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Poster for Lilya 4-ever

Lilya 4-ever

Seen it?

2002 | 109 min | Drama, Crime

Sunday Safe Bet

Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet

Critics loved it (84% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had a box office loss. A safe bet when you want something reliable.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for crime-drama fans. If you loved Changeling, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
The mood
Dark and gritty.
The pace
Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 49 min.
What might put you off
  • Rated R: expect sex.
  • It's in Swedish, so expect subtitles (or a dub).

In a struggling post-Soviet community, Lilya a teenage girl is abandoned when her mother moves to the United States with her boyfriend. Facing neglect and poverty, she meets Andrei, who offers her a job in Sweden, giving her hope for a better life — and a journey that will change everything.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsVery strong

    84% on Rotten Tomatoes, 83 on Metacritic

  • AudiencesSolid

    7.6 out of 10

  • AwardsWeak

    1 win and 3 nominations from smaller awards and festivals

  • Box office & staying powerWeak

    $1 million worldwide on a $3 million budget

  • Buzz & cultural impactSolid

    About 192K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Lukas Moodysson

  • Oksana AkinshinaLilja
  • Artyom BogucharskyVolodja
  • Ljubov AgapovaLilja's Mother
  • Liilia ŠinkarjovaAunt Anna
  • Elina BenensonNatasha
  • Pavel PonomaryovAndrei
  • Tomasz NeumanWitek
  • Anastasiya BedredinovaNeighbor
  • Tõnu KarkSergei
  • Nikolai BentslerNatasha's Boyfriend