IF you are thinking of turning vegetarian then Okja could be the movie that makes you teeter over the edge.

Bong Joon Ho’s wildly inventive but deeply moving film looks at animal rights in a completely unique way.

It is an emotive subject that has been well trodden in films – usually hard-hitting documentaries – but do not let that put you off.

Because this Netflix exclusive, which got a standing ovation at Cannes Film Festival, is on the right side of the line between thought-provoking and self-righteous.

It may be a dark fantasy which echoes the real world but South Korean director Ho’s film is also full of fun, warmth, quirky charm and oddball humour.

Okja is about a multi-national company called the Mirando Corporation which has launched a twisted breeding programme to create a ‘superpig’ under the leadership of the callous but PR focused Lucy Mirando (Tilda Swinton).

After successful experiments, 26 of these huge but playful animals, which actually look more like hippos, are sent to be reared by farmers around the world.

The idea is that these superpigs will feed the rapidly growing population when the successful test subjects reach maturity and breed.

The film focuses on Mija, a young girl who lives in the countryside of South Korea with her grandfather.

They are chosen to care for female superpig ‘Okja’ and end up winning the Mirando Corporation’s competition to find the best of the new species.

As you might imagine, things do not go smoothly when Mija is separated from her beloved companion who is bound for New York to be shown off before a darker fate awaits.

She encounters an extreme animal liberation group led by Jay (Paul Dano on top form) before being drawn into Mirando’s PR drive.

One of the strengths of The Host director Ho’s film is how the tone shifts throughout.

It can go from quirky comedy to dark drama in a heartbeat and those peaks and troughs keep your attention throughout.

Okja is a film that pulls no punches and it will be viewed by some as vegetarian propaganda.

For instance, the slaughterhouse scene is deliberately reminiscent of a concentration camp – so make of that what you will.

But Ho makes a very powerful point about how we perceive animals.

They are our beloved companions or livestock and nothing in between.

Very much food for thought.

RATING: 8.5/10

Okja is on Netflix now