Better Days

Shy Nian’s shoulders are not only weighed down by the pressures of taking a merciless exam to enter China’s elite universities, but she has also been singled out by a group of bullying girls as their next victim. A nocturnal encounter brings the girl, who comes from a precarious background, together with the clever small-time crook Bei. When Nian’s school nemesis is found dead, they fall under the suspicion of the police, who are hot on their heels. But Nian and Bei manage to remain one step ahead as they walk the fine line between existential fear and romantic hope. Derek Tsang’s ground-breaking feature film is a blend of police thriller and melodrama that tells of the social and private forces that pull at two young people living in present-day China.