In Whatcha Want, Yin (Isabelle Wei) has seemingly found the dream life. Having grown up poor in Hong Kong and with a single mum following the death of her father, she’s now landed a rich husband, BT (Hugh Tran), and moved to Vancouver. She’s living a cushy life—big house, lovely gifts, a chauffeur. What could she have to complain about? 

Well, to start with, it would be nice if her husband was actually around. He’s been gone for months and Yin feels stuck. She can’t do anything of her own and yet she’s alone too, barring her forays with her older friend Mary (Ming-Na Wen). 

In an attempt to find some meaning in her life, Yin decides to go back to doing something she always loved—dancing. This little act of rebellion starts her down an unlikely path. Is she willing to follow it? 

I love a good dance movie, and the breakdancing sequences in Whatcha Want were enormously thrilling to watch. The choreography was stunning, but the dancing skills of the actors and supporting cast was out of this world. I loved those scenes so much. Even though I didn’t recognize the songs, I found myself bobbing to one of the tunes because it was so catchy and the dances were so energetic. 

It is an absolute thrill to watch skilled artists at work. At the Q&A following the screening, actor Helen Dang mentioned that when the film wrapped, the crew turned the set into a party and everyone got involved and danced. Russell Lee even mentioned that despite hours of rehearsals, he and Dang would message each other after the day’s shoot to just jam again. That’s how much they love dance, and it comes across. Even Hugh Tran, who doesn’t get to dance in the film at all, mentioned he likes to dance—he even busted out a quick move to the delight of the TIFF audience. 

Which brings me to the story and the film itself. Whatcha Want is very by-the-numbers. It’s predictable, and there are plot points and contrivances that we have definitely seen before. 

I was also quite surprised at how stilted the performances were across the board. Everyone spoke in that unnatural, sing-song fashion. Even Ming-Na Wen, who is always restrained in her roles but is effortless in her dialogue delivery, was stifled. She is still very captivating, though not her usual self. I can’t tell if it was a deliberate stylistic choice, but for me it didn’t quite land with the emotionality of the characters.

Despite that, Whatcha Want evoked loud responses from the audience. Producer-writer-director Mina Shum mentioned in the Q&A that she really wished that she didn’t have to make an empowerment story. But she does and she did, and it really resonated with the crowd. All the dancing, and the luxury didn’t quite matter as much as the empowerment story. 

The loudest applause—even more than the actual ovation for the creators of the film—was for a couple of moments in the final act. You can’t help but love how immersed the audience was in the story and the storytelling, because they just organically cheered for the characters during those moments. It warmed my heart, and it was a real reminder of why watching a film in the theatre amongst other film-goers can be such a rewarding experience. 

Despite the performances and the predictable storytelling, Whatcha Want is a charming experience. The dance sequences are mesmerizing and enthralling. It is, at the end of the day, an empowerment story. As Wen put it in the Q&A, “everyone should have a choice and no one should be judged.” That’s the core message that makes this film work. 

Whatcha Want is so sweet that despite my critical eye, I couldn’t help but immediately start applauding as the credits rolled. I felt so pumped by the arcs of the characters. That is the real testament of how well this story was told. 

Stay tuned for more reviews from the Toronto International Film Festival 2026.