The Farewell (2019)

The Farewell (2019) — Comedy / Drama A tender, bittersweet family drama laced with wry humor: The Farewell follows Billi, a headstrong Chinese‑American woman who returns to her family’s hometown in China when her beloved grandmother (Nai Nai) is quietly diagnosed with terminal cancer. Rather than tell Nai Nai the truth, the extended family stages a hurried, made‑up wedding so everyone can gather and say goodbye without shattering her peace. Caught between Western honesty and Chinese traditions of protecting loved ones from pain, Billi wrestles with her conscience, family loyalty, and what it means to belong. What you’ll experience: intimate, quietly powerful scenes and small, funny domestic moments that build into a moving emotional payoff. The film balances gentle comedy with genuine grief, highlighting cultural clashes, generational bonds, and the awkward, loving ways families try to cope. Expect thoughtful pacing, naturalistic performances, and a steady undercurrent of melancholy relieved by warmth and occasional laughs. It’s a human, relatable portrait of love, loss, and the compromises families make — likely to leave you both smiling and tearful.

Actors: Shuzhen Zhao, Awkwafina, X Mayo

Director: Lulu Wang

Runtime: 100 min

Genres: Comedy, Drama

6.7 /10 89 /100 7.5 /10 7.7 /10