TIFF Review: ‘K-Pops!’ is a Fun Little Feel Good Flick

When a musician opts to make a movie, I keep an open mind. It might end up being a vanity project, sure, but it also could just be a new way for them to express themselves. While I’m not familiar with the music of Anderson .Paak, I now know that he has filmmaking chops, as K-Pops! is a cute little debut. Playing at the Toronto International Film Festival, it’s a crowd pleaser with a small scale but a nice ability to make you smile.

K-Pops! has a real love for music in its bones, which does really come out while watching.

BJ (.Paak) may be a washed up drummer, but his love of music is still going strong. Talked into taking a gig in South Korea to pay the bills, he meets Tae Young (Soul Rasheed), a young performer hoping to be the nation’s next big music star through a competition. Once upon a time BJ had a relationship with a Korean woman named Yeji (Jee Young Han), and wouldn’t you know it, Tae is BJ’s son.

Interested in making up for lost time, BJ also senses an opportunity to get his foot back into the door of music. So, a partnership begins, but obviously, getting to know his son and trying to make them both famous are too different things. Given the type of movie this is, you probably know where things are going, but watching it evolve is nicely depicted.

Giving himself the lead, Anderson .Paak equates himself nicely, while Jee Young Han and Soul Rasheed do solid work as well. I wouldn’t call this an acting showcase, but you buy everyone in their roles. Han especially does a lot with a role that could have been very little, while .Paak has a charisma that definitely translates to the screen. Supporting players include Yvette Nicole Brown, among others, but the main three are who you should focus on.

Directing a screenplay he co-wrote with Khaila Amazan, Anderson .Paak weaves in animation, as well as a genuine feel for all types of music. The script follows a well-worn crowdpleaser path, but the details are at least unique. The film runs a little long, so .Paak could stand to tighten his pacing, but if he wants to direct another flick, I’d be very interested in seeing it.

K-Pops! is unlikely to blow anyone away, but given how TIFF is always full of these kinds of works, the fact that it can stand out does say something. If you’re a fan of Anderson .Paak, this should at least be a curiosity, but at its core, this is a rock solid crowd-pleaser.

SCORE: ★★★