Living
Living

Living

2023TV ShowEnded1 SeasonMandarin

The defeated Kao Jia Yue suddenly comes back home after many years. Many people feel awkward about his return, and hope he will leave soon. His nephew Cheng Yu is the only exception, as he finds Jia Yue different from other adults. Jia Yue realizes everyone, including himself, is struggling in life with so many challenges. His parents have an unhappy marriage, his second brother doesn’t feel he belongs at home, and his third brother is bewildered about his future. However, they continue to stumble and move on in life. Witnessing how everyone works hard to survive, Jia Yue also starts to plan his next step. He thought it was time to carry out his suicide plan…

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Insights

IMDb7.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes96%
Metacritic80/100
Google Users90%
Director: Oliver HermanusGenres: Drama

Plot Summary

In 1950s London, a timid bureaucrat named Mr. Williams, who has worked in the same Public Works department for decades, learns he has terminal stomach cancer. Facing his mortality, he decides to inject some excitement into his life, which leads him to seek out experiences he previously shied away from. He forms an unlikely friendship with a younger woman, who helps him rediscover a sense of purpose and urgency in his final days.

Critical Reception

Living received widespread critical acclaim, particularly for Bill Nighy's performance and the film's poignant exploration of life, death, and finding meaning. Critics praised its tender storytelling, thoughtful direction, and faithful yet fresh adaptation of its source material.

What Reviewers Say

  • Bill Nighy delivers a career-defining performance as a man confronting his mortality.
  • A beautifully understated and deeply moving adaptation.
  • The film masterfully captures a sense of quiet desperation and eventual peace.

Google audience: Audiences lauded Bill Nighy's sensitive and nuanced portrayal, finding the film to be a deeply affecting and thought-provoking experience about appreciating life. Many viewers were moved by the story's emotional depth and its ultimately hopeful message.

Awards & Accolades

Bill Nighy received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor, and the film received a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. It also garnered several nominations at the BAFTAs and other prestigious film awards.

Fun Fact

Living is a remake of the 1952 Japanese film Ikiru, directed by Akira Kurosawa, though the setting and characters have been transposed to post-war Britain.

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