'Interior Chinatown' Reviews: "Charles Yu's Interior Chinatown is a wonderfully mind-bending exploration of Asian-American representation in Hollywood brought down by one thing"

         On November 19, 2024, Hulu released 'Interior Chinatown', which has earned predominantly positive reviews from critics. In the series, "A background character trapped in a police procedural discovers secrets about the strange world he inhabits and his family's buried history" The ensemble cast includes Jimmy O. Yang, Lisa Gilroy, Chloe Bennet, Tzi Ma, Sullivan Jones, and Archie Kao. But what did the critics say?

Photo by LexScope on Unsplash

        Grant Hermanns of Screen Rant notes, "Charles Yu's Interior Chinatown is a wonderfully mind-bending exploration of Asian-American representation in Hollywood brought down by one thing." Adding, "The other area where Interior Chinatown truly shines is in its ensemble cast, with Jimmy O. Yang in particular nicely showcasing his range of acting skills as Willis. Though he certainly has explored the dramatic genre before, particularly with the Mark Wahlberg-led Patriots Day, he's arguably exclusively known for his work in the comedy sphere, whether it was his breakout turn in HBO's Silicon Valley or Netflix's Space Force. With the Hulu show, Yang gets the chance to deliver on both the serious and comedic fronts, while also displaying some solid fighting skills. Even while Yang may be at the forefront, Chloe Bennet is a wonderful counterpart as Lana. The first few episodes generally introduce her as a potential love interest for Willis and a no-nonsense detective, but as we spend more time with her, we get to see a better vulnerability from her that draws us further into her arc. It also lends nicely to some of the show's meta comedy, as she finds herself similarly confused by the boundaries of their world and why neither she nor Willis are able to break through to people."

       Rendy Jones of RogerEbert.com says, "Interior Chinatown" is a visceral and biting satire of the minuscule and stereotypical roles Asian Americans had to play in American television while being an engaging neo-noir comedy." Concluding, "Bennet is also terrific as Lana, a character on the opposite end of the same coin as Willis. In the show-within-a-show, Lana serves as the token Asian person, hired because of her 'Chinatown expertise,' and is often stereotyped onscreen. She exhibits strong-willed and intuitive qualities when she is in the natural world alongside Willis; on screen, she's shown as amateurish. Bennet does an impressive job of switching between those modes in mere seconds, and they both have delightful chemistry. "Interior Chinatown" is a visceral and biting satire of the minuscule and stereotypical roles Asian Americans had to play in American television while being an engaging neo-noir comedy. The bold liberties it takes fit the television medium pack a punch and only demonstrate Charles Yu's versatility as a creator. One of 2024's finest new shows."Photo by LexScope on Unsplash