MesmeroWatch list, 0 saved

Short film
Poster for The Choice

The Choice

1987 · 20 min

A quiet, bittersweet slice of immigrant life that lingers on quiet desperation and the pressure to seem successful.

Overview
Color UCLA Student Film, Preserved by the UCLA Film and Television Archive. Set in the present, the story takes place in Los Angeles. A foreign student from Taiwan , who is a great Chinese guitar player, arrives in the U.S. in the 70's. He decides to study nuclear engineering, but after graduation, he takes numerous menial jobs. The story begins when he receives a letter from his brother, notifying him of his visit from Taiwan. Exhaustedly, he tries to impress his brother by renting a new car and a new set of furniture. However, misfortune befalls him, as his house is robbed and he loses his job. For the first time, he is forced to think seriously about the meaning of his life in America.
How it feels
Melancholic, earnest and tense. Measured and needs your attention.
About
Immigration, identity, isolation, class
Content
Mild violence and language. No gore or sexual content.
Note
Written by AI, so it can be wrong. Full breakdown

Your rating is saved. See your suggestions, or find titles like this one below.

Rate it, and Mesmero finds titles that feel like it. You do not need an account.

Search YouTube for a trailer (opens in a new tab)

Add to a list: The Choice

You have no lists yet. Name one, and this title goes into it.

All your lists

In the USNo streaming, rental or purchase options known.
In your watch list

More like this

Like The Choice, but
That did not load.Show titles like this

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Full breakdown
Tone
Pacing
measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Era
period
Audience
adult
Form
None
Content intensity
  • Gore none
  • Language mild
  • Violence mild
  • Sex none
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action1
Horror0
Humour2
Realism8
Romance1
Tension4
Darkness6
Complexity5
Emotional weight7

Cast

Where to watch in the US

Change country

No streaming, rental or purchase options are known in the US.

Streaming data from JustWatch.TMDB

Details