So Long, My Son

"We're waiting to grow old."

2019 3h 5m ZH

🙌

7.7

BANGER

★7.7TMDB · 237

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Two married couples adjust to the vast social and economic changes taking place in China from the 1980s to the present.

“We're waiting to grow old.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Wang Jingchun
Liu Yaojun
Yong Mei
Wang Liyun
Qi Xi
Shen Moli
Du Jiang
Shen Hao
Ai Liya
Li Haiyan
Li Jingjing
Gao Meiyu
Xu Cheng
Shen Yingming
Roy Wang
Liu Xing

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Wang Xiaoshuai
Writers: Wang Xiaoshuai, Mei Ah
Languages: Mandarin
Countries: China

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

At 185 minutes, this is a three-hour-plus commitment — longer than 95% of films ever made.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.1M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 7 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Wang Xiaoshuai, shot by Kim Hyun-seok. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Lee Chatametikool shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Wang Jingchun and Yong Mei and Qi Xi carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "We're waiting to grow old.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt9581076 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Wang Xiaoshuai directs. Kim Hyun-seok behind the camera. Lee Chatametikool cuts. A long sit — settle in. Produced in China. Dialogue in Mandarin.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1At 185 minutes, this is a three-hour-plus commitment — longer than 95% of films ever made.
2Shot for just $0.1M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
3Released 7 years ago.
4Directed by Wang Xiaoshuai, shot by Kim Hyun-seok. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Editor Lee Chatametikool shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Wang Jingchun and Yong Mei and Qi Xi carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "We're waiting to grow old.".
8IMDB entry: tt9581076 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Kim Hyun-seok
Editing: Lee Chatametikool
Makeup / hair: Cliff Wallace
Sound: Fu Kang
Runtime: 185 min · 3h 5m
Status: Released
Budget: $125,000
Original language: ZH
Certification (US): 6
IMDB: So Long, My Son (2019)

Also by

Wang Xiaoshuai

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2024-06-04
★ 7/10
Set against a background of political and social change in China, it follows the life of the married "Yaojun" (Jingchun Wang) and "Liyun" (Mei Yong). They are contented enough until a tragedy disheartens them thoroughly and they move to a more urban existence which doesn't really suit anyone. It's especially problematic for their adopted son "Liu" (Roy Wang) who takes recalcitrance to an whole new level and just walks out on them one day. Initially concerned for his wellbeing, time elapses and they have to face the immediate difficulties of their own lives - at work and emotionally, before concluding that perhaps they ought to return home. It's a story that constantly moves the stability goalposts for the couple - and though their own love remains steadfast, the pressures put upon them by a society that restricts family numbers then evolves slowly into a market economy that endangers their very livelihood and what prosperity they have worked hard for poses increasing challenges. Eventually, they (and us) begin to realise that perhaps it's grief that is lacking from their life. Grief for their earlier loss(es), for allowing that to fester and inhibit much of the joy of later life - and maybe a resentment of the hand they were dealt by fate. the closing scenes are poignantly reconciliatory and though it looks long on the tin, the slowly developing characterisations are really well presented by two actors who deliver a gently effective chemistry that is palpable - is sometimes exasperating, throughout.
badelf2024-12-02
★ 10/10
So Long, My Son: A Masterful Tapestry of Grief and Cultural Transformation Xiaoshuai Wang's So Long, My Son is an extraordinary cinematic experience that weaves a profoundly intimate narrative across three decades of Chinese social upheaval. At its core, this is a film about loss, resilience, and the quiet ways humans may navigate profound personal tragedy. Let's talk performances. Jingchun Wang and Mei Yong are nothing short of revelatory. Jingchun Wang, in particular, delivers what I'll boldly claim is the most nuanced silent character arc I've ever witnessed on film. His ability to communicate entire emotional landscapes with minimal dialogue is breathtaking. Over the film's expansive 185-minute runtime, he transforms before our eyes – not through dramatic gestures, but through microscopic shifts in posture, gaze, and barely perceptible facial expressions. Xiaoshuai Wang's directing is world-class. Despite the lengthy runtime, there's not a single wasted moment. He captures the introverted essence of Chinese cultural communication – those unspoken depths where emotion roils beneath a placid surface. The non-linear storytelling might be initially disorienting (full disclosure below), but this structural technique mirrors the real-life fragmented nature of memory and grief. The film feels like a spiritual reincarnation of Ingmar Bergman's psychological studies – a deep exploration of how grief metastasizes through relationships and generations. What elevates So Long, My Son beyond mere personal drama is its sophisticated engagement with historical context. Set during Deng Xiaoping's Open Door modernization period, the film doesn't just use history as a backdrop; culture becomes another character, influencing and reshaping the protagonists' emotional landscapes. This is humanism at its most nuanced – demonstrating how universal human experiences of loss, love, and survival transcend specific cultural boundaries while remaining distinctly, authentically rooted in a particular time and place. My one critique? Entirely my own limitation: The non-linear narrative and numerous characters required serious concentration from this Caucasian viewer. I think it may have taken me the entire first hour to sort the players and roles. But that's less a flaw of the film and more a testament to its beautiful complexity. So Long, My Son is a masterpiece that demands your full attention and rewards it magnificently. It's the kind of film that doesn't just tell a story, but expands your understanding of storytelling itself.