Movie Review: Didi (2024)

A Coming Of Age Story With A Unique, Lovable Voice

Introduction

Having finally gotten around to seeing Dìdi, it is a film that cements director-writer Sean Wang as one of the most exciting new voices to look out for in the new future. I was already immensely fond of his short film work (particularly Nǎi Nai and Wài Pó) going into this, but now I am all ears for his upcoming work as this is an outstanding feature-length filled with passion and confidence.

A Personal Story From The Heart

Starting off with his screenplay, it is one that displays his genius mind as a writer of short films and applies it to this movie to make for a well thought out dramedy coated in character, heart, and humor. Premise-wise, the film centers on our main protagonist, a 13 year old Taiwanese-American boy named Chris Wang (played by Izaac Wang), living life in late 2000s California. Throughout the film, you are constantly invested in his journey navigating himself as a person who is still in the process of gaining a proper understanding of the world around him. We also see that he is trying to find a central identity as he maneuvers through different aspects of his life, most notably his interactions with his family (played by Joan Chen, Shirley Chen, and Chang Li Hua), getting a girlfriend, and his passion for making videos on YouTube (specifically skateboarding videos). Characterization wise, the writing does a wonderful job in presenting the viewer with a protagonist that may come off as unlikeable in his personality and actions, but it never feels forced or used for artificial conflict whatsoever. It feels very true towards how someone at that age would act and how they would respond towards the situations that Chris finds himself in throughout the whole movie. As a result, he is a character I found myself rooting and feeling for because of how engaging his journey of self-discovery was. What also works about the film is how well Sean Wang was able to capture the essence of how teenagers act in the late 2000s as a whole. Everything from the dialogue, terminology, and characterizations felt so genuine to a point where I felt like I was watching real life people on-screen rather than watching movie characters. All of this goes to show that Sean Wang did his very best in bringing us a riveting story that you can tell came from his own experience growing up as a teenager while also doing a wonderful job at dialogue, story/character development, and thematic richness. 

Being Unafraid To Express Yourself As A Storyteller

But it is not just his writing that works so well about this film, he is also clearly talented in the director’s chair. Much like with his short film work, you can tell that Wang has a significant amount of assurance in himself as a storyteller who is not apprehensive about his status as such at all. It is evident throughout the film that Wang has a huge amount of love for the time period in which this film is set in and making multiple details about the world established here feel as integral to the story as possible. The most prominent example is how he utilizes different types of social media throughout the film (particularly Facebook, YouTube, and AOL), which are all presented in ways that make for a vibrant storytelling technique brimming in sharp personality. This level of personality in Wang’s direction is further elevated by how he is able to seamlessly handle tonal shifts throughout the film. The film knows when to treat us with top-notch humor that is unabashedly goofy (since the film is presented through the perspective 13 year old boy) while also allowing for the film to wind down and let the dramatic beats of the story play out and contain a pay off without a fault. As a result, Sean Wang does a wonderful job in fleshing out his directorial vision for this film in a consistently concrete fashion where he feels every ounce of morale in his presentation as possible.

Top-Tier Performances

Another successful aspect of the film is the cast, who all bring their A-game into giving the most honest portrayals of their characters as they can. Izaac Wang is a massive standout here as Chris, portraying him in a down-to-earth fashion that captures every iota of his immaturity, shyness, and melancholy to a point where i fully believe that i am watching a actual teenage boy on screen. There is also Shirley Chen as Chris’s sister Vivian, who crafts an entirely convincing performance as a sister who at first may seem like she may not love her brother that much, but eventually shows an evolution to her character during her last couple scenes that I found infectiously wholesome. However, I would have to say that the main MVP of the entire cast for me would have to be Joan Chen as Chris’s mother, Chungsing. She gives my personal favorite supporting actress performance in her spectacular, grounded, and emotionally eloquent performance as a mother who feels like she does not get as much respect from the people she lives with as she hopes for despite her best efforts in keeping everything afloat. She has one particular monologue near the end of the film that features some of the most striking acting of the year and one that had me crying lots due to how powerfully she delivered her dialogue. I would also like to give a shoutout towards Chang Li Hua (Sean Wang’s real life grandmother) as Nai Nai, who gives a memorable, hilarious portrayal of a tough but still loving grandma despite her limited screen time. Other strong players in the cast include Macaela Parker, Raul Dial, and the rest of the cast playing Chris’s friends. 

Crafting A Nostalgic Time Capsule

The last element of the film is will touch on is the technical aspects, which I found to be excellent all-around in this film. The cinematography by Sam Davis makes great use of old school-looking film stock to give the film a retro 2000s look and feel to it while also providing great shot compositions & framing that put a ton of emphasis on the emotions that the characters are experiencing, thus making the emotional beats of the film feel all-the-more potent. The editing by Arielle Zakowski has major standout moments that give the film a layer of vibrancy in its presentation while also allowing for moments for the actors to take a moment and express themselves during the more slower scenes, thus making for some routinely perfect pacing from start to finish. The production design was a huge asset for this film as it makes the film feel very much like a time capsule that contains multiple nostalgic elements (ex. old Windows XP computers, iPods, etc.), but not in a manner that feels cynical or pandering. The same applies to the film’s soundtrack, which contains a lovable 2000s feel to it (though i wouldn’t be shocked if these were ACTUAL 2000s songs) that is poured with a ton of love for the time period in which it is representing. Lastly, the musical score by Giosuè Greco is fantastic work that contains just as much heart to it as the film itself does and makes for plenty of beautiful moments that endeared me to my core.

Conclusion/Rating

To wrap this review up, I truly cannot emphasize enough how stellar Dìdi was in every way and how much it deeply affected me on an emotional level. Through its three-dimensional story and characters, charming humor, pitch-perfect pacing, and confident direction, it is without a doubt a huge favorite for me for this year and one that I am very excited to rewatch many times in the near future. Do yourselves a favor and do not miss out on one of the best films that the year has to offer.

Rating: A+ (10/10)

Didi is currently out in limited release in select theaters; will expand during its wide release on August 16th!