Check Please (2025) is every bit as fun as its premise makes it out to be. Written and directed by Shane Chung, the short film is about a Korean and a Korean-American duking it out over who gets the honor of paying the bill after a deliciously filling bout of KBBQ. Short, sweet, and to-the-point, this short packs a wallop of a punch while doling out maximum hilarity. For fans of action, particularly those who love ’90s Hong Kong cinema, Check Please is just what the doctor ordered to fill the action void in your heart.
Set in a cozy restaurant space, the short focuses on Jay (Richard Yan) and Su-bin (Sukwon Jeong), two colleagues finishing up their dinner. The conversation mainly focuses on the food, though subtle jabs are made by Su-bin about the quality of the food (made by Yankees, as it were, per his words). This sets up the battle surrounding Korean American identity from the jump for Jay. However, a perfect opportunity arises when the check arrives. Who will be paying?
What ensues is a battle that, honestly, I imagine some of my friends having, but instead of it being inside their minds, it plays out on full display in Check Please. The fight is dramatic, with the mental and physical battle between Jay and Su-bin reaching escalating levels of intensity as their desperation grows. The fight choreography is well-done, with sound effects reminiscent of those ‘90s martial arts movies, punctuating both the hilarity and seriousness of the situation between the two.
Just when Jay gets the upper hand, a moment of seriousness occurs, where Jay’s frustrations boil over. If there is anything to complain about during this moment, it is that the sound could have been clearer, allowing for a better understanding of what he was saying. But that’s honestly a nitpick considering the rest of the package.
Check Please delivers infectious, action-packed fun.
Further adding to the humor is the bored restaurant worker in the background, implying that this kind of shenanigans plays out on the regular. The contrast between her blasé attitude while waiting at the register compared to the frenetic, high-octane fighting between Jay and Su-bin is what transforms this moment into comedy gold. This, and how frequently the two get the upper hand on one another, keeps viewers laughing and wondering who is actually going to come out on top.
This back-and-forth dance continues until the very end of Check Please, taking the audience on an adrenaline-filled journey. This guessing game is part of the fun of this short, never relenting on who is the real winner until the very end. Always remember, if you think you can get away with paying for the bill, the other person will always find a way to return the favor when you least expect it. Usually, just as you guys arrive at whatever restaurant you’re going to.
Yes, I’m giving away trade secrets. No, this won’t give you the upper hand with your friends.
All in all, as an introduction to Shane Chung’s work, Check Please is a fun, action-packed ride that makes me curious to know more. With the news that he’s planning to expand the short into a feature, I’m also curious to see how the story will evolve and grow. As it stands, Check Please is a hilarious romp that will have you wanting more.
Check Please played as part of the 2025 Fantasia International Film Festival.
Read more of our Fantasia coverage here.
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