Review: Disney’s New TV show Interior Chinatown is a Satirical Take on Theatrics

We review Disney’s new TV show Interior Chinatown, a stellar satire that bends genres, subverts tropes, and brings audiences on a wild, theatrical ride.

Prestige rating: 4.5/5
Genre: Satirical comedy
Cast: Jimmy O. Yang, Ronny Chieng, Chloe Bennet, Sullivan Jones, Lisa Gilroy, Diana Lin, Archie Kao
Directors: Taika Waititi, Stephanie Laing, John Lee, Pete Chatmon, Jaffar Mahmood, Ben Sinclair, Anu Valia, Alice Wu
Episodes: 10
Release date: November 19 2024

What we liked: From its theatrical screenplay and immersive camera angles to bold lighting choices and an exquisitely realised set, Interior Chinatown won us over in every way. Beyond the technical elements of filMMAking, the actors brought their best to set, from O. Yang’s undulation between stoic resignation and feverish determination to Bennet’s flair for dramatic delivery, juxtaposed against an arc filled with subtlety and secrets. Malaysian-born Ronny Chieng is likewise an enjoyable addition, his comedic background and knack for performing serving him well in his role.

Plot: Based on Charles Yu’s award-winning book, Interior Chinatown follows protagonist Willis Wu (Jimmy O. Yang), a ‘generic Asian man’ who is relegated to trifling roles such as ‘Background Oriental Male’ and ‘Delivery Guy’. Despite his lot in life, Wu harbours grand aspirations and longs to become the ‘Kung Fu Guy’. While serendipity provides Wu with the opportunity to reinvent himself as such, he must navigate his way through a multitude of generic roles for ‘people like him’, ultimately untangling secrets that may be better left alone.

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Disney’s latest TV show Interior Chinatown is a triumphant satirical commentary on performance, theatrics, and self

Disclaimer: This review may contain mild spoilers from episodes 1 through 5 of Interior Chinatown.

Earlier this week, I sat down with Ronny Chieng and Chloe Bennet, eager to talk Interior Chinatown and Asian representation in Western media. And while I will confess initial misgivings regarding long-dated portrayals of Asian culture (or the hackneyed versions of it that came before), I can now safely say that my concerns were in vain. Interior Chinatown is everything I had thought it might be — a no-holds-barred commentary on racial generalisations and an equal-opportunity roast of everything that entails.

The show takes us through everything we know about the familial aspects of Asian relationships. From daddy issues and familial trauma to inherently Asian quips that hide love beneath the guise of parental pragmatism, Interior Chinatown is unabashed in its approach to highlighting quintessentially Chinese stereotypes. In fact, the show appears to relish in its tongue-in-cheek script, delivering familiar lines that all Asians know by heart. “Eat your dinner.” “Ginger is good for you.” “Return my Tupperware.”

The rhetoric is hilariously self-aware, but it works.

To wit, Interior Chinatown has successfully done what few other TV shows have managed: be inherently racist, but in a way that is not just perfectly acceptable but also comforting and nostalgic in its presentation. In truth, the show feels exceedingly authentic in ways only an Asian would understand.

Is it good? Resoundingly, yes. Will every single viewer understand the nuances of its script? Probably not.

Across the episodes and through the conundrums of its characters, the show questions our place in society. Cue the performance and theatrics, which come together in a satirical takedown of television’s long-bygone era of procedural crime-solving shows. The show shines a spotlight (literally) on moments where we are called upon to ‘perform’, eschewing authenticity in favour of appearing more than what we are. With its pilot directed by Taika Waititi, whose heavy-handedness with dramatism, comedy, and colour has become a thing of legend, Interior Chinatown leans into its maximalist aspects, expertly balancing itself between satirical and sensational.

From a technical standpoint, the cinematography and editing are both excellent, lending depth, drama, and nostalgia to the storyline as it unfurls. Lighting is used to spectacular effect, highlighting shifts in mood and setting the scene — much in the manner one would on a high-flying Broadway production. It’s campy, it’s obvious, and I refuse to apologise for loving it.

At its core, Interior Chinatown is a refreshingly authentic take on life from the perspective of an invisible ‘nobody’ in search of greatness. Beyond that, it’s also a ‘really cool story’. Just ask our friend, Ronny Chieng.

Interior Chinatown is now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.

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(Main and featured image: Hulu)