Lifestyle
‘Left-Handed Girl’ takes on quiet shame across generations in Taipei
Shih-Yuan Ma as I-Ann, Nina Ye as I-Jing and Janel Tsai as Shu-Fen in Left-Handed Girl. The movie is streaming on Netflix starting Friday.
Left-Handed Girl Film Production Co./Netflix
hide caption
toggle caption
Left-Handed Girl Film Production Co./Netflix
Early on in Shih-Ching Tsou’s Left-Handed Girl, one of its protagonists, an adorable Taiwanese girl named I-Jing (Nina Ye), is told by her grandpa that her left-handedness is a curse. “Don’t use left-hand in my house,” he says to her, yanking a crayon from her left hand into her right and sending a bolt of fear through the impressionable 5-year-old. “Left hand is evil,” he scolds. “It belongs to the devil.” The premise of Netflix’s newest Mandarin-language film might seem trivial, but learning about her “devil’s hand” brings I-Jing a quiet shame that is difficult to shake. Internalizing an age-old superstition, I-Jing silently begins to navigate the bustling city of Taipei with her much weaker right-hand, which takes on a life of its own. What she doesn’t know is that the rest of her family has their own version of a “devil’s hand” too.
In Tsou’s charming solo directorial debut, I-Jing, her teenage sister and their mother have just moved back to Taipei after years away in the countryside. Their mother Shu-Fen (Janel Tsai), opens a noodle stand in the capital’s famous night markets in an attempt to start a new life for her family. But a fresh start is rarely an easy one. Day after day, Shu-Fen toils to keep her food stall and family afloat — trying to pay the stall’s rent while juggling the debt she accumulated from her ex-husband’s funeral, and taking care of her daughters, who couldn’t be more different. The youngest, I-Jing, is steeped in an innocent earnestness, while her older sister, I-Ann (Shih-Yuan Ma), carries the fierce determination of an angsty teen intent on proving she can support the family better than anyone else.
Tsou and longtime collaborator Sean Baker co-wrote and produced the project, and Baker edited. Their distinct style is abundant throughout Left-Handed Girl, which strikes a delicate balance between intimacy and playfulness in a story that centers those historically on the margins. The two have worked side-by-side since co-directing Take Out in 2004, with Tsou’s influence woven through films that launched Baker into the spotlight, from Tangerine to The Florida Project to Red Rocket. Shot entirely on iPhones, like 2015’s Tangerine, the film uses the city of Taipei as its canvas and shows its landscape through the lens of each of its characters. It’s a treat being immersed in the brightly-colored, and often overwhelming night market from the point of view of I-Jing, who interacts with each stall like it’s her personal playground before dashing off to the next one.
Nina Ye as I-Jing and Shih-Yuan Ma as I-Ann in Left-Handed Girl.
Left-Handed Girl Film Production Co./Netflix
hide caption
toggle caption
Left-Handed Girl Film Production Co./Netflix
Shih-Yuan Ma as I-Ann, Nina Ye as I-Jing and Janel Tsai as Shu-Fen in Left-Handed Girl.
Left-Handed Girl Film Production Co./Netflix
hide caption
toggle caption
Left-Handed Girl Film Production Co./Netflix
While Left-Handed Girl initially appears to center I-Jing and her cursed hand, the film pays equal attention to its female protagonists. Spanning multiple generations, Tsou offers the viewer a window into each character’s struggle between duty and desire, as they navigate a society where the personal largely remains private. Shu-Fen might be the caretaker of her three-unit family, but she remains the black sheep within her own. “A married daughter’s like water poured out,” her mother says to her after refusing to lend her daughter money, perpetuating a traditional belief that daughters are worthless once they are married. And during a family outing, Shu-Fen reluctantly opens up, only to have her sisters loudly bicker over her decisions as if they were their own.
Meanwhile, I-Ann spends most of her days at the betel nut stall, where she oscillates between flirting with older men for money, making snarky comments at the attractive young woman who just started working there, and sleeping with her sleazy boss. I-Ann’s stonewalled expression and high-pony attitude gives off the impression she doesn’t care about the job, and much less, her boss. But in moments of vulnerability, like after I-Ann attends a party with a former classmate who, unlike her, is attending college, cracks begin to appear in an otherwise tightly-wound facade. I-Ann’s commitment to and reluctance toward fulfilling her responsibilities are felt simultaneously in scenes of transit, as she whizzes through the streets and highways of Taipei on her scooter, en route to pick up her little sister, keep a watchful eye over the noodle stand, or sneak in her own small rebellions. I-Ann might scoff, but at the end of the day, she always shows up.
