John Cho has come a long way from seeking out the perfect fast food burger at White Castle. Obviously, he’s done quite a lot since the Harold and Kumar days, moving over to the vaunted Star Trek franchise, then giving an incredible dramatic performance in Searching. I’ve long been a fan, and for the life of me, I couldn’t remember when he’s ever had a role quite like the one he has in Bassam Tariq’s Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, because not only is he going toe-to-toe with Oscar winner Mahershala Ali, but he’s also playing the villain.
Or at least, what passes for a villain in the action flick, because he plays Haun Loon, an ex-military vet turned Texas pastor who has established his own violent sect to clean up the world’s evils. This puts him in conflict with Ali’s character, Latif, a grieving father and devout Muslim who is also the best contract killer in town. The two men have quite a lot in common, a fact that shakes Latif’s faith to the core.
Also in the cast are Abubakr Ali as Hatty, the son of Latif’s former friend, who has become Haun Loon’s target for peddling halal pornography. Newcomer Adia, in her first major acting role, plays Latif’s daughter, Fatiha, who has had adulthood forced upon her at a time when she is beginning to question her role in the faith.
Just days after I attended the premiere of Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother at TIFF, I had the chance to speak with Cho, Ali, and Adia about the film, the complexity of their characters, and the uniqueness of a major action movie set in a Muslim community. Cho also talked about finally having a chance to be the bad guy, and how much he relished that opportunity.
Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother is in theaters now. You can check out my review here, and the interviews below!
