Better Days (2019)

Director: Derek Tsang
Stars: Dongyu Zhou, Jackson Yee, Fang Yin
Runtime: 135 minutes

Synopsis: 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.

Verdict: Whenever the topic of bullying is brought up in a feature film, I get nervous. It’s certainly an issue that needs to be addressed, especially in the current digital age, but I can’t think of many filmmakers who succeeded in tackling it in an organic way simply due to the fact that they haven’t experienced it themselves recently. Most of them end up taking the issue to an exaggerated extreme that mainly serves the plot more than the actual social-commentary at hand, and that was unfortunately also the case with Hong Kong’s official submission to this year’s Academy Awards.

“Better Days” opens with a tragic incident that sees a high schooler take her own life as her classmates’ appalling behavior finally pushed her over the edge. We watch a deeply affected Chen Nian, exceptionally played by the very talented Dongyu Zhou, approach the body to cover it from all the cellphone flashes attempting to immortalize a moment that no one should want to remember. With that action, she dooms herself and becomes the new target of the bullies that caused her friend’s passing. The fact that she has to prepare for the most important exams of her life only adds to the mental torture of being constantly beaten up and ridiculed.

There’s no denying that “Better Days” is an important watch that, at its core, explores how a victim of bullying finds refuge wherever they feel the safest, whether it’s under the arms of a shady man who vows to protect them or, even more tragically, in death. But the serious discussion it so clearly wants to spawn is distilled by its over-the-top execution and unnecessarily convoluted narrative. The simple message is lost in a sea of overdramatic clichés and an abundance of cheesy sound effects that are usually found in mediocre thrillers, which this film dangerously comes close to becoming in its final act.

While I’m certain that the movie will find its audience (as highlighted by its Award consideration, 100% RT score, and box office success), I don’t see myself rewatching it any time soon. To me, and while I’ll concede that it’s in no way a bad effort, it failed at properly sticking to one tone, instead opting to juggle between serious and goofy. I wouldn’t put it on if I’m looking for a good crime/thriller to watch, and I wouldn’t suggest it to someone looking for an anti-bullying picture to show at an awareness event.

FINAL GRADE: 6/10