The Asian Cut
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Donate
  • Reviews
  • Features
    • Essays
    • Interviews
    • Columns
      • Criterion Recollection
      • The Queer Dispatch
    • Series
  • Literary
  • Contact Us
    • Write For Us
No Result
View All Result
The Asian Cut
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Donate
  • Reviews
  • Features
    • Essays
    • Interviews
    • Columns
      • Criterion Recollection
      • The Queer Dispatch
    • Series
  • Literary
  • Contact Us
    • Write For Us
No Result
View All Result
The Asian Cut
No Result
View All Result

‘Asian Persuasion’ Isn’t Persuasive Enough

Lauren Hayataka by Lauren Hayataka
March 18, 2025
0
Dante Basco as Mickey de los Santos wearing a sombrero and fake mustache in Asian Persuasion

Photo Courtesy of Scatena & Rosner Films

⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

In Asian Persuasion, directed by Jhett Tolentino, a desperate ex-husband hatches a wildly misguided plan: find a new husband for his successful ex-wife so he can stop paying alimony. The premise alone hints at the film’s tone — raunchy, chaotic, and willing to push the boundaries of rom-com absurdity. For the most part, Asian Persuasion captures this energy, blending crude humour with heartfelt moments in a story about love, regret, and the immigrant experience. But while the film has its moments, its uneven execution makes it difficult to fully embrace it.

Mickey de los Santos (Dante Basco), a struggling Queens-based Filipino coffee shop owner, is drowning in financial stress. His alimony payments to his ex-wife, Avery Chua (KC Concepcion), a thriving fashion executive, weigh heavily on him, even as he remains a devoted father to their daughter, Sam (Scarlett Sherr). One night, after getting high with his best friend Caspian Jang (Kevin Kreider), Mickey creates a dating profile for Avery, only to wake up to a flood of matches. What starts as an impulsive, half-baked joke quickly spirals into something more as Caspian encourages Mickey to take advantage of the situation. If Avery remarries, Mickey’s financial burdens disappear. And just like that, they embark on a questionable matchmaking mission, whether Avery wants one or not.

This setup lends itself to wild antics, and Asian Persuasion leans into them hard. From Mickey’s misguided matchmaking attempts to absurd disguises and mishaps (an artificial leg landing on a Korean BBQ grill is one for the books), gags that range from amusing to downright cringeworthy overwhelm the film. The humour often renders crude — sometimes deliberately so, other times unnecessarily forced, like a scene where Sam asks her grandmother about a ‘hand job.’ Despite its uneven comedic execution, the film has an undeniable charm.

Lee K. (Paolo Montalban), as a socially awkward financial analyst who unknowingly becomes a pawn in Mickey’s plan, best embodies the film. Montalban offers a standout performance, his comedic timing — particularly his physical humour — bringing a surprising depth to what could have been a one-note character. His growing relationship with Avery offers some of the film’s best romantic beats, with moments that feel genuinely sweet rather than manufactured for laughs. This is where Asian Persuasion truly works — when it softens its edges and allows for introspection.

Subtle cultural commentary threads through Asian Persuasion, from the struggles of Asian designers fighting against perceptions of cheap labour to Caspian’s internalized bias against dating Asian women. The film also authentically portrays first and second-generation immigrant experiences, specifically the weight of expectations, the fear of failure, and the struggle between personal ambition and familial duty. Mickey’s reluctance to pursue his culinary dreams, shaped by the pressure of his parents’ expectations even from afar, affords the film one of its most sincere confessions.

A warm colour palette enhances this emotional undercurrent, casting New York in soft, inviting hues, highlighting its characters’ vibrancy and isolation. Long shots of the park, quiet moments in the city, and the contrast between bustling streets and intimate spaces give the film a lived-in feel, making its more reflective moments feel natural rather than staged. It helps that Asian Persuasion has a small, close-knit cast as their interactions feel effortless. That same warmth carries through the film’s instrumental score, which complements its visuals and reinforces its gentler side. When the music is at its most delicate, so is the film. 

