The Wedding Banquet is a 2025 American romantic comedy film directed by Andrew Ahn and co-written by Ahn and James Schamus. It is a remake of a movie from 1993. The film stars Bowen Yang, Lily Gladstone, Kelly Marie Tran, Han Gi-chan, Joan Chen, and Youn Yuh-jung. The Wedding Banquet first showed at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Then, it was released in movie theaters in the United States on April 18, 2025. Reviewers gave the movie good ratings.
Plot
Angela Chen lives with her partner Lee in Lee's family home in Seattle. Angela's mother, May, is now a member of the local PFLAG chapter and has won awards for her work. Chris, Angela's best friend since a college relationship, lives in Lee's garage with his boyfriend Min, a Korean student artist whose visa will soon end. Min receives a call from his wealthy grandmother, Ja-Young, who says it is time for him to join the family business and return home.
Lee wants to become a mother, but her second round of IVF did not work. She is unsure if she and Angela can afford another attempt. She suggests Angela carry their child, which causes an argument about Angela's difficult relationship with her mother. Their friends also face problems when Min asks Chris to marry him, but Chris refuses because Min has not told his family about his relationship and fears being cut off financially by his grandfather.
While Angela and Chris talk about their struggles, Min and Lee create a plan. Min proposes to Angela instead, so he can stay in the United States and pay for Lee's fertility treatment. Angela agrees to "marry" Min. He tells his grandmother, and Angela confronts May about her lack of real support after years of being apart. At Angela's bachelorette party, she feels unsure about having a child, and Chris still refuses to marry Min. Lee and Min leave in anger. Later, Angela and Chris sleep together after drinking alcohol and realize their mistake the next day.
Ja-Young arrives suddenly, forcing Angela, Lee, and Chris to hide all items related to their lesbian relationships. Min introduces Angela as his fiancée, but Ja-Young guesses the truth. The four friends explain everything. To protect Min's access to family money and avoid gossip, Ja-Young agrees not to force him to join the company if Min arranges a grand wedding for his grandfather. Lee continues with IVF while Ja-Young prepares for the wedding, with Chris as best man and May as the mother-of-the-bride. Before the wedding, Ja-Young and Chris have a serious conversation about their families, and Min makes a handmade hanbok for his grandmother.
Angela and Min complete a traditional Korean wedding ceremony, with Ja-Young's employees as guests. After vomiting on her new husband, Angela learns she is pregnant from her drunken night with Chris. She is comforted by her mother, but this news causes the friends to separate. Lee leaves heartbroken, and Chris ends his relationship with Min to avoid complicating Min's life. The wedding is announced in Korea as planned, but Ja-Young admits she once married someone she did not love and is moved by Min's art and the life he has built with his chosen family.
Angela decides to keep the baby, and Chris's cousin, Kendall, reassures him that he can be a good parent. After finalizing their marriage license at the courthouse, Chris and Min agree to marry each other instead, with Ja-Young's approval. Returning home, Angela reconciles with Lee. Later, the house has two babies, as Lee and Angela each gave birth and continue living with Chris and Min, raising their family together.
Cast
- Bowen Yang plays the role of Chris
- Lily Gladstone plays the role of Lee
- Kelly Marie Tran plays the role of Angela Chen
- Han Gi-chan plays the role of Min
- Joan Chen plays the role of May Chen
- Youn Yuh-jung plays the role of Ja-Young
- Bobo Le plays the role of Kendall
Production
In April 2024, it was announced that a new version of the 1993 movie The Wedding Banquet was being made. Andrew Ahn is directing the film, and James Schamus, who also helped write the original movie, is co-writing the screenplay. The main actors include Lily Gladstone, Kelly Marie Tran, Bowen Yang, Joan Chen, and Youn Yuh-jung.
Filming for the movie started on May 27, 2024, in Vancouver, Canada, and ended on June 28.
Release
The movie The Wedding Banquet had its first showing at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. It was then released in movie theaters in the United States on April 18, 2025. The film was also shown in the World Cinema section at the 30th Busan International Film Festival in September 2025.
Reception
On the review website Rotten Tomatoes, 88% of 127 critics gave the film positive reviews, with an average score of 7.3 out of 10. The site’s summary states: "Andrew Ahn creates a touching and humorous remake that features heartfelt performances for a wide audience to enjoy." Metacritic, which calculates scores using a weighted average, gave the film a score of 68 out of 100 based on 26 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.
Carlos Aguilar of Variety describes The Wedding Banquet as a "very enjoyable and sincere" film. He notes that it shifts focus from the original’s emphasis on societal pressures to the personal relationships of two LGBT couples. Aguilar praises the performances of Kelly Marie Tran and Bowen Yang, with special recognition for Youn Yuh-jung. He highlights the film’s humor, which comes from cultural differences and generational conflicts. While he suggests the film could have explored more daring themes, he finds it appealing and easy to follow for a broad audience.
Bilge Ebiri of Vulture calls The Wedding Banquet a romantic comedy that blends humor and emotional depth. He says the film captures the charm of the original while updating it for modern times. Ebiri appreciates the film’s quick, funny moments, which keep the story entertaining despite predictable parts. He also notes that quieter scenes with older characters add emotional depth. Though the mix of humor and sincerity can feel uneven at times, Ebiri finds the film’s lively energy enjoyable, calling it a "messy" but satisfying experience.
Jesse Hassenger of The Guardian points out that The Wedding Banquet struggles to balance comedy and serious themes. While the film acknowledges progress since the 1993 original, it often avoids humor, choosing instead to focus on a more serious tone. The story, which involves a green card marriage proposal, is slowed by relationship conflicts and lacks the sharp comedy of the original. Hassenger praises the performances, especially those of Lily Gladstone and Kelly Marie Tran, but feels the film fails to clearly choose between comedy and drama, making it feel confusing and unclear in tone.
Germany’s leading arthouse website, programmkino.de, writes: "The remake does not achieve the refreshing lightness or believable emotions of the original. However, it is an important film in today’s world. It is not niche cinema but mainstream, celebrating diversity and marriage for all. Make America queer again."