Broker

South Korean churches operate baby boxes where a mother can leave an infant and walk away. Two men in this film take babies out of one and sell them on the adoption black market. When the mother comes back, the three of them go looking for buyers together. It is Hirokazu Kore-eda's first Korean-language film, which he wrote, edited and directed. Song Kang-ho, Gang Dong-won, Bae Doona, Lee Ji-eun better known as IU, and Lee Joo-young star. It drew a twelve-minute standing ovation at Cannes in 2022, won the Ecumenical Jury Award, and made Song Kang-ho the first South Korean actor to take Best Actor at the festival. The reception is not one-directional. Rotten Tomatoes sits at 94 percent and the BBC's Nicholas Barber called it one of the year's most delightful films, while Tim Robey in The Telegraph gave it two stars and called it a disappointment. The film has also been criticised for being too warm toward baby boxes and for making traffickers likeable. It grossed roughly 18.9 million dollars worldwide. Who it is for: viewers who love Kore-eda's chosen family theme. Who it is not for: anyone who wants moral clarity. The film is not shy about making its criminals charming.