How much can a family bear before it begins to burst? Left-Handed Girl seeks to ask, as each character’s internal tensions bleed into broader family dynamics, culminating in more of an explosion than a slow unraveling. But perhaps the ultimate test of strength occurs when the dam breaks, Tsou seems to argue — when the water begins to flood, washing away old traditions and instead, creating something surprising and new.
new video loaded: Fashion Highlights From the 2026 Golden Globes
By Vanessa Friedman, Chevaz Clarke, Gabby Bulgarelli and Jon Hazell
January 12, 2026
My husband and I live in Pasadena. We moved from Los Feliz about 10 years ago. We have struggled to find LGBTQ+ events this far east. We can only hit up Boulevard so many times (although we love it). Any advice for finding LGBTQ+ events in Pasadena, Eagle Rock, Highland Park, Glendale or the SGV? I feel like there are bars out here that may host weekly events that I just don’t hear about. — Will Birnie
Looking for things to do in L.A.? Ask us your questions and our expert guides will share highly specific recommendations.
Here’s what we suggest:
Will, you are so right. While there are several queer bars around your former neighborhood (Hi Tops in Los Feliz, Akbar in Silver Lake, Club Bahia in Echo Park and Honey’s at Star Love in East Hollywood), they are few and far between in the eastern part of L.A. County. But your question sent me down a rabbit hole and I’m proud to report that I’ve found a handful of spots and regular events that you should check out in your area. (Shout out to my colleagues and everyone who responded to my request for help on Instagram.)
Highland Park is home to the Offbeat, which is one of my friend Jaycen Mitchell‘s favorite bars in the area. The beloved dive bar hosts karaoke nights, drag shows, live music performances, “RuPaul’s Drag Race” screenings and other themed nights throughout the week. “I’ve been able to see all of my favorite drag queens there in more intimate settings, and the DJs have had me and my friends dancing until we were the last ones there,” Mitchell tells me. Also in Highland Park is Blind Barber, a speakeasy that hosts Homo Happy Hour on Thursdays. Mitchell says the happy hour is always a good time and a chance to “show up as your authentic self, be in community and queen out with your girls.”
Then in Glendale, there’s Junior High, a nonprofit art gallery and inclusive gathering space that hosts a variety of events, including music shows, artist showcases, comedy nights, pottery workshops and more. A standout event is Fantasy Suite, a pole dance show that features queer dancers with varying body types. Cherry Jayne and Jax “Lil Sumthin” launched the queer strip club experience in 2022 after struggling to find work due to “fatphobia that plagues traditional strip club hiring,” they told me. The next event will take place Feb. 7 and will feature Valentine’s Day songs of love, lust and heartbreak.
At Footsies in Cypress Park, Latino queer artist and DJ Mino Sanchez and his boyfriend, Ivan Castaneda, who also DJs, have been hosting Gay Night for nearly four years. The event, which happens on the second Saturday of each month, features BIPOC queer DJs who spin house, disco, Spanish dance music, electronica, pop and international sounds. There’s also a drag performance at midnight. In El Monte, the San Gabriel Valley LGBTQ Center hosts Gayme Night on the third Thursday of every month. The all-ages event features karaoke along with video and board games.
And you already know and love Boulevard — it really is a gem (and it’s the only gay bar in Pasadena). Though it was at risk of closing during the pandemic, the 45-year-old bar survived and continues to host a drag trivia night on Tuesdays and a drag show on Friday nights hosted by Borgia Bloom Facade. Times food columnist Jenn Harris writes that the Boulevard bar has served as a “safe haven for the gay community in the area and an alternative to the West Hollywood bar scene.”
If you’re looking for a different type of community beyond bars and events, my colleague Jaclyn Cosgrove recommends Throop Unitarian Universalist Church in Pasadena. “My pastor, Rev. Tera Landers, likes to say she doesn’t like religion, but she loves church,” says Cosgrove, who also lives in Pasadena. “That’s in large part because of the community we have at [the church] including our choir, which has a large number of transgender and queer members. It is where I go to refill my cup every Sunday.”
I hope this list helps you and your husband find more spaces around your neighborhood to build community and have a great time.
Ariana Grande arrives at the 83rd Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
The brightest stars in TV and film kicked off the 83rd annual Golden Globes tonight in Beverly Hills, Calif. with Ariana Grande, Noah Wyle, Teyana Taylor and George Clooney are just some the names who walked the red carpet. This year’s ceremony was hosted by comedian Nikki Glaser.
Here’s a glimpse of what some of the attendees are wearing tonight.
