
Set in modern-day Shanghai, the film follows Lu Min (played by Xiao Bo), a high school student facing the pressure of the college entrance exam. Without a privileged background, his hopes for a better future rest entirely on getting into a top university. His mother, Fangfang (played by Song Dandan), is a thrifty housewife obsessed with winning prizes from TV quiz shows—nearly every appliance in their home comes from her efforts. His father, Dayi (played by Fu Biao), struggles to find stable work after being laid off, failing one re-employment program after another. After briefly landing a job as a bar companion, he ends up in the hospital due to poor alcohol tolerance. Each member of the family is caught in their own test of life, navigating hardship with resilience, like countless ordinary families striving to hold on.
Carolina Caroline follows Caroline (Samara Weaving), a bored young woman dreaming of escaping a small Texas town where nothing ever happens. When she meets Oliver (Kyle Gallner) at her workplace while he is conning the owner, she sees her perfect opportunity to get out. Their whirlwind romance strongly echoes Bonnie and Clyde, as the two quickly embark on a bank-robbing spree.
Shakti’ is a survival guide for women all over the world.
Neo Sora left a realistic and yet hopeful notion for the near future and the now.
Throughout the film, Kate desperately tries keeping her status as an influential YouTuber; however, her follower and view count crumble, mirroring the world around her.
A wondrously imaginative, diverse, and spirited allegory of childhood and the arduousness of adulthood.