Living the Land
Seen it?2025 | 132 min | Drama, Comedy
Saturday Specialearly ratingWhy it’s a Saturday Special
Critics loved it (100% on Rotten Tomatoes), despite almost no lasting buzz. A strong pick for the weekend.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who wants a laugh. If you loved Boyhood, start here.
- The mood
- Funny with heart.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 2 hr 12 min.
- What might put you off
- It's in Chinese, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
With both parents working far away, ten-year-old Chuang is being raised by extended family in his home village, where thousands of years of rural tradition collide with the socio-economic changes of China in the early 1990s.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
100% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesNot counted
Not measured yet: not enough ratings
- AwardsWeak
Won 1 Berlin award: Berlin International Film Festival: Silver Bear for Best Director. Also nominated for 2 more Berlin awards.
- Reach & staying powerBelow par
Streaming release that reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactWeak
About 15K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Want more like this, picked just for you? Get my picks
Cast & crew
Directed by Huo Meng
- Wang ShangXu Chuang
- Zhang ChuwenLi Xiuying
- Zhang YanrongMrs. Li-Wang
- Zhang CaixiaSun Guilan
- Cao LingzhiWang Cuifang
- Zhou HaotianJihua
- Jiang YienLaidan
- Kaidong Yang
- Liu Hongai
- Zhong WanUncle Tuanjie