Kim's Video

2023

89 mins

Directed by David Redmon, Ashley Sabin
Recommended
71%
75%
Documentary

Part personal video essay, part documentary, part creative intervention—this film charts the rise, the fall and the relocation of a New... More

Part personal video essay, part documentary, part creative intervention—this film charts the rise, the fall and the relocation of a New York video store improbably transplanted into the heart of Mafia country.

For two decades, New York City cinephiles had access to a treasure trove of rare and esoteric films through Kim's Video. Originally run by the enigmatic Yongman Kim out of his dry-cleaning business, his franchise eventually amassed 55,000 rental titles. In 2008, facing a changing industry, Mr. Kim offered to give away his collection provided that it stay intact and be available to Kim's Video members.

In a bid to revitalise tourism, the small Italian village of Salemi, Sicily became home to the archive. But after the initial publicity faded, so too did any sign of the collection. Enter filmmaker David Redmon, who credits Kim's Video for his film education. With the ghosts of cinema past leading his way, Redmon embarks on a seemingly quixotic quest to track down what happened to the legendary collection and to free it from purgatory.

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Where to watch Kim's Video

Kim's Video is available to stream in New Zealand now... More on DocPlay and DocPlay on Prime.

There is no screening information for this title.

Kim's Video | Ratings & Reviews

Truly bizarre

Initially grating doco becomes increasingly fascinating, showcasing the wonderful world of esoteric 80s/90s/00s NYC VHS rental chain Kim’s Video. A myopic tone might be the flipside to the filmmaker’s obsessive persistence in tracking down the 55,000 tape collection after the stores’ closure - a truly bizarre tale.

Steve Newall

71_%63 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes® rating
75_%12 reviews
Audience score rating

"A film-geek reverie that winds up diving down a rabbit hole of underground intrigue."

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Variety

"Redmon and Sabin are never able to find a workable balance between doc intrigue and mock auto-commentary."

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IndieWire

"A story that plays out like a low-budget caper, replete with corruption, slippery personalities, missing cash and one actual robbery."

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Hollywood Reporter

"An entertaining ride... only slightly undermined by the overuse of clumsily crowbarred movie references."

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Screen Daily

"It features an international heist, the Mafia, and at least one suspicious death—and its 87 minutes still feel excruciatingly stretched out."

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Paste

"There’s little wisdom to be found, just eyerolls."

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RogerEbert.com

"The documentary doesn’t work as a tribute to film. It doesn’t work as a portrait of store owner Yongman Kim. And it doesn’t work as a comedy thriller."

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