"Inside Chinatown" is the perfect blend of humor and heart

November 21, 2024

"Interior Chinatown" is the fantastic new series from Hulu that premiered on the streaming network on November 19. Based on Charles Yu's 2020 novel of the same name, the series stars Jimmy O. Yang as Willis Wu, a Chinatown waiter and struggling background actor in a fictional show, "Back and White". Wu is emotionally stuck and dreams of life beyond Chinatown. When he witnesses a crime, his world is suddenly turned upside down as he is thrust into the spotlight as the hero within his own story.

Created and executive produced by Charles Yu, executive producers include Taika Waititi, Dan Lin, Lindsey Liberatore, Jeff Skoll, Miura Kitem, and Elsie Choi, with production companies Waititi, Participant, Rideback, and 20th Television.

The series stars:

• Jimmy O. Yang as Willis Wu

• Ronny Chieng as Fatty Choi

• Chloe Bennet as Detective Lana Lee

• Sullivan Jones as Miles Turner

• Lisa Gilroy as Sarah Green

• Archie Kao as Uncle Wong

• Diana Lin as Lily Wu

Courtesy: Hulu

"Interior Chinatown" is an underrated series that forces us to look at the stereotypes we perpetuate and raises questions about the stereotypical roles that Asian characters play in Hollywood. Using comedy to spotlight prejudice on racism, the series masterfully uses satire to open our minds and force us to think about the roles we play with preconceived notions.

Jimmy O. Yang as Willis Wu delivers a superb performance that is both comedic, dramatic, and emotionally vulnerable with poignancy, navigating the thin line between being a passenger and taking the wheel to pilot his own life. He yearns to be "The Kung Fu guy" as he continuously watches the two main stars of their hit procedural show play detectives while he continues to be in the background both literally and figuratively. Soon after, art imitates life, and suddenly he is no longer invisible but becomes the hero in a parallel parody. When a kidnapping takes place at the restaurant he works, he teams up with Detective Lee to solve the crime.

Courtesy: Hulu

The series is incredibly self-aware and tackles stereotypes in a way that is both smart and comedic. When he has to get inside the police precinct to speak to Lee, he decides to play into the stereotypes attributed to Asians and become a "delivery guy." He then all too easily becomes the "tech guy" when the situation calls for it. This investigation leads him to a bigger criminal mystery within Chinatown, which takes him down a path to find his missing brother while confronting his cultural identity.

With a fantastic supporting cast that adds to the narrative, Ronny Chieng's Fatty Choi is the breakout star, with his perfect comedic timing providing depth through humor. The series exposes how the media portrays culture, which fuels the marginalization of not just Asians but also allows a deeper exploration of how we think and view others.

The series is fresh, providing entertainment, but also offers cultural and social analysis with humor and heart.

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Interior Chinatown is currently streaming on Hulu.

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