Better Days 少年的你 (2019): The $230 Million Box Office Hit That Exposed China's Hidden Bullying Crisis — and Changed Everything
The Film That Made Everyone Cry
2019 was a year of surprises for Chinese cinema. But no film was more surprising — or more impactful — than Better Days.
Directed by Derek Tsang, the film was a box office phenomenon. It grossed over $230 million worldwide and became one of the highest-grossing Chinese films of the year [citation:3]. On Douban, it holds a 8.2 with over 1.5 million ratings [citation:1]. It was nominated for Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards [citation:1][citation:3].
But the numbers don't capture its true significance. Better Days sparked a national conversation about school bullying, a topic rarely addressed in Chinese cinema. It forced audiences to confront uncomfortable truths. And it made stars of its two leads: Zhou Dongyu and Jackson Yee.
What Is It About?
The plot is a brutal, unflinching look at teenage life in China.
Chen Nian (Zhou Dongyu) is a high school student preparing for the college entrance exam. She's quiet, hardworking, and desperate to escape her difficult home life. Her only goal is to get into a good university in Beijing.
But her life takes a dark turn when her classmate, Hu Xiaodie, commits suicide after being bullied by a group of girls led by Wei Lai (Zhou Ye). Chen Nian becomes the bullies' new target. They humiliate her, beat her, and film her assault [citation:1][citation:3].
In her darkest moment, Chen Nian meets Liu Beishan (Jackson Yee), a teenage street thug known as "Xiao Bei." He's rough, he's violent, and he's been abandoned by his family. But he offers her something no one else will: protection [citation:1].
They form an unlikely partnership. He escorts her to and from school. She helps him with his studies. They fall in love — in the way that only two damaged teenagers can [citation:3].
Then something terrible happens. Chen Nian accidentally kills Wei Lai during a confrontation. Xiao Bei, desperate to protect her, takes the blame. He confesses to a crime he didn't commit [citation:1][citation:3].
The film's final act is a devastating meditation on sacrifice and survival. Chen Nian, wracked with guilt, confesses the truth. Both are sentenced to prison. Years later, they're reunited [citation:3].
The Scene That Defines the Film
There's a moment in the film that stays with you long after the credits roll.
Chen Nian and Xiao Bei are sitting on a rooftop. She's studying. He's watching. It's quiet. There's no dialogue. But everything is there: the tenderness, the desperation, the unspoken promise they've made to each other.
It's the kind of scene that makes you believe in love — even when the world is falling apart.
Why It Matters
Better Days is a film about bullying, but it's also a film about survival. It's about the pressure of the college entrance exam, the weight of poverty, and the impossibility of escaping your circumstances.
It's also a film about the power of connection. In a world that has failed both of them, Chen Nian and Xiao Bei find each other. They become each other's only hope.
As The Hollywood Reporter put it: "'Better Days' is a potent, socially conscious drama that succeeds both as a thriller and as a love story" [citation:3].
Final Thought
Better Days is not an easy film. It's brutal. It's painful. It's unflinching. But it's also a film that offers a glimmer of hope — a reminder that even in the darkest moments, there's someone who will protect you.
Full movie in Chinese with English subtitles
Have you seen Better Days? What did you think of Zhou Dongyu and Jackson Yee's performances? Let me know in the comments.
Tom De · The Movie Prince 🎬
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