bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

James Mottram

4/5 stars
A cute coming-of-age tale, Didi sprang from the mind of first-time writer-director Sean Wang, who successfully mines his own Asian-American adolescence and the awkwardness it entailed.
Izaac Wang plays Chris, or Wang-Wang as he is better known at home. He lives with his mother (Joan Chen), grandmother (Chang Li Hua) and big sister Vivian (Shirley Chen).
Set in 2008, just as Facebook was becoming a thing and kids were beginning to live their lives online, the film sees Wang-Wang hang out with fellow nerds Fahad (Raul Dial) and “Soup” (Aaron Chang).
But this is no Superbad, where there is camaraderie among friends.


All Wang-Wang wants to do is fit in – the eternal dilemma for teenagers from any background. He comes across a group of cool skater boys and is soon ingratiating himself within their group, claiming he can film their tricks like a pint-sized Spike Jonze.
Like 2018’s Eighth Grade, which perfectly captured the pain of adolescence, Didi – which means “younger brother” in Chinese – has moments that will make you squirm.
Wang-Wang is a character who barely knows himself. He is seeking an identity and trying to navigate his growing feelings towards the fairer sex – and doing it all in a very relatable, ham-fisted way.

He takes a shine to Madi (Mahaela Park) and attempts to woo her by browsing her interests online and claiming he is a fan of the soppy film A Walk to Remember.
Sean Wang explores his own Taiwanese heritage in this delicate film that fits perfectly into the post-John Hughes universe of American teen movies.
One of the real delights is the appearance of Chinese-American actress Joan Chen, known for her work in The Last Emperor and David Lynch’s Twin Peaks.
Here she gives a soulful turn as the boy’s mother, expressing hurt when he is appallingly rude to her in front of the new friends he is trying to impress.
Didi is both charming and real – a killer combination.

Izaac Wang is a notable find as the film’s lead, and you can only hope this role leads to more as he ages through his teen years.
Wang’s directorial debut, which won the US Dramatic Audience Award at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, will leave teenagers and adults alike wincing at its observations.
Want more articles like this? Follow SCMP Film on Facebook


Who are Chris Evans’ sisters, Shanna and Carly? The ‘all singing, all dancing’ siblings grew up with the Marvel star and their other actor brother, Scott Evans, and have attended their Oscar parties

Meet Blake Lively’s ‘angel’ niece, Kate Johnson: Robyn Lively and Bart Johnson’s teenager attends college in New York, and went to Pharrell Williams’ Tiffany event and Ryan Reynolds’ Marvel premiere

Hollywood is ‘really exhausting’ for young women, Florence Pugh says

Who is Connie Angland, Billy Bob Thornton’s 6th wife? Angelina Jolie’s ex, who stars in Taylor Sheridan’s Landman, was hesitant to remarry, but his special FX artist partner might just be for keeps …

American cinema

Didi movie review: Asian-American coming-of-age drama with Joan Chen is a triumphant debut

Izaac Wang in a still from Didi (category: IIB; English, Mandarin), directed by Sean Wang and co-starring Joan Chen and Shirley Chen. Photo: Focus Features/Talking Fish Pictures, LLC.

Izaac Wang and Mahaela Park in a still from Didi. Photo: Focus Features/Talking Fish Pictures, LLC.

Joan Chen and Wang in a still from Didi. Photo: Focus Features/Talking Fish Pictures, LLC.

Apple TV+ movie review: Blitz – Saoirse Ronan stars in Steve McQueen’s World War II drama

Saoirse Ronan as Rita in a still from Blitz. Photo: Apple TV+

Elliott Heffernan as George) and Saoirse Ronan as his mother, Rita, in a still from Blitz, directed by Steve McQueen. Photo: Apple TV+

Saoirse Ronan as Rita and Elliott Heffernan as George in a still from Blitz. Photo: Apple TV+

Modi – Three Days on the Wing of Madness movie review: Johnny Depp-directed artist biopic

Riccardo Scarmacio as Italian Jewish painter Amedeo Modigliani in a still from Modi - Three Days on the Wing of Madness, directed by Johnny Depp. Photo: Modi Production

(From left) Ryan McParland, Riccardo Scamarcio, Luisa Ranieri and Bruno Gouery in a still from Modi – Three Days on the Wing of Madness. Photo: Modi Production

Antonia Desplat in a still from Modi – Three Days on the Wing of Madness. Photo: Modi Production

What killed Bruce Lee? 4 leading theories medical and martial arts experts proposed after his shock death 50 years ago in July, 1973

Bruce Lee on the set of “The Big Boss”. Lee died two years after the movie’s 1971 release, and in the years since, competing theories have been posited as to what exactly killed the martial arts star.  Photo: Yau Leung

Bruce Lee in a still from “Fist of Fury” (1972).

Lee with Taiwanese actress Betty Ting Pei. The two spent time together soon before Lee’s death.

Bruce Lee in a still from “Enter the Dragon” (1973). Photo: TNS

 Lee circa 1970. He had “chronic fluid intake” by virtue of his alcohol- and juice-based diet. Photo: Getty Images

Emmanuelle movie review: Hong Kong-set erotic drama a chic reboot of 70s soft-core classic

Noémie Merlant in a still from Emmanuelle.

Noémie Merlant in the title role in a still from Emmanuelle (category TBC), directed by Audrey Diwan. Naomi Watts and Anthony Wong co-star. Photo: Handout

Noémie Merlant as Emmanuelle and Will Sharpe as Kei in a still from Emmanuelle.

Merlant in the title role in a still from Emmanuelle.

Transformers One movie review: refreshing origin stories of Optimus Prime and Megatron

Orion Pax (left, voiced by Chris Hemsworth) and D-16 (Brian Tyree Henry) in a still from Transformers One (category I), directed by  Josh Cooley.



(From left) D-16 (voiced by Brian Tyree Henry), B-127 (Keegan-Michael Key), Elita-1 (Scarlett Johansson) and Orion Pax (Chris Hemsworth) in a still from Transformers One.

(From left) B-127 (voiced by Keegan-Michael Key), D-16 (Brian Tyree Henry), Orion Pax (Chris Hemsworth) and Elita-1 (Scarlett Johansson) in a still from Transformers One.

Lifestyle

Entertainment

Culture

Film & TV

Izaac Wang and Joan Chen star in Sean Wang’s Sundance winner about a teen navigating adolescence as kids begin living their lives online


Izaac Wang and Joan Chen star in Sean Wang’s Sundance winner about a teen navigating adolescence as kids begin living their lives online.


Film reviews

Cinema

Fame and celebrity

Hollywood

Asian-Americans

What to do in Hong Kong

An assessment or critique of a service, product or creative endeavour.  Film reviews, restaurant reviews, reviews of art exhibitions. (Eg. Crazy Rich Asians: an important film, yes, but a good one?)


Review

Review | Didi movie review: Asian-American coming-of-age drama with Joan Chen is a triumphant debut

Izaac Wang and Joan Chen star in Sean Wang’s Sundance winner about a teen navigating adolescence as kids begin living their lives online