Better Days Review (2019) — 81% Celluloid Score
Directed by Derek Tsang · 2019 ·
Better Days (2019) earns a 81% Celluloid Score — Recommended. Recommended — recommended by most critics and audiences.Critics and audiences are closely aligned on this one.
Averaged from five public sources (critic, audience, Metascore, Letterboxd, IMDb). See how we calculate scores.
Five-source breakdown
🏆 4 award wins · 1 nomination — Won Best Feature Film, Golden Horse Awards 2019
Tencent Pictures Where to watch in the United States
Not yet streaming in the United States — check local listings.
Why this score?
- Majority of critics rated it fresh (88%).
- General viewers mostly liked it (85%).
- Metascore is generally favorable (80/100).
- Celluloid Score 81% averages all five public rating sources — our own composite, not a third-party trademark score.
Best for
- Viewers who want a well-regarded drama, romance, crime 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 Better Days worth watching?
Yes — Better Days earns a 81% Celluloid Score. Recommended — recommended by most critics and audiences.
Critics Consensus
Devastating and tender — Zhou Dongyu and Jackson Yee anchor a school-bullying drama that earned global awards attention while navigating censorship with surprising emotional honesty.
Celluloid Critics Consensus
Critics and audiences are closely aligned on this one.
What is Better Days about?
A bullied high-school girl forms a protective bond with a street-smart teenage fighter as campus violence spirals toward tragedy — Derek Tsang's adaptation became China's Oscar International Feature nominee and a Golden Rooster sweep.
Critic Reviews
Better Days (2019) Review: Oscar-Nominated School Bullying Drama
★★★★½
Devastating and tender — Zhou Dongyu and Jackson Yee anchor a school-bullying drama that earned global awards attention …
Essential [China](/country/china/) cinema on [Best of Asia 2016–2026](/best/asia-2016-2026/) — Devastating and tender — Zhou Dongyu and Jackson Yee anchor a school-bullying dr
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