Better Days
Synopsis
When it is time for the Chinese gaokao, the entire country comes to a standstill. For nearly ten million high school students, this two-day national college entrance exam will determine where and if they get to study. It is not uncommon for the fates of entire families to hinge on the results. Like so many others, Nian has been focused on preparing for the exam, at the exclusion of everything else and is all alone. A classmate has committed suicide and she has become the target of relentless bullying. Meanwhile, fate brings her together with small-time criminal Bei and the two of them seal a pact.
Production Budget Analysis
The production budget for Better Days (2019) has not been publicly disclosed.
CAST: Zhou Dongyu, Jackson Yee, Yin Fang, Huang Jue, Wu Yue, Zhou Ye DIRECTOR: Derek Tsang Kwok-Cheung CINEMATOGRAPHY: Yu Jing-pin MUSIC: Varqa Buehrer PRODUCTION: Shooting Pictures, China Wit Media, Tianijn Xiron Entertainment, We Pictures, Haojiahuo Pictures, He Nan Dian Ying Dian Shi Zhi Zuo Ji Tuan, Fat Kids Production, Dadi Film Group, Alibaba Pictures Group, Lian Ray Pictures, Henan Film & TV Production Group, China Film Co-Production
Box Office Performance
Better Days earned $1,921,657 domestically and $223,957,408 internationally, for a worldwide total of $225,879,065. International markets drove the majority of revenue (99%), indicating strong global appeal.
Detailed Box Office Notes
Better Days grossed more than US$80 million on its opening weekend in China. The film grossed more than 1.29 billion yuan (about US$184 million) in only 15 days in China.
Profitability Assessment
Insufficient publicly available data to assess profitability.
INDUSTRY IMPACT
PRODUCTION NOTES
▸ Production
Better Days is adapted from Jiu Yuexi's novel In His Youth, In Her Beauty.
Production started in July 2018 and ended on September 10, 2018. Most of the film was shot on location in Chongqing.
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
Summary: Nominated for 1 Oscar. 73 wins & 85 nominations total
Nominations: ○ International Submission to the Academy Awards ○ Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (93rd Academy Awards)
Additional Recognition: The film won the Snow Leopard Special Jury Award at the 6th Asian World Film Festival in Los Angeles in March 2021.
! Year !! Award !! Category !! Nominated work !! Result !! Notes
CRITICAL RECEPTION
On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of based on reviews from critics, with an average rating of . On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 83 out of 100 based on 5 critic reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". The film also received a rating of 8.4/10 on Chinese film rating cite Douban and a 9.4/10 score on Chinese ticketing site Maoyan. The film topped the list of MovieWeb's Best Chinese Movies of the 2010s.
Cary Darling of the Houston Chronicle stated in 2019 that it was "one of the best films of the year" and that it "deserves a wide audience".
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