Better Days - First Great Movie I watched in 2025

 Greetings everyone! I've disappeared for a hot minute, but I'm finally back. Probably I'm currently speaking into the void because no one checks this blog, yet it's still better than stressing over the whole shit of homework I have to do. I've been in school, so unfortunately I haven't gotten the time and energy to watch movies. 

Luckily enough, today I finished the first film in a while and that is "Better Days". Some people recognize this movie as it was nominated for the Oscars in 2019, but in my the part of the Internet I've mostly missed the buzz around it. Anyway, for the context, it a Chinese film directed by Derek Tsang featuring Dongyu Zhou, Jackson Lee, Fang Li and Ye Zhou in the main roles. Its story follows a student named Chen Nian who, after the sudden suicide of one of her classmates, starts getting severely bullied. She meets a young man named Xiao Bei who promises to protect her from the bullies, so that she could continue focusing on the college entrance exams. 

The first thing I'll say about this movie is that I freaking loved it. Holy shit, is this a good one. It's got an obviously uncomfortable atmosphere because of the subjects it tackles, yet it still sneaks up on you and fills your heart with warmth and hope. Yes it is a film about bulling, but it's also about the unexpected ways people could find protection from said bulling. 

Obviously the main highlight of this movie is how it portrays this protection through Chen Nian and Xiao's relationship. The actors' performances sell their connection really well and this adds a level of naturality. Due to their beautiful chemistry, it's never cheesy and the dialogue always feels genuine. I love the fact that the two of them find comfort in each other's common experiences and their decision to rely on each other to feel safer. Maybe this could be a stretch, but I interpret their discussions about predictions as signs of growth as they finally feel hopeful and safe enough to keep going. Afterall, this movie actually starts with a suicide, where literally a person just stopped believing in the meaning of their future and life itself. Their each other's safety anchors. Or umbrellas that protect them from a stormy day: as we've seen in the scene before the start of Chen Nian's exam. 

Until the end, this movie kind of gets into romance territory but honestly I don't really mind it. I wouldn't really read their relationship as romantic, because, to me, they could be just deeply attached friends, but if you see it as something else, I can't judge you. 

Another thing I really enjoyed was the cinematography and some of the camera shots. Loved the shot with the two of them looking at some fish in the aquarium and then the same type of lighting in stripes is seen in the last scene were they are in the police car, maybe symbolizing that they can finally see light at the end of the tunnel and that their world isn't so dark anymore. Beautifully done, all Asian films from what I've seen have a very distinct kind of heartwarming cinematography, that just fills the hearts of film nerds and regular people with pure joy.

However, I've seen one thing people criticize this for: that it loses focus of bullying until the end and transforms into a crime drama. I partially agree, but not totally because I feel like introducing this new storyline kind of highlights the protagonists' loyalty to each other. However, I also think it could of have done that in other ways, that don't really necessarily include shifting the film's genre halfway through. Maybe the writers thought of something else at some point, but since this film is based off a novel from what I know, they probably just decided to stick to the source material. Something else that was foggy and that I didn't understand was why Chen Nian's bully decided to apologize at the end?... like what made her be so desperate for forgiveness after literally harassing Chen Nian and seemingly without any remorse just two weeks before? 

Finally, although I have my issues with it, this movie was one of the best things I've seen in a while and I really recommend it. It has very heavy themes, so maybe it could be triggering for some people, please approach with caution. This film also sparked a curiosity to watch more Chinese films, as I'm pretty uninitiated in that portion of films and this was a great start. :)