Broker
A tenderly melancholic Korean road drama follows a makeshift family caught between a baby's uncertain future and the ethics of selling foundlings.
Overview
A poignant journey unfolds as a mother grapples with the decision to keep her child or let go.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- tender
- melancholic
- warm
- quiet evening
- reflective weekend
What critics said
Critics broadly praised Kore-eda's warm humanism, sensitive direction, and strong ensemble performances, while noting its sentimentality and occasional formulaic quality.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Sang-hyun, Dong-soo, So-young, and the children form a temporary family while traveling together and negotiating the baby's future.
The adoption-broker scheme treats an abandoned baby as something to be sold, forcing the characters to confront money, ethics, and care.
The group travels across South Korea while seeking adoptive parents and being pursued by investigators, allowing relationships to develop in transit.
The film balances an illegal adoption scheme, maternal uncertainty, investigation, and genuine care among its central characters.
Films like Broker, and why
Shoplifters
warmly melancholic family drama centered on unconventional parenthood and moral ambiguity
Nobody Knows
road movie structure, found family, social marginalization, and tender humanism
The Florida Project
emotionally restrained social drama about vulnerable people forming an improvised family
Lion
adoption ethics, family bonds, and compassionate contemporary melodrama
Movie Details
- Director
- Hirokazu Kore-eda
- Release Date
- 2022-06-08
- Runtime
- 129 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (574)
Cast
- Song Kang-ho
- Gang Dong-won
- Bae Doona
- IU
- Lee Joo-young
- Lim Seung-soo
- Park Ji-yong
- Kim Sun-young
- Lee Mu-saeng
- Lee Dong-hwi
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Broker about?
- A tenderly melancholic Korean road drama follows a makeshift family caught between a baby's uncertain future and the ethics of selling foundlings.
- What is Broker like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Broker as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Broker violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Broker as mild.
- What did critics think of Broker?
- Critics broadly praised Kore-eda's warm humanism, sensitive direction, and strong ensemble performances, while noting its sentimentality and occasional formulaic quality.
- Which films are like Broker?
- Films with a similar feel include Shoplifters, Nobody Knows, The Florida Project, and Lion.
- How long is Broker?
- Broker runs 129 minutes.
- Where can I watch Broker?
- In United States, Broker is available to rent or buy from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex.
