Assimilation, Rebellion, and the Cost of Silence

Read Time:5 Minute, 15 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
We Are Kings
–

Genre: Drama, Coming-of-Age
Year Released: 2025
Runtime: 12m
Director(s): Frank Sun
Writer(s): Frank Sun
Cast: Kenny Ridwan, Mahi Alam, Jade Spear, Yvonne YF Chan, Victor Girone, Caleb Kenin
Where to Watch: shown at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival

RAVING REVIEW: Clocking in at just twelve minutes, WE ARE KINGS manages to articulate more about family, assimilation, and adolescent longing than some features do in ninety. Frank Sun’s quiet yet emotionally layered short unfolds mostly in a Chinese restaurant — and builds its world entirely through character behavior, cultural nuance, and a grounded sense of environment.

The premise sounds deceptively light: Lin (Kenny Ridwan) and his best friend Walid (Mahi Alam) take advantage after hours in Lin’s mom’s restaurant to burn bootleg DVDs, hoping to flip them for cash at school. But the moment Lin’s crush, Amber (Jade Spear), shows up unexpectedly, what was a harmless hustle starts unraveling. Suddenly, Lin is pulled between two worlds — the safe but restrictive expectations of his family and culture, and the alluring unpredictability of rebellion and connection.

What makes WE ARE KINGS stand out is its refusal to paint those worlds in broad strokes. There’s no over-the-top conflict, no lecture from a wise elder, no violent outburst to underscore the stakes. Instead, everything lingers in the in-between — the glance between friends when a lie starts to snowball, the stiffness in Lin’s posture when Amber asks him a personal question, the way he flinches when she walks too close to the family’s shrine. Sun doesn’t need to spell it out — you feel it.

Ridwan brings a natural vulnerability to Lin. He’s charming in the way teenagers are when they’re trying not to care too much, but everything he does is loaded with subtext. Whether it’s how he rushes to hide his family’s culture or his hesitation to speak his native language in front of Amber, Ridwan shows us a kid caught between comfort and shame, tradition and self-invention. Alam lends Walid a relaxed, humorous edge that never undermines the sincerity of their friendship. He’s the kind of best friend you believe in instantly — loyal, a little chaotic, and always ready with a cover story.

Amber, played with a surprising confidence by Spear, isn’t just a plot device or a love interest. She has a presence. She listens more than she speaks, and that forces Lin to fill the silence — or try to. Their interaction is less about sparks flying and more about self-recognition. Lin’s interest in her feels less like infatuation and more like projection — he wants to be as sure of himself as she seems to be.

Director Frank Sun, in his narrative debut, brings a style that blends elegance with restraint. His cinematography is tight, intimate, and unflashy. The restaurant isn’t a grand symbol of generational burden — it’s a lived-in space. Small details, such as old receipts taped to the walls or flickering lights, speak volumes. It’s not stylized for nostalgia or exoticism. It just feels real.

The film's title, WE ARE KINGS, could easily be read as ironic. But there’s something genuinely empowering in the story’s framing — these kids, in their own awkward, stumbling way, are asserting their right to exist in both worlds without apology. They’re not rebels, and they’re not saints. They’re just navigating that complicated first-gen tightrope: balancing expectations with personal identity, trying to fit in without erasing what makes them different.

Sun’s background — growing up between cultures, with roots in China and a Southern U.S. upbringing — clearly informs the film’s perspective. You can feel the specificity in the way Lin hides pieces of his family’s world when Amber arrives. There’s an understanding that assimilation isn’t always a dramatic transformation; often, it’s about omission. It’s what you choose not to share, not because you’re ashamed, but because you’re tired of having to explain.

The film’s only real limitation is its brevity. Just when we’re fully immersed in Lin’s world, it ends. But that’s also part of its strength. The short doesn’t try to resolve every aspect or offer closure. It captures a single emotional frame — a moment when a teenager realizes two different versions of himself are watching him and has to decide which one to be. That’s the kind of coming-of-age story that lingers. For a debut short, WE ARE KINGS is remarkably assured. It’s not showy. It just tells the truth — about families, about identity, and about that fragile window of adolescence where one decision can make you feel like a king… or a fraud.

Please visit https://linktr.ee/overlyhonestr for more reviews.

You can follow me on Letterboxd, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. My social media accounts can also be found on most platforms by searching for 'Overly Honest Reviews'.

I’m always happy to hear from my readers; please don't hesitate to say hello or send me any questions about movies.

[photo courtesy of SUNCATS STUDIO, CURIOUS GREMLIN]

DISCLAIMER:
At Overly Honest Movie Reviews, we value honesty and transparency. Occasionally, we receive complimentary items for review, including DVDs, Blu-rays, CDs, Vinyl Records, Books, and more. We assure you that these arrangements do not influence our reviews, as we are committed to providing unbiased and sincere evaluations. We aim to help you make informed entertainment choices regardless of our relationship with distributors or producers.

Amazon Affiliate Links:
Additionally, this site contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may receive a commission. This affiliate arrangement does not affect our commitment to honest reviews and helps support our site. We appreciate your trust and support in navigating these links.