A blaring car horn is a primal scream in Netflix’s Beef, a richly funny, dark comedy about how far our rage can influence our actions. We have all felt that anger rise within us–our faces flush, our hands shake–but how we respond to that anger can tell us a lot about each other and ourselves. Anchored by two tantrum-tastic performances from Ali Wong and Steven Yeun, Beef is a devilishly amusing cautionary tale involving money, power, and status.
Amy Lau and Danny Cho are at completely opposite places in their lives. Her plant emporium/gallery is about to be acquired by a Loews-like corporation (headed by Maria Bello in caftans for days), and after his family’s motel has been taken out from underneath them. he can’t catch a break. When their cars nearly collide in a parking lot, a tyrannical fury is ignited in both of them. No one will back down, and no one will say they’re sorry.
Neither Amy or Danny are happy with their current situation. Amy’s husband, George (the son of a sculpting legend), casually condescends behind his handsome smile, and Danny’s brother, Paul (played by Young Mazino), is knee-deep in his delusions of becoming a cryptocurrency millionaire. When they are apart, both Amy and Danny feel lonely, unheard, and talked down to. As their orbits tighten around each other, however, they come alive–their spikey spats becoming more public and more extreme. Their hatred for each other quickly becomes addictive, and Wong and Yeun’s chemistry is downright explosive.
Wong, as a comic, commands your attention by the scruff of your neck. As she spills a story about her husband or her family, her slow delivery of the details draws you in line by line. As Amy, her smile hides so much, and she tells people what they want to hear rather than risk a possible awkward interaction. Watching the evolution of her relationship with George’s mother, Fumi (played to dismissive perfection by Patti Yasutake), is so satisfying. Wong has never been better.
Yeun’s unlucky Danny has a commanding spirit. He is eager to become successful but assumes that his big dreams will be dashed before they can even be spoken about. There is an unpredictable quality to his performance that draws you in and makes you root for him. Mazino is a true find as Paul. Danny will make snide comments about Paul’s lack of ambition or cooperation, but he has a tender side rarely explored in potentially toxic characters.
Beef will stick out its tongue as it gives you the finger. It speeds away with an exuberant vengeance and proves that you never know what you will do when someone cuts you off.
All episodes of Beef are streaming now on Netflix.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFPIMHBzGDs