There's a film playing now at the Sundance Sunset Cinema called "Spa Night"
If you're expecting a lurid exposé of gay cruising in Korean spas, you'll be disappointed in the film. It's primarily a drama about a Korean-American family in Koreatown trying to survive financial hardship and the closeted son trying to figure out his future.
I'm not really a film reviewer so I won't go into too much detail. I liked the film (except the ending) but it really focused mostly on the family, with a few scenes featuring the Korean spas and a young Korean-American's coming to terms with his sexuality. It's not a porn film; you see a few out-of-focus background penises here and there, but most of the sex is only hinted at or offscreen.
I liked the film, though. The family drama was interesting, and the later scenes in the spa were all too familiar to me and I'm sure many others. I laughed when a sign was taped onto the wall warning about inappropriate behavior... just like the ones at Wilshire Spa. I didn't like the way it ended (I won't spoil it for you), but I didn't think it detracted too much from the rest of the film.
The actor who played David was cute, too.
Anyway, I think it was worth checking out. I think it'll be playing at least through Sept. 8th, so if you want to get a glimpse of Korean-American culture along with some spa fun, check it out.
