‘The Eyes Are the Best Part’ – Greta Lee Directing Movie Adaptation of Monika Kim’s Novel

One of Time Magazine’s 100 must-read books of 2024, Monika Kim’s The Eyes Are the Best Part is getting a movie adaptation from director Greta Lee (actor: Past Lives).

The Hollywood Reporter notes that Greta Lee will make her directorial debut with the film adaptation of The Eyes Are the Best Part, and she’ll also be writing the screenplay.

The novel is being adapted for the screen by Searchlight Pictures.

THR details, “Published in June 2024 by Erewhon Books, the novel is a described as a story about a family falling apart as well as the making of a female serial killer from a Korean-American perspective. Set in Los Angeles, the book tells the story of a woman named Ji-won, whose life unravels after her father has an affair and then leaves the family.

“She finds an inventive way to satiate her rage and hunger.”

The New York Times called The Eyes Are the Best Part “violent, smart, gruesome and wildly original,” adding that “this novel pulls readers into a horrific world of murder and cannibalism while also critiquing misogyny, exploring Asian fetishization and stereotypes, sharing what it’s like to navigate two cultures and telling a touching story of a family in turmoil.”