we see an entire mother-son relationship, symbolized by a homemade Chinese steamed bun (bao) that comes to life. Adored and nurtured by his mom, the bao grows up and rebels, seeking independence. A poignant empty-nest allegory, Bao is a shining example of how art can be both culturally specific and universal.

Swiss Army Man (2016)

Though this indie film has no Asian characters or themes, Swiss Army Man was cowritten and codirected by Daniel Kwan, the Asian American half of the team who made Everything Everywhere All at Once—and, in my opinion, it’s even better. Though just as surrealistic, the plot is simpler and makes more sense. And there are just as many memorable moments, like one where the flatulence of a corpse, played by Daniel Radcliffe, saves a suicidal man from killing himself. (And you thought hot-dog fingers were weird?) Both hilarious and touching, this film showed the early promise of Daniel Kwan, one of the most talented Asian creators today.

Margaret Cho: Psycho (2015)

In this Netflix comedy special, Margaret Cho demonstrates why she’s the “Chobi-Wan Kenobi” of Asian American comedians. After decades of honing her craft, she owns the stage, appearing effortless as she serves up whip-smart jokes with generous sides of physical comedy. But it’s not easy to tackle sensitive topics while being laugh-out-loud funny. In between insightful bits about racism, sex, Asian beauty, queer culture, and the loss of her mentor Joan Rivers, she does crowd work and impressions, including one of her no-bullshit Korean mom—a classic that still kills.

Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004)

On the surface, this stoner comedy has nothing to do with Asian American themes. But take a few puffs and think about it: Harold (John Cho) and Kumar (Kal Penn) are two Asian leads in a stoner comedy. They’re the anti-stereotypes of the straightlaced, nerdy Asian guys usually relegated to the background. In addition to its groundbreaking casting, this movie is so smart, edgy, and funny that it spawned two sequels, one of which is a 3D Christmas movie that has a permanent spot in my library of holiday classics.

Dumplings (2004)

If you like psychological horror, this short film by Hong Kong director Fruit Chan, contained in the anthology Three… Extremes, is a must-see. (Though later expanded into a full-length feature, the short version is tighter and more effective.) Bai Ling plays a witch doctor whose homemade dumplings are known to bestow eternal youth on whomever eats them. An aging, washed-up actress buys her wares repeatedly, each time demanding more potent stuff. As you might guess, the dumplings aren’t vegan. You won’t be able to get this story out of your head—or look at dumplings the same way again.

Flower Drum Song (1961)

This Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, about a young Chinese woman coming to San Francisco’s Chinatown for an arranged marriage, is outdated, for sure. But it’s worth watching for Jack Soo (of Barney Miller fame) and Nancy Kwan, performing in the only roles that adequately showcased their talents—and for the fun, inventive dance numbers with West Side Story-like choreography. Who wouldn’t want to see an all-Asian cast cutting a rug in vintage capri pants and high ponytails? The film celebrates the blending of cultures in songs like “Chop Suey,” a vibrant potpourri of square dance, the Charleston, and lyrics about “hula hoops and nuclear war.” It’s a delightful time capsule.

Patty Lin is a former TV writer and producer whose credits include Freaks and Geeks, Friends, Desperate Housewives, and Breaking Bad. She has also written pilots for Fox, CBS, and Nickelodeon. Her Breaking Bad episode, “Gray Matter,” was nominated for a Writers Guild Award for Outstanding Script in the Episodic Drama category. She retired from television writing to pursue other interests and occasionally appears in background acting roles. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband.

Her memoir End Credits publishes on September 5th.