Seeking out the

5000 greatest films

in a century of cinema

Better Days
Shaonian de ni


Directed by Derek Tsang
Produced by Yuet-Jan Hui
Screenplay by Lam Wing Sum, Li Yuan, and Xu Yimeng Based on the novel In His Youth, In Her Beauty by Jiu Yuexi
With: Zhou Dongyu, Jackson Yee, Yin Fang, Huang Jue, Wu Yue, Zhou Ye, and Zhang Xinyi
Cinematography: Saba Mazloum and Jing-Pin Yu
Editing: Yibo Zhang
Music: Varqa Buehrer
Runtime: 135 min
Release Date: 25 October 2019
Aspect Ratio: 1.85 : 1
Color: Color
Twitter Capsule:
Teen bullying and high-school academic pressure feels a bit off-point for an Oscar submission from Hong Kong in 2020 (a year when a nation of students risked their lives daily in political protests) but the fine young cast makes the picture compelling despite its repetitive narrative and many tonal inconsistencies.