Is Dying to Survive worth watching in the UK?

Dying to Survive (2018) has a Celluloid Score of 87%, averaged across critic reviews, audience ratings, Metascore, Letterboxd, and IMDb. It comes recommended overall. Directed by Wen Muye.

What is the Metascore for Dying to Survive?

Dying to Survive has a Metascore of 86 out of 100 on Celluloid.

Where can I watch Dying to Survive?

Dying to Survive is available on Prime Video, Viki. Availability varies by region — check your local streaming guide.

Dying to Survive Review (2018) — 87% Celluloid Score

Item: Dying to Survive
Rating: 4.5
Author: Dr. Amara Okonkwo

Directed by Wen Muye · 2018 · Last reviewed July 23, 2026

LLM fact sheet (.md)

Answer Summary

Dying to Survive (2018) earns a 87% Celluloid Score — Recommended. Recommended — recommended by most critics and audiences.Critics and audiences are closely aligned on this one.

Quick Verdict

Averaged from five public sources (critic, audience, Metascore, Letterboxd, IMDb). See how we calculate scores.

87%

Celluloid Score Recommended

Five-source breakdown

95% Critic Score

92% Audience

86 Metascore

★★★★☆ Letterboxd 4.1

8 IMDb /10

Runtime: 1h 57m
Cast: Xu Zheng , Wang Chuanjun , Tan Zhuo , Zhang Yu
Where to watch in the UK: Prime Video, Viki

🏆 3 award wins — Won Best Actor, Golden Rooster Awards 2019

Golden Rooster Awards 3W

Official theatrical poster for Dying to Survive (2018)

Beijing Culture

Where to watch in the United Kingdom

Prime Video
Viki

Why this score?

Strong critic approval (95% positive).
Audiences widely enjoyed it (92%).
Metascore signals universal acclaim (86/100).
Letterboxd diarists rate it highly (4.1/5).
IMDb users score it 8/10.

Best for

Viewers who want a well-regarded drama, comedy pick

Not ideal for

Scores reflect data indexed at build time. Component sources are shown on this page; Celluloid Score is our composite, not a third-party trademark. Scoring policy

Is Dying to Survive worth watching?

Yes — Dying to Survive earns a 87% Celluloid Score. Recommended — recommended by most critics and audiences.

Critics Consensus

A rare Chinese crowd-pleaser with teeth — Xu Zheng balances slapstick and moral outrage in a healthcare satire that moved policy and swept Golden Rooster recognition.
Celluloid Critics Consensus

Critics and audiences are closely aligned on this one.

What is Dying to Survive about?

A smuggling operation for cheap leukemia medication turns a seedy shopkeeper into an unlikely folk hero — Wen Muye's dark comedy-drama sparked national drug-pricing reform debates and became one of the highest-grossing non-blockbuster films in Chinese history.

Critic Reviews

critic Dying to Survive

Dying to Survive (2018) Review: Golden Rooster Healthcare Satire

★★★★½ 4.5/5

A rare Chinese crowd-pleaser with teeth — Xu Zheng balances slapstick and moral outrage in a healthcare satire that move…

Essential [China](/country/china/) cinema on [Best of Asia 2016–2026](/best/asia-2016-2026/) — A rare Chinese crowd-pleaser with teeth — Xu Zheng balances slapstick and moral