Sometimes, the story behind the conception of a movie is more interesting than the actual movie itself. This is certainly the case with Anderson .Paak’s K-Pops, a well-intentioned narrative exercise that’s moderately entertaining, but lacking in creative tenacity. K-Pops had the opportunity to offer a unique take on race and cultural identity, but only grazed any realm of true substance. Alas, the film simply exists, and, if not for its touching production backstory, would lack much of its relevance as an original narrative.
In an attempt to bond with his son — an avid fan of K-pop music — during the COVID-19 pandemic, .Paak became well-versed in the cultural phenomenon that is the Korean popular music scene. This experience served as the inspiration behind K-Pops, starring the real-life father (.Paak) and son (Soul Rasheed) duo in a completely fictionalized coming-of-age story. .Paak plays BJ, a once-promising musician who finds himself travelling to Korea to play background music for a televised talent show. By chance, he reconnects with an old lover, Yeji (Jee Young Han), whose son, Tae Young (Rasheed), happens to be a contestant on the show. Unbeknownst to BJ, Tae Young is his biological child, and the two make up for lost time in the midst of this reality television show.
Bred from a place of genuine affection, .Paak obviously sets out to craft a film rooted in deep and personal emotions. And while K-Pops has its tender moments, everything feels overtly conventional. The film is intentionally digestible, which does help bolster its commercial sensibilities. It’s an easy watch, and given its subject matter, the type of film that’s well-suited for the entire family. Not surprisingly, there’s strong chemistry between .Paak and Rasheed, both of whom give safe and cautious performances. And as a complete newcomer to any type of professional performance, Rasheed seems comfortable in his own shoes.
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Yet — also because of its subject matter — there was so much more that the film could have explored. The story touches on the complexities of interracial relationships and multiracial offspring, but fails to go any further than a surface-level dive. And despite trying to convey a heartwarming story between a father and son, many of its emotional beats are somewhat muted by a screenplay that lacks nuance. At every turn, .Paak and Khaila Amazon (co-screenwriter) clearly take the easy route, relying on narrative coincidences. The film goes out of its way to follow conventional narrative cues, without any strong sense of reinvention.
Steering within its decidedly PG-rated lane of storytelling, there were certainly still ways that .Paak could’ve explored these issues more seriously, all while still maintaining the sense of brevity he was clearly aiming for. Instead, K-Pops feels underwhelming in its execution of what could have been a much more layered story. What does stand out, however, is the comedic energy that seems steeped into the film’s narration. And while .Paak’s performance lends a big hand to many of the film’s bigger laughs, the entire cast gels together quite affably.
There’s something endearing about a father and son starring in a film about familial bonds, which, in turn, is based on emotional sentiments shared between the two in real life. The result is something that is passively entertaining, but ultimately lacking in originality. When it comes down to it, .Paak seems capable of crafting a cohesive story as a filmmaker, but doesn’t necessarily display the flares of creative ingenuity he clearly has as a musician.
