MOVING ON OUT // "TAKE OUT GIRL" // BENTONVILLE 2020 FILM FESTIVAL
There's an informal name of a neighborhood in South Central Los Angeles called the "Low Bottoms." It's home to a spree of crime, several gangs and the family owned, "Sai King Restaurant." Tera Wong (Hedy Wong) works there with her family and makes deliveries as the TAKE OUT GIRL. Everything starts to change when she takes a delivery to a local Kingpin Lalo (Ski Carr). She sees potential in making a lot of fast money to get her family out of the neighborhood. So she starts working with Lalo, moving his product around town. However, easy money never comes easy and the crime of the streets start following her home, causing chaos all around her.
Hedy Wong co-wrote the script with Hisonni Johnson (who also directed) and it's a very fast paced, fun and entertaining ride. Wong is also a great lead. She's compelling, creating a memorable character for you to rally behind. Johnson directs the proceedings with a sharp touch and the film both looks and feels exciting. Surrounding Wong is a strong cast of character actors giving solid performances. Ski Carr is an intimidating but surprising force of nature, J. Teddy Garces is powerful and charming, Dijon Talton is quiet and gentle, Lynna Yee quietly steals your heart and Lorin Ly gives a very memorable turn as the hot headed brother Wavy.
Impressively, the entire main cast of TAKE OUT GIRL are all People of Color (See Hollywood? It CAN happen!!!). Seeing a wonderfully diverse cast and crew making a thrilling and fun film like this makes me hopeful for the future of indie film. Only a few small things throughout the proceedings don't work but all in all, this is a great addition to add in the shelves of crime drama, and a hell of a showcase for co-writer/star Hedy Wong. TAKE OUT GIRL truly delivers.
The Bentonville Film Festival Foundation is a non-profit organization focused on promoting underrepresented voices of diverse storytellers. We want to amplify female, LGBTQ+, people of color, and people with disabilities in entertainment and media. We do this through research, education, and supporting the production and distribution of inclusive content.
GRADE: B+
WRITTEN BY Hedy Wong, Hisonni Johnson. DIRECTED BY Hisonni Johnson STARRING Hedy Wong, Ski Carr, Lynna Yee, J. Teddy Garces, Lorin Ly, Dijon Talton. Selected as part of the Bentonville 2020 Film Festival. For more information: https://bentonvillefilm.org/artists/take-out-girl/