Two years ago, a little movie that I saw at the Middleburg Film Festival snuck onto my radar, and ended up becoming my favorite movie of that year. That movie was Roma, and it instantly charmed me with its authentic and nostalgic quality, created by a writer/director crafting a personal tale out of his own childhood upbringing. This year, Minari promises a similar viewing experience.

The story, written and directed by Lee Isaac Chung, is centered on the Yi family: father Jacob (Steven Yeun, of Burning and The Walking Dead), mother Monica (Han Ye-ri), daughter Ann (Noel Kate Cho) and son David (Alan Kim). The family begins to undergo a reasonable amount of conflict after Jacob's ambitions move them from California to Arkansas to try and start a farm. Oh, and he's also moved his mother (Youn Yuh-jung), bearing a spit-fire personality, into the home.

Right away, one of the strongest aspects of this film is the collection of performances. This is truly an ensemble piece, meaning it wouldn't work as well if the actors couldn't bounce off of each other so comfortably. Everyone is great here, but the standouts are Yeun and Kim.

Anyone who is familiar with Steven Yeun's body of work shouldn't be surprised by the level of his performance. Though he hasn't starred in a ton of material, he often brings a familiar brand of charm to his characters, as though watching him is like hanging out with an old friend. This has really paid off in a show like The Walking Dead, wherein he's able to be the bright spot in a show that's actively rotting, as well in Burning, in which his effortless charm is a sinister mask. Very little is different here when it comes to his everyman quality, and he's able to captivate your understanding even when he seems in over his head.

But even with that said, the true show-stealer is seven-year-old Alan Kim. Chung has confirmed that Kim's young character is based upon himself in his own childhood, and it shows by the way that David is somewhat positioned as the protagonist. His energy is precocious, mischievous, and all around enjoyable to watch.

Strong performances aside, perhaps my favorite aspect of this film is the quiet nature of the story. Similar to Roma, Minari has the authentic and personal quality of being written from the perspective of someone looking back at his childhood and telling a tale from a specific page in his own story. It also falls into a comparable category with movies like The Florida Project and Paterson (two of my favorites of the last decade), on the grounds that it's a subtle and simple "everyday life" kind of story. This isn't a narrative built on large-scale events, but rather one that's focused on finding the significance in the mundane. If that sounds like something that pulls at your interest, then you'll likely be right at home with this one. As for me, I'm giving Minari three and a half out of four stars.