Andrew Ahn’s The Wedding Banquet (2025) takes everything you loved about Ang Lee’s 1993 film and gives it a fresh, queer twist, proving that love and family chaos are universal—especially when you throw in a fake wedding. Angela (Kelly Marie Tran) and Lee (Lily Gladstone) are a couple just trying to make it through IVF while dealing with parental expectations so high, they might as well come with their own baggage fees. Enter Min (Han Gi-chan), their friend who’s about to be deported and comes up with the kind of plan that makes you think, “This could only happen in a rom-com”: a green-card marriage with Angela. What could possibly go wrong?
Well, Min’s conservative family insists on a full-on wedding banquet, complete with all the drama, and suddenly Angela and Lee are knee-deep in a wedding planning nightmare. It’s fake, it’s messy, and it’s exactly the kind of chaos that makes you wonder how anyone survives family gatherings, let alone weddings.
Kelly Marie Tran is spot-on as Angela, bringing a perfect mix of charm and exasperation that makes her totally relatable. And Lily Gladstone’s Lee is the ideal foil, bringing calm to the chaos, even when the whole wedding plan is basically on fire. Han Gi-chan shines as Min, providing much-needed comic relief as he navigates the madness with all the grace of someone who knows they’re the cause of the disaster.
But here’s the best part—Bowen Yang. Yes, he pops up as Min’s boyfriend, Chris, and steals every scene he’s in. His comedic timing is impeccable, and he delivers the kind of one-liners that’ll have you laughing so hard, you’ll forget what was happening in the plot for a second. From sarcastic quips to perfectly timed eye-rolls, Bowen adds a layer of humor that elevates the film from a regular rom-com to a truly delightful experience.
What makes The Wedding Banquet really work is Ahn’s ability to balance humor with heartfelt moments. He doesn’t let the chaos overshadow the emotional core of the story. Yes, the movie is full of laugh-out-loud moments, but it also takes the time to explore serious issues like fertility struggles, cultural pressure, and the complexities of being a queer Asian person in a family that may not understand. It’s fun, but it’s also real.
And speaking of fun, any movie that throws in a wedding, family drama, and miscommunication is guaranteed to deliver. This one is no exception. The movie plays up all the classic wedding hijinks, but it does so with a smart and modern twist. And somehow, while all this chaos unfolds, the film still manages to tackle the more serious issues at the heart of the story without ever feeling preachy.
In the end, The Wedding Banquet (2025) is exactly the rom-com we didn’t know we needed. It’s funny, it’s heartfelt, and it’s a reminder that sometimes the best way to navigate a crazy life is with a fake wedding and a whole lot of humor. It’s not perfect (what wedding is?), but it’s definitely worth watching. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry (just a little), and you’ll find yourself rooting for these characters in a way that feels entirely earned.
The film is currently playing in select theaters, and while no streaming date is confirmed yet, it’s expected to hit platforms soon. Keep your eyes peeled—it’s one you’ll definitely want to stream when it lands.
OUR RATING
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