Michael B. Jordan
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Ryan Coogler and Zinzi Evans
Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images
hide caption
toggle caption
Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images
Jean Smart
Jordan StraussInvision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan StraussInvision/AP
Teyana Taylor
Jordan Strauss/Invision/Invision
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/Invision
Jenna Ortega
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Owen Cooper
Jordan Strauss /Invision/Invision
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss /Invision/Invision
Sara Wells and Noah Wyle
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Claire Danes
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Stellan Skarsgård and Megan Everett-Skarsgard
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Amy Poehler
Jordan Strauss/ Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/ Invision/AP
EJAE
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Amanda Anka and Jason Bateman
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Paul Mescal
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Adam Brody and Leighton Meester
Jjordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jjordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Laufey
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Chris Olsen
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Lisa Ann Walter
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Macaulay Culkin and Brenda Song
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Jacob Elordi
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Ryan Destiny
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Jennifer Garner
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Rose Byrne
Jordan Strauss/Invision//AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision//AP
Kate Hudson
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Snoop Dogg
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Timothée Chalamet
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Miley Cyrus
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
George Clooney and Amal Clooney
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Leonardo DiCaprio
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Michel Martin
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Steve Inskeep
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP/AP
Leila Fadel
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
A Martinez
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
Ben Falcone and Melissa McCarthy
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Amanda Seyfried
Jordan Strauss/Invision/InvisionAP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/InvisionAP
William Stanford Davis
Jorden Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jorden Strauss/Invision/AP
Tessa Thompson
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Kathy Bates
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell
Jorden Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jorden Strauss/Invision/AP
Skylar Diggins
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Monica Padman
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Adam Scott and Naomi Scott
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Jayme Lawson
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Maya Rudolph and Paul Thomas Anderson
Gilbert Flores/Penske Media/Getty Images
hide caption
toggle caption
Gilbert Flores/Penske Media/Getty Images
Emma Stone
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Natasha Lyonne and Clea DuVall
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP/AP
Nischelle Turner
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP/AP
Brett Goldstein
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Parker Posey
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Vince Gilligan
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Chloé Zhao
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Mark Ruffalo and Sunrise Coigney
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Hannah Einbinder
Jordan Strauss/ Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/ Invision/AP
Sheryl Lee Ralph
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Keegan-Michael Key and Elle Key
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP/AP
Justin Sylvester
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
Judd Apatow and Lesley Mann
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Keltie Knight
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Sarah Snook
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Glen Powell
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Piper Curda
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Justine Lupe
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Helen Hoehne
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Natasha Rothwell
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Minnie Driver
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Orlando Bloom
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Hudson Williams
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
Connor Storrie
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Erin Doherty
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Wanda Sykes
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Nikki Glaser
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
Julia Roberts
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Emily Blunt
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Chris Perfetti
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Rhea Seehorn
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Dakota Fanning
Jordan Strauss/Invision/Invision
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/Invision
Queen Latifah
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
Iran acknowledges mass protest deaths, but claims situation under control as Trump mulls response
Nonprofit revenue totals surge amid growing scrutiny after major fraud cases
Street takeovers and traffic control by agitators in Minnesota cross legal lines, retired detective says
Uvalde trial halted after key witness changes testimony
WATCH: Missing Florida child recovered after violent traffic stop and high-speed chase
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Video: ‘It Didn’t Have to Happen This Way:’ U.Va. Faculty Call for Review of Police Response to Protests
Iran acknowledges mass protest deaths, but claims situation under control as Trump mulls response
The Mayor of London explains why he thinks London is getting safer | BBC Newscast
Video: What Our Photographer Saw in Minneapolis
Conservative legal group targets CFPB rule mandating race, sex data in home loans
EU auditors warn eased EU budget rules could undermine oversight
-
Detroit, MI1 week ago2 hospitalized after shooting on Lodge Freeway in Detroit
-
Technology6 days agoPower bank feature creep is out of control
-
Dallas, TX4 days agoAnti-ICE protest outside Dallas City Hall follows deadly shooting in Minneapolis
-
Delaware4 days agoMERR responds to dead humpback whale washed up near Bethany Beach
-
Dallas, TX1 week agoDefensive coordinator candidates who could improve Cowboys’ brutal secondary in 2026
-
Montana2 days agoService door of Crans-Montana bar where 40 died in fire was locked from inside, owner says
-
Iowa6 days agoPat McAfee praises Audi Crooks, plays hype song for Iowa State star
-
Virginia2 days agoVirginia Tech gains commitment from ACC transfer QB