Better Days (2019)

I am surprised by how completely floored I was by this movie. I tend to not like stories centered around bullying, as a former victim of bullying myself, but something about this movie really compelled me. That “something” is likely the two leads, who give absolutely amazing performances. I’ve never seen these two actors in anything else but wow, they seem super talented. There’s a scene at one point towards the end with no dialogue, just the two of them looking at each other, and it’s one of the best scenes in the movie. The story is also very compelling, because while the world is against them, these two youths are able to find strength and comfort in each other. The movie highlights the failings of the adults and cops to successfully intervene in these bullying cases. The cinematography is stunning in this movie as well and the editing is great. I wasn’t able to take my eyes off the screen. If you’re sensitive about bullying this might be a difficult watch but I think it is a really good film.

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You should definitely watch it!

This was my first ever asian movie. I watched a video about this movie on Youtube by chance. Since then I have seen many korean and chinese dramas and some movies too.
The acting was incredible, especially if you take into account the male lead's age. Female lead's acting was so convincing and emotional! I liked the story quite a lot. I loved how these two were connected by chance and bonded. They cared for each other and became their own kind of family. Love came quietly, as a result of care. If you haven't seen this movie, I highly suggest that you do. It's not a very happy or romantic one, but I think that you will feel all the emotions coming through!

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Empowering

Better Days is a cinematic gem that mesmerizes with its spellbinding storytelling and compelling characters. As a devoted fan who rates it 9.5/10, this drama delivers an immersive experience that grips your heart and mind from start to finish.

The intricately woven narrative delves into the complexities of youth, friendship, and the indomitable human spirit. Zhou Dongyu's remarkable portrayal brilliantly captures every emotion, making her journey a poignant reflection of life's trials and triumphs.

Director Derek Tsang's artistic brilliance is evident in every frame, enveloping you in a world where every emotion resonates deeply. The visual aesthetics are awe-inspiring, complementing the heartfelt performances flawlessly.

Better Days is not just a drama; it's an emotional odyssey. It imparts a powerful message about resilience and the pursuit of justice. The chemistry between the cast is electric, adding layers of authenticity to an already captivating tale.

From a breathtaking soundtrack to thought-provoking themes, Better Days is an enriching experience that lingers long after the credits roll. With a riveting storyline and a stellar cast, it's a resounding testament to the magic of exceptional storytelling.

In a sea of dramas, Better Days stands tall as a shining example of cinematic brilliance. If you're seeking an immersive and deeply moving experience, this drama is an unmissable treasure. Prepare to be captivated, uplifted, and profoundly touched by its sheer brilliance.

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savage depiction of the unsafe high school environment

●HOW I CAME TO IT
I watched a bullying theme movie and in the recommendation I found this movie. The synopsis seemed interesting so here I am, after finish this masterpiece.it took me three whole days to get back to my senses.

●STORY
Movie starts with a teacher taking an english class. Then the movie jumps back to 2011, in a school campus where students are pressured due to the upcoming college entrance exam called GAOKAO in chinese. Immediately after that Chen Nian only friends commits suicide having one final mortification as her classmates take pictures who had been a mute spectators when she was bullied. She goes to her friend and cover her with a jacket becoming the new target of queen bee. While going home she sees a guy being beaten up, she tries to call cops, but ends up getting caught and humiliated. Later she seeks the guy to protect him from the school bullies.

●PLOT VIEW
The plot is simple, which left me in jeopardy as I got immersed in this masterpiece.
It leaves chills down the spine, showcasing the brutal depiction of the society, mortifying the dead, bullying of weaklings, bad parenting with the ultimate pressure of the exams on the teens.
Though the main focus is bullying however the movie doesnt explain why?
The bullies are like monomaniacs with no empathy. it may start with pranks and when ignored it consumes the bullies to do more, leading to crimes. As in bullied they keep on enduring, because most of the times, bullies arent punished and gets fierce. the death seems only a way to finish the infinite pain of endurance. the school is filled with big red banners of optimistic phrases which is purely overlooked and serves as a piece of decoration.
the vicious bullying tale is compelling as it tries to keep emotional connection between the leads keeps growing as they understand each other pains.
Its an uncomfortable treat with a murder mystery which particularly escalates the story and gives a final finishing touch. They become innocent victims to the cruel law, which failed to protect them when it was needed.
There is minimal dialogue and everything is much conveyed with the actions this intensifies the agony of the movie.