More than anything, Asian Persuasion thrives when it isn’t trying so hard. Its best moments come from the cast’s natural chemistry, tender glimpses of love, and thoughtful cultural observations. But its reliance on crude humour and over-the-top gags dulls what could have been a more compelling story of love, regret, and self-discovery. The film certainly has heart but doesn’t always know how best to showcase it. 

Now Streaming On

JustWatch
Tags: Asian PersuasionComedyDante BascoJhett TolentinoKC ConcepcionKevin KreiderScarlett SherrUSA
ShareTweetShare
Lauren Hayataka

Lauren Hayataka

Lauren Hayataka holds a Bachelor of Science in Religion: Biblical and Theological Studies and a Master of Arts in Communications from Liberty University. Based in Michigan, she currently works for Dotdash Meredith and contributes as a reviewer for Independent Book Review.

Related Posts

Han Gi-chan, Youn Yuh-jung, and Kelly Marie Tran in The Wedding Banquet.
Reviews

‘The Wedding Banquet’ Is Less Feast, More Cosy Potluck

April 25, 2025
Robert Pattinson as Mickey Barnes in a space suit, holding his helmet in a snowy landscape in Mickey 17.
Reviews

‘Mickey 17’ Has Bong Joon Ho Written All Over It 

March 7, 2025
Saagar Shaikh as Raj Dar and Asif Ali as Mir Dar standing on the street wearing green aprons that say ABC Deli looking shocked in the TV series Deli Boys.
Reviews

Television’s Old Guard: Beware of the ‘Deli Boys’

March 3, 2025
Sarita Choudhury as Mina and Denzel Washington as Demetrius lovingly embrace in Mississippi Masala
Essays

Going Home to ‘Mississippi Masala’

February 26, 2025
The backs of Tabu as Ashima, Sahira Nair as Sonia, Irrfan Khan as Ashoke, and Kal Penn as Gogol facing the Taj Mahal in The Namesake
Essays

‘The Namesake’: A Delicate Meditation on Diaspora, Identity, and the Stories We Carry

February 16, 2025
Hilary Swank as Amelia Earhart seated in a black airplane in Amelia
Essays

The Quiet Romance of Flight: Freedom and Belonging in ‘Amelia’

February 9, 2025
Next Post
Paulo Avelino as Jolo and Kim Chiu as Sari embracing in My Love Will Make You Disappear

'My Love Will Make You Disappear' Stars Kim Chiu and Paulo Avelino on First Loves and Pogi Shots

RECENT POSTS

Headshot of director Jerome Yoo

Director Jerome Yoo Discusses His Journey from Short Films to His Debut Feature, ‘Mongrels’

by Rose Ho
May 28, 2025

Rima Zeidan as Hsu Zi-qi sitting on the edge of a bed in Missing Johnny.

‘Missing Johnny’: A Quiet, Yet Impactful, Character Study of Everyday Living

by Wilson Kwong
May 25, 2025

Han Gi-chan, Youn Yuh-jung, and Kelly Marie Tran in The Wedding Banquet.

‘The Wedding Banquet’ Is Less Feast, More Cosy Potluck

by Rose Ho
April 25, 2025

Ally Chiu as Shaowu stands across from Jack Kao as Keiko at an airport with a full luggage trolly between them in The Gangster's Daughter.

‘The Gangster’s Daughter’ Avoids Tropes and a Committed Direction

by Wilson Kwong
April 9, 2025

Photo still from Monisme, directed by Riar Rizaldi.

Riar Rizaldi’s Cryptic Indonesian Docufiction ‘Monisme’ Is a Fascinating Avant-Garde Take on the Conceptual Film

by Olivia Popp
April 6, 2025

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • Literary
  • Contact Us

Copyright © The Asian Cut 2025. All rights reserved.
Privacy Policy | Terms of Use

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Donate
  • Reviews
  • Features
    • Essays
    • Interviews
    • Columns
      • Criterion Recollection
      • The Queer Dispatch
    • Series
  • Literary
  • Contact Us
    • Write For Us