Advantageous

Advantageous is set in a pre-dystopian not too distant future, 2041. The issues facing the population are not far-fetched from contemporary time either, economic crisis, elites ruling society, ageism against women and fertility issues. This is feminist sci-fi at its best and Phang does a good job imagining what future issues we might have to deal with. Whoever is looking for special effect sci-fi and big names will have to look further, this film has a lot more intellectual qualities, an excellent cast and is a subtle critique of current society.

Women are in minority in the film industry; even more so in genre film such as sci-fi, hence the film is feels fresh and adds a new perspective to the feminist film discourse. The film premiered at Sundance and won several awards at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.

Full synopsis

”Set in the near future, Advantageous focuses on Gwen Koh, a single mother, whose aspirations for her daughter drive her to the precipice of a fraught decision. Including eerie and ingenious low-key special effects and a deliciously understated performance by Jacqueline Kim, this sci-fi film is rife with underlying tension and lyrical beauty perfectly matching the city’s atmosphere of quiet desperation. Gwen works as a spokesperson for the Center for Advanced Health and Living (an innocuous sounding organization that is, in fact, a corporate behemoth) and finds that she is in danger of losing her job. That would make it impossible for her to send her daughter Jules to private school, a termed “advantage” that in actuality is more a necessity to shield Jules from this future society’s brutal economic disparities. The Center’s newest and untested health procedure offers Gwen a dangerous, life-altering chance to continue her career. To weigh her options, Gwen attempts to reconnect with an estranged relative (Ken Jeong), but as seems standard for all in this dystopian landscape, Gwen remains alienated and alone. Through this allegorical structure, Advantageous intelligently investigates present-day society’s perspectives on femininity and motherhood and how they intersect with questions of beauty, surveillance and the economy.

Also starring Jennifer Ehle (The Gifted Man, Zero Dark Thirty) and James Urbaniak (The Venture Bros., Henry Fool).”

About the director 

Jennifer Phang is a Californian filmmaker, born in Berkeley. She has a Master’s degree in Film Directing from the American Film Institute and holds a BA in Media Studies. Phang is a recipient of the San Francisco Film Society Women Filmmaker Fellowship. Her debut feature film Half-Life premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and won Best film-awards at a number of film festivals. She has also directed, written and edited short films, music videos and the award-winning screenplay Look For Water.