●ACTING/CAST
 Zhou Dongyu as Chen Nian is enduring everything, the home problems, exam pressure, physical and mental bullying yet is sharp headed and focused. her phlegmatic and frigid face is worth praises. She had nailed her character with breathtaking performance.
Jackson Yee as Xiao Bei, is a gold-hearted punk, he shows a touching vulnerability behind his braggadocio. His lean and thin body seemed as if he cant fight and gets beaten up easily, having bruises, deep cuts wearing ripped clothes, living in a small dark room beneath highway. He aced the role with perfection showing the deepest emotions with a bang.
the bullies were being little demons and I hate them to core, but they acted marvelous.

●MUSIC
The music truly transports you into the story as you were watching. It BGM works like magic with least dialogues in the movie.

●REWATCH
The movie is worth watch a million times, due to its touching and vulnerable melomance plot.

●APPRECIATION
I had an emotional breakdown after finishing this extreme graphic bullying movie. I must say the chinese movies depicting bullying is very gruesome way.
The suspenseful and agile camerawork in the latter part gives and a sensational effect.
I read that BETTER DAYS was nominated for Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards, indeed it deserves the accolades for such a realistic exposure to present pressured high school environment.

●CRITICISM
I hope nobody starts bashing me out for criticizing the over interference of the chinese government to the movie. I read that they banned the movie from releasing and we can understand now why. Its has exposed the bullying in Chinese high schools, where the pressure to achieve is lethal contrasting GAOKAO exam.
Also this movie is based on Novel but due to gov pressure, it has narrative scene saying the perpetrator has got 4year prison sentence, why make it a true story despite being made out of a novel.
final accord is one of the lead actors telling us about how we should be vigilant about school violence, and about oh so many things the government does to prevent it; instead of leaving some food for thought to the viewers, the film decides to spoon-feed, and that does ruin the impression quite a bit.

●FAV SCENE
The shaven head, it is one of the most terrifying scenes of the movies which shakes up souls.

●QUOTES
Chen Nian - Is it my fault they bullied me?
Chen Nian - Revenge may seem normal to most people.But those of us who have suffered. Are we the ones who are wrong?

RECEMMENDATION
Yes I would recommend this movie to peeps who love a soul stirring movie. Also “cry me a sad river” is another aching movie over bullying theme.

●AFTERTHOUGHT
Its very strange to see that she could be nostalgic about her school days or that maybe she is nostalgic about her one melomance.
I havent experienced this painful torture, though I got ragged in college pretty bad but that lasted only a few days with no physical injury. Bullying is physical and mental torture pushing one to a painstaking end.

●NOTE
There is a special post credit scene which satisfy the closure of the emotional saga, it could be missed as its after the end credits.

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“It’s a deal. You protect the world. I’ll protect you”

What can I say, except that this movie is a pure masterpiece. I don’t know if I remember seeing a clip of this on Instagram or Tik Tok, but I had put it in my watchlist along with my many other dramas. Lately I’ve been putting shows on hold, or dropping them altogether, or not even have a chance to start it. Seeing as this is a movie, I thought “why not”. At least I’ll know I’ll finish it in one go. And I’m glad I did. The topic of bullying is a touchy subject for some, and although I was teased as a kid by mean classmates, it never got physical. I tried putting myself in the main character’s shoes, and honestly, although it was a movie, things like this happen all the time, but the director and cast did a great job in portraying it. They didn’t gloss over the violence and actually showed the bullies the consequences of their actions. I think although most of us see this in movies and shows, it’s different than what we perceive. The way that even though the main characters got dealt a bad hand, they still found solace and comfort in each other. They wanted to better themselves and I love how they brought it out in each other.

Okay, so the cast is relatively new to me, but can I say how Oscar worthy their performances were? It almost felt real and raw and that they weren’t really acting. Props to Zhou Dongyu and Jackson Yee for telling this story. I was in shock when I read that Dongyu was almost 30 years old when this came out and Jackson wasn’t even 20. It felt like I was watching real kids in high school and almost forgot that she was almost a decade older than him. They really had my head scratching, because I really thought he was older than her in the movie.

And as for the ending, it leaves it up to the viewers interpretation. Did she know he was out of jail and following her, or was he silently watching over her? I would like to think that she knew he was there and that they built a new life together. By the way, when you start to see the end credits, don’t assume it’s over. There’s dialogue and the actual end where I’m talking about him following her. Although I would like a sequel to show how their life is now as they’re adults, I’m very satisfied with the ending.

I watched this on Amazon Prime as I am a Prime member, but I see that you could watch it on Freevee with ads if you don’t have Prime, Hulu, or AppleTV. I highly recommend this movie. Just have Kleenex on hand as you will get emotional. 10/10 would recommend.

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A film that will forever have an effect on me

I didn't really pay much attention to the plot summary which is a blessing in disguise because I think it increased the quality of my watch, hence why I won't reveal any spoiler in this review. My advice is, if the trailer captured your interest, then it is most probably worth the try.

I think it would be useful for some if I state some trigger warnings if you're planning to watch this movie. It has bullying, violence, and blood. This film is very emotionally charging so I hope you are prepared for that.

Bullying is a theme that is nothing new when it comes to all sorts of media, but I think what makes this shine above the others is the writing, the cinematography, and specially the acting.

First of all, I'm not really a film person, it is rare for me to be really affected on a movie I watched, because I feel like I need more time to care about the characters enough that I feel involved and engaged to whatever is happening in the story... but I must say, that this is one of the rare ones. It's been 9 months since I watched this movie and I still cannot get over how incredible it is. I admit, I initially wanted to watch this because I have a knack for emotionally damaged/troubled people leaning on each other for support and this one satisfed that, though the hint of romance made me want for more.

Here we have two leads who are both strong in their own ways. I appreciate the way the writing did not shy away to depict the harsh reality of Chen Nian (FL) and Bei Shan (ML). It is amazing truly, how the actors, Zhou Dongyu and Jackson Yi portrayed their characters so well that I feel tremendous hurt as I watch them go through those tough things, and my heart weeps in joy when they get their rare moment of peace, comfort, and happiness. I really thought I was prepared for the heaviness but halfway through the film of me sobbing, I realized just how emotionally charging this is.
I personally don't like rewatching stuff but I would really love to watch this again, sometime, when I have seem to forgot how moved I was when I first watched this. So I could see the little things I didn't notice before, and still appreciate what makes this movie great.

I want to end this review with a quote written by the female lead, Chen Nian in the movie, because I think it is a good presentation of the premise and the message resembles that of what I think the movie is trying to convey:
"We are in the gutter
but some of us are looking at the sears."

(If you want to see more of what I have to say about this film, most of which includes spoilers, here is a thread I made on twitter: https://twitter.com/aeipathyforher/status/1357701103903592451?t=Q8obK7rddaA5hfUzTfoDgg&s=19)

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Will there ever be better days?

I started this movie without knowing anything about it, except for it being the highest-rated one on MDL. Naturally, I was expecting the best, and I wasn’t disappointed. It's one of the best I have ever watched so far.

The movie unfolds as a sad, dark, and consuming story. Chen Nian, a studious student with a mom working a bit too far away, lives alone with debt creditors knocking on her door regularly. Despite her hardships, she has one goal – to enroll in university. But, will they leave her be? No, there had to be a rich troublemaker with some issues, bullying the poor Chen Nian.

Somehow she meet Bei Shan, who becomes her protector. They start going to and from school together, with him always in her shadows, ensuring no one can hurt her. Everything seems fine until the bully decides to push Chen Nian to her limits.

The plot was awesome, and I loved how the main leads hit it off. The living dynamic and their journey towards healing were well portrayed. Every little thing they did together created sweet moments.

The acting was amazing; they expressed their feelings in a way I cannot ignore and portrayed the characters well. Jackson Yee, considering his age that year, was surprisingly mature, displaying wisdom, care, love, and sacrifice.

I'm not over this movie yet and, as always, wished to see more. It was worth the time!

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This movie was on my mind for WEEKS after watching it

I don't think there are enough words to describe how amazingly produced this movie was. It felt like you were watching someone's life. The actors perfectly executed this role and did what needed to be done to make the movie as impactful as it was. There are a lot of heavy topics covered in this movie but I feel like this isn't just a "coming to age" movie. It is so much more. The relationships between people, good and bad, are shown instead of told and they feel so real! The grievances the character experience really do help and it shows the shortcomings of society and social media as well. It highlighted a particular part of youth and the issues handled without making it seem childish. They handed actual real-life issues and couldn't rely on the adults around them because they mentally couldn't and wouldn't know how to handle the situation properly. I love this movie with my whole heart and I would do anything just to watch it again. Please do give it a watch. I promise it is worth your time.

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Beautifully written

This is going to be the first review of mine. It won't be a long one. It might be because I am in a bad period of my life mentally, but I couldn't hold back my tears for 2 hours of the 2.5-hour movie. Bullying is also a very sensitive issue for me, as is not being able to find someone to rely on.

I don't want to give spoilers or give any little detail that could ruin the movie but I want to say that this movie was the best movie I've ever seen, no matter how much it made me cry. If you're looking for something action-packed fun, skip this one, but I think everyone should watch it at least once in their lifetime. Thank you. I also want to appreciate the OST and the acting.

Everything was just beautiful.

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The greatest strengths here are the excellent performances from the two leads - who do a lot with very few lines and have such great chemistry on screen together. The cinematography is also beautiful, lending a heightened, poetic sensibility to the story. I think that sometimes the actual 'message' of the film feels too blatant, while also feeling somewhat muddled by the ending. Certainly a film that deserves to be rewatched and that deals a real emotion punch. The nuance of that punch is debatable, but I think the purity of the emotions and the sincerity of the story make up for that.

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I'm still thinking . . WOW that was powerful acting!

This is not a genre that I normally watch (but I might now if there are other gems like this) and I don't recall how it got on my list but if you have chance to watch it, I highly recommend it.

This is great storytelling; scenes were truly heartbreaking and moving. The character development and story progression made me feel attached and invested. After the "incident" I felt all the anger and sadness of the ML. I wanted him to lash out. I wanted payback. The acting was nothing short of phenomenal. The emotions felt genuine. There was no fluff, no filler, each scene helped to move the movie along. It didn't fell like a 2 hour movie. The chemistry between the FL and ML worked well; I was really rooting for them. I wanted them to have a happy ending.

The cinematography was excellent. The tight framing around the FL and ML faces made scenes more poignant. No distractions, you were singularly focused on the moment, the emotion.

There is not much to say about the music. It didn't stand out but it didn't need to. The "basicness" was just enough to help convey the emotions on screen; from the slow playing piano to add to the sadness and hesitation to the fast paced violin to increase the intensity.

Overall I can't find fault with this movie. It is definitely a 10 and something I would wholeheartedly recommend and re-watch.

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Raw & Necessary

This was hard to watch, not in any other way than the real and rawness of everything portrayed in this movie.

This is a movie that deals with the subject of bullying in the most blatant and shocking way possible. There is blood and bruises, humiliation and nastiness. This is young humanity at its darkest and it's all displayed on a tiny screen for your viewing tears. And there will be a lot of them.

This depicts the story of Chen Nian who is in her senior year and just trying to prepare for her exams. Her dream is to get into the college of her choice. Right off the bat, this is emotional. A girl that she knows and avoids is getting bullied and jumps off a building at school. Then we see the bullies shift their focus onto her because of her moment of care.

Like I said, this was hard to watch. It was painful and I cried for most of it, because the reality is sad. They didn't pull the punches and show the repercussions of bullying at its worst. This is dark but it makes the spots of light all the more impactful. We do get those happy moments where she shares a newfound joy with Liu Bei Shan. They rescue each other and continue on together. Their relationship surpasses friends or any simple romance to the purest kind of love. It's beautiful and heart wrenching.

All in all, I highly recommend watching this. It is painful but worth the watch.

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