Better Days

Original title: Shaonian de ni

20192019
2h 15m

Jackson Yee and Dongyu Zhou in Shaonian de ni (2019)

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 single-mindedly preparing for the exam, at the exclusion of everything else and 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. Derek Kwok-cheung Tsang's intense melodramatic thriller paints a bleak picture of an oppressive society, in the guise of a gripping fairy-tale love story.

Play trailer1:23

Crime Drama Romance

A bullied teenage girl forms an unlikely friendship with a mysterious young man who protects her from her assailants, all while she copes with the pressures of her final examinations.A bullied teenage girl forms an unlikely friendship with a mysterious young man who protects her from her assailants, all while she copes with the pressures of her final examinations.A bullied teenage girl forms an unlikely friendship with a mysterious young man who protects her from her assailants, all while she copes with the pressures of her final examinations.

Director
- Derek Tsang
Writers
- Wing-Sum Lam(screenplay by)
- Yuan Li(screenplay by)
- Yimeng Xu(screenplay by)
Stars

See production, box office & company info

See more at IMDbPro

Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 59 wins & 76 nominations total

Videos2

Official Teaser Trailer

Official Teaser Trailer

Better Days

Photos463

Shaonian de ni (2019)

Jackson Yee in Shaonian de ni (2019)

Jackson Yee and Dongyu Zhou in Shaonian de ni (2019)

Dongyu Zhou in Shaonian de ni (2019)

Jackson Yee and Dongyu Zhou in Shaonian de ni (2019)

Jackson Yee in Shaonian de ni (2019)

Dongyu Zhou in Shaonian de ni (2019)

Dongyu Zhou in Shaonian de ni (2019)

Jackson Yee in Shaonian de ni (2019)

Jackson Yee and Dongyu Zhou in Shaonian de ni (2019)

Jackson Yee and Dongyu Zhou in Shaonian de ni (2019)

Dongyu Zhou in Shaonian de ni (2019)

Us and Them

7.4

Soulmate

7.4

The Man Who Sold His Skin

7.0

The Man Who Sold His Skin

Quo Vadis, Aida?

8.0

Quo Vadis, Aida?

Collective

8.2

Better Days

6.8

Cry Me a Sad River

6.2

Cry Me a Sad River

You Are the Apple of My Eye

7.6

You Are the Apple of My Eye

Goodbye Mr. Loser

6.7

Goodbye Mr. Loser

Youth

7.1

The Great Buddha+

7.6

The Great Buddha+

A Sun

7.6

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.

Genres
Parents guide

Trivia
Although Chen Nian and Xiao Bei are around their age range, Dongyu Zhou (Chen Nian) is actually eight years older than Jackson Yee (Xiao Bei).

Quotes
Chen Nian: Can you protect me? I don't have money to pay you.

Crazy credits
There's a mid-credits scene.

Connections
Featured in The 93rd Oscars (2021)

Soundtracks
Inky and Blinky's Band
Written by Eric Matyas

Top review

10/10

Best act of the year

It will lead u thinking the flaw of education system we have.Director darely zoom in actor facial almost 3/4 of the screen to drew u inside the emotion. The interrogation scene will so perfectly edit,cut and switch between the two lead actors Some of the scene where two actor will just looking each other without saying any word and u already feel how much tough time they went through..its slowly put the spicy ingredients without your notice in beginning and burst into tears and deep thoughts in the end of the movie .its definitely the best Chinese movie of the year.

helpful•37

7

xiaohei-80112
Nov 8, 2019

Is this based on true events? The end credits of the film implies that this actually happened, but i couldn't find actual proof of it.

Release date
- October 25, 2019 (China)
Countries of origin
- China
- Hong Kong
Official sites
- Magnum Films (Australia)
- Official site (Japan)
Languages
- Mandarin
- English
Also known as
- Shao nian de ni
Filming locations
- Chongqing, China
Production companies
See more company credits at IMDbPro

Gross US & Canada
- $1,921,657
Opening weekend US & Canada
- $989,536
- Nov 10, 2019
Gross worldwide
- $225,918,798

See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

Runtime
2 hours 15 minutes
Color
- Color
Sound mix
- Dolby Atmos
Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1

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Jackson Yee and Dongyu Zhou in Shaonian de ni (2019)

Top Gap

By what name was Shaonian de ni (2019) officially released in Canada in French?

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