LEFT-HANDED GIRL (2025) review
written by: Shih-Ching Tsou and Sean Baker
produced by: Shih-Ching Tsou, Sean Baker, and Mike Goodridge
directed by: Shih-Ching Tsou
rated: R (for sexual content and language)
runtime: 109 in.
U.S. release date: November 14, 2025 (theatrical) and Novemeber 28, 2025 (Netflix)
When “Left-Handed Girl” premiered at Cannes last May, many stated the drama felt like a Sean Baker film, which was surprising considering the DIY auteur had won a handful of Oscars in January for “Anora”, which also won the Palm d’Or at the previous year’s Cannes. Well, those feelings about “Left-Handed Girl” weren’t far off, considering Baker co-wrote the film with Taiwanese-American director Shih-Ching Tsou, Baker’s collaborator of more than two decades. The pair wrote and directed their first feature, 2004’s “Take Out”, and Tsou has produced several of Baker’s films, often acting in them as well (she ran the donut shops in both “Tangerine” and “Red Rocket”). While “Left-Handed Girl” is her solo directorial debut, Baker co-wrote and edited it, so any commonalities found are understandable.
The film follows a family of three in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, who are on their own and doing well despite hard times. After living in rural Taiwan, single mother Shu-Fen (Janel Tsai) has returned to Taiwan to raise her two daughters, college-age I-Ann (Shih-Yuan Ma, found on Instagram) and young I-Jing (Nina Ye, a commanding 5-year-old wonder), one of whom complains that the small apartment they live in looks bigger in photos. Shu-Fen is dealing with debt after her ex has turned severely ill, and must contend with her rebellious eldest daughter, who is involved with her married boss. In contrast, the younger daughter is terrified of her “demonic” left hand after a tragic accident. For a variety of reasons, the family has been away from Taipei, and Shu-Fen has been working a noodle stand at the local night market, leaving the titular I-Jing time to roam around unsupervised.
Curiously, I-Jing’s grandpa (Akio Chen) makes a big deal out of her being left-handed. Apart from it being uncommon, this issue is never truly addressed. Her grandfather, however, goes out of his way to claim (primarily whenever I-Jing eats) that her dominant hand is “the devil’s hand” and it shouldn’t be used. How a young girl is meant to understand such superstition is problematic, especially when she considers amputation. Thankfully, I-Jing reckons that her left hand has a mind of its own and can be used for good. Her natural logic is spot-on, making her character even more endearing. It’s hard enough for I-Jing to make sense of the adult world around her, but she manages to find confusion and wonderment through her tiny perspective, and it becomes clear that her circumstances are asking her to grow up much faster than she should.
Like Baker’s “Tangerine”, the film is shot on iPhones, enhancing the cinéma vérité style of “Left-Handed Girl” and offering a realistic approach to this trio’s tender story. There’s an impressive balance of humor and helplessness captured here, much of which centers on the mischievous I-Jing as she cares for a pet meerkat, and on the strained relationships Shu-Fen has with her parents and siblings, shaped by traditional Chinese views of family and gender expectations. Their story takes tragic, unexpected turns as hurtful secrets are revealed.
For the most part, the film is a lively feature that conveys an urgency, thanks to cinematographers Ko-Chin Chen and Tzu-Hao Kao, and their choice of high-contrast, bright-lit scenes submerges viewers in Taipei city life. There are lens flares and transfixed gazes, as well as environments basking in light and color, making the film a dazzling viewing experience. Much of our understanding of Taipei comes from the moped I-Ann uses to get around, and even then, we’re primarily seeing the side of the city that struggles financially to make ends meet. As in many of Baker’s films, economic hardship shapes the atmosphere of “Left-Handed Girl” and figures prominently in the story’s periphery. It’s something that exists that people become used to and learn to navigate.
It may seem like Tsou and Baker cram a lot of melodrama into “Left-Handed Girl”, but it never falls into cliché stereotypes, and that’s primarily thanks to the fantastic cast. Tsai conveys an exhausted sadness and helplessness as Shu-Fen, while nonactors Ma and Ye are simply outstanding. The latter two are wonderful on their own, yet they are simply endearing together, especially when the older sister instills essential values in the younger sibling, despite her own struggles and flaws. The film warrants multiple viewings just for their performances alone. That being said, the story does feel like it gets somewhat neatly wrapped up in the final minutes, leaving an important, recently revealed truth unaddressed.
Nevertheless, “Left-Handed Girl” announces Tsou as a director who is confident in handling an ensemble cast and offering an effortless exuberance that enhances the viewing experience. I look forward to seeing what she works on in the future.
RATING: ***
