November 28, 2025
FILM: LEFT-HANDED GIRL
DIRECTED BY: SHIH-CHING TSOU
STARRING: JANEL TSAI, NINA YE, SHIH-YUAN MA
RATING: 3 ½ out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
You might recall that Sean Baker won a record four Oscars earlier this year for Anora. Before that, he had directed several films which were co-produced by Shih-Ching Tsou. The two of them wrote the script for the new film Left-Handed Girl which Tsou directed. It is premiering this week on Netflix and is also Taiwan’s submission for the Best International Film Oscar. It’s a gem of a movie that is fast-paced, contemporary, filled with great performances, and highly entertaining.
At the start, Shu-Fen (Janel Tsai) and her two daughters I-Ann (Shih-Yan Ma) and I-Jing (Nina Ye) open a noodle stand in a busy market place in Taipei. Mom looks stressed and I-Ann works a second job, smokes, and is generally disinterested like a lot of young people can be. I-Jing is the left-handed girl of the title. She’s a high-spirited kindergarten-aged girl who happily bounces down the streets with her backpack and “67” t-shirt, while also walking in and out of shops and stealing small items. Her grandpa catches her using her left hand and scolds her for it, saying it is the devil’s hand. Because of this I-Jing believes it is Satan that is causing her to commit the petty crimes and other sorry acts. In the meantime, Shu-Fen is dealing with a lack of money, there’s a pregnancy scare, and a new pet meerkat comes to stay in their very small apartment.
All of this is presented with plenty of energy and humor. Whimsical music serves as the background for much of the film and the streets of Taipei become characters themselves. They’re very narrow with people everywhere, cars in the distance, and store owners shouting out their latest deals. One of them is Johnny (Teng-Hui Huang) who sports blonde shaggy hair, sells products no one really needs, and falls for Shu-Fen.
What is perhaps most surprising about the film, like Sean Baker’s early hit Tangerine that Shih-Ching Tsou co-produced, is that it is all shot on an IPhone and the shots are pretty great! The camera moves swiftly through the tight streets and shops reflecting the energy of I-Jing and the busy atmosphere. One of Baker’s Oscars this past year was for editing Anora and he takes on the duty here too. The film is filled with quick cuts which also help to create a fast-moving narrative that travels between characters’ storylines, whether that be in the noodle shop or on a motorized bike. Adding to this is the dynamic dialogue which is pretty consistent throughout and you have something which rivals Tangerine as one of Baker’s most earthy, verbose film projects.
It’s hard to underestimate the natural talent of young Nina Ye as I-Jing. Clearly Baker has an affinity for writing scripts about young people as was proven with his film The Florida Project. But the direction by Shih-Ching Tsou grasps the innocence, playfulness, and disappointments of I-Jing. She also boasts some spot-on line delivery as I-Jing calls it like she sees it when interacting with others. It’s a terrific performance. The other actors are also very good as they comfortably inhabit the complex lives of their characters.
Watching the film, it feels as if we are living in Taipei for the entire 108-minute running time with these characters. That’s a true testament to the solid writing and directing evident throughout the experience.
Left-Handed Girl begins streaming on Netflix today.
FILM: LEFT-HANDED GIRL
DIRECTED BY: SHIH-CHING TSOU
STARRING: JANEL TSAI, NINA YE, SHIH-YUAN MA
RATING: 3 ½ out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
You might recall that Sean Baker won a record four Oscars earlier this year for Anora. Before that, he had directed several films which were co-produced by Shih-Ching Tsou. The two of them wrote the script for the new film Left-Handed Girl which Tsou directed. It is premiering this week on Netflix and is also Taiwan’s submission for the Best International Film Oscar. It’s a gem of a movie that is fast-paced, contemporary, filled with great performances, and highly entertaining.
At the start, Shu-Fen (Janel Tsai) and her two daughters I-Ann (Shih-Yan Ma) and I-Jing (Nina Ye) open a noodle stand in a busy market place in Taipei. Mom looks stressed and I-Ann works a second job, smokes, and is generally disinterested like a lot of young people can be. I-Jing is the left-handed girl of the title. She’s a high-spirited kindergarten-aged girl who happily bounces down the streets with her backpack and “67” t-shirt, while also walking in and out of shops and stealing small items. Her grandpa catches her using her left hand and scolds her for it, saying it is the devil’s hand. Because of this I-Jing believes it is Satan that is causing her to commit the petty crimes and other sorry acts. In the meantime, Shu-Fen is dealing with a lack of money, there’s a pregnancy scare, and a new pet meerkat comes to stay in their very small apartment.
All of this is presented with plenty of energy and humor. Whimsical music serves as the background for much of the film and the streets of Taipei become characters themselves. They’re very narrow with people everywhere, cars in the distance, and store owners shouting out their latest deals. One of them is Johnny (Teng-Hui Huang) who sports blonde shaggy hair, sells products no one really needs, and falls for Shu-Fen.
What is perhaps most surprising about the film, like Sean Baker’s early hit Tangerine that Shih-Ching Tsou co-produced, is that it is all shot on an IPhone and the shots are pretty great! The camera moves swiftly through the tight streets and shops reflecting the energy of I-Jing and the busy atmosphere. One of Baker’s Oscars this past year was for editing Anora and he takes on the duty here too. The film is filled with quick cuts which also help to create a fast-moving narrative that travels between characters’ storylines, whether that be in the noodle shop or on a motorized bike. Adding to this is the dynamic dialogue which is pretty consistent throughout and you have something which rivals Tangerine as one of Baker’s most earthy, verbose film projects.
It’s hard to underestimate the natural talent of young Nina Ye as I-Jing. Clearly Baker has an affinity for writing scripts about young people as was proven with his film The Florida Project. But the direction by Shih-Ching Tsou grasps the innocence, playfulness, and disappointments of I-Jing. She also boasts some spot-on line delivery as I-Jing calls it like she sees it when interacting with others. It’s a terrific performance. The other actors are also very good as they comfortably inhabit the complex lives of their characters.
Watching the film, it feels as if we are living in Taipei for the entire 108-minute running time with these characters. That’s a true testament to the solid writing and directing evident throughout the experience.
Left-Handed Girl begins streaming on Netflix today.