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| name=Us and Them
| name=Us and Them
| image=usandthem2018.jpg
| image=usandthem2018.jpg
| caption=film poster
| caption=Theatrical release poster
| native_name={{Infobox name module|traditional={{linktext|後來|的|我們}}|simplified={{linktext|后来|的|我们}}|pinyin=Hòulái de Wǒmen|translation=Who We Will Be}}
| native_name={{Infobox Chinese/Chinese|child=yes|hide=no|header=none|t={{linktext|後來|的|我們}}|s={{linktext|后来|的|我们}}|p=Hòulái de Wǒmen|l=Who We Will Be}}
| producer=[[Zhang Yibai]]
| producer=[[Zhang Yibai]]
| director=[[Rene Liu]]
| director=[[Rene Liu]]
| starring={{Unbulleted list|[[Jing Boran]]|[[Zhou Dongyu]]|[[Tian Zhuangzhuang]]}}
| starring={{Unbulleted list|[[Jing Boran]]|[[Zhou Dongyu]]|[[Tian Zhuangzhuang]]}}
| cinematography=[[Mark Lee Ping-bing]]
| cinematography=[[Mark Lee Ping-bing]]
| distributor=[[Tianjin Maoyan Culture Media]] <small>(Mainland China)</small><br>[[Netflix]] <small>(International)</small><br>Deltamac <small>(Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan)</small>
| distributor=[[Tianjin Maoyan Culture Media]] <small>(Mainland China)</small><br />[[Netflix]] <small>(International)</small><br />Deltamac <small>(Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan)</small>
| released={{film date|2018|4|28|Mainland China|2018|6|22|International|2018|8|2|Hong Kong}}
| released={{film date|2018|4|28|Mainland China|2018|6|22|International|2018|8|2|Hong Kong}}
| country=China
| country=China
| language=Mandarin
| language=Mandarin
| budget =
| budget =
| gross = $209 million<ref>https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/intl/?page=&wk=2018W17&id=_fUSANDTHEM01</ref>
| gross = $209 million<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/intl/?page=&wk=2018W17&id=_fUSANDTHEM01 |title=Us and Them |publisher=Box Office Mojo by IMDbPro}}</ref>
}}
}}
'''''Us and Them''''' ({{zh|c=后来的我们}}, lit. "The Past Us") is a Chinese romantic [[drama film]] directed by Taiwanese singer-actress [[Rene Liu]] in her directorial debut and produced by [[Zhang Yibai]]. The film stars [[Jing Boran]], [[Zhou Dongyu]] and [[Tian Zhuangzhuang]], and was released on April 28, 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://epaper.xkb.com.cn/view/1101578|title=《后来的我们》刘若英眼里的"百味春运"|date=2018-02-13|language=zh|newspaper=Xin Kuai Bao|trans-title=''Us and Them: The Kaleidoscope of [[Chunyun]] in Rene Liu's Eyes}}</ref> The films explores the relationship between a man and a woman who share the same rural hometown and try to find fulfillment together in Beijing in the face of economic, social, familial, and romantic adversity.
'''''Us and Them''''' ({{zh|s=后来的我们|l=The Future Us}}) is a 2018 Chinese [[romantic film|romantic]] [[drama film]] directed by Taiwanese singer-actress [[Rene Liu]] in her directorial debut and produced by [[Zhang Yibai]]. The film stars [[Jing Boran]] and [[Zhou Dongyu]], and was released on April 28, 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://epaper.xkb.com.cn/view/1101578|title=《后来的我们》刘若英眼里的"百味春运"|date=2018-02-13|language=zh|website=Epaper.xkb.com.cn|trans-title=''Us and Them'': The Kaleidoscope of Chunyun in Rene Liu's Eyes}}</ref> The film explores the relationship between a man and a woman who share the same rural hometown and try to find personal and professional fulfillments together in Beijing in the face of economic, social, familial, and romantic adversity.


⚫
==Plot==<!-- Word count should be 400-700 per [[WP:FILMPLOT]] -->
==Plot==
⚫
The story is told between the past and the present, the "us" and the "them". The scenes in the past are presented in color while scenes in the present are in black and white.
⚫
{{Long plot|section|date=August 2020}}<!-- Word count should be 400-700 per [[WP:FILMPLOT]] -->
⚫
The story is told while flipping between the past and the present, the "us" and the "them", with scenes in the past being filmed in colour while scenes in the present being filmed in black and white.


During the hectic ''[[Chunyun]]'' period, two strangers, Lin Jianqing and Fang Xiaoxiao, traveling home meet on the train. Jianqing and Xiaoxiao becomes friends and find out that they are both living in [[Beijing]], trying to find success. Jianqing wants to become a game-maker but has to deal with financial issues as well as lack of time. Xiaoxiao lives with her boyfriend in Beijing, but she leaves him due to an issue with his mother. Xiaoxiao moves in with Jianqing who is living in a tiny room in a complex, and the two of them make money by selling computer software and Japanese porn.
During the [[Chunyun]] period, two strangers, Lin Jianqing and Fang Xiaoxiao, meet on the train while traveling home. They become friends and find out that they are both living in [[Beijing]], trying to find success. Jianqing wants to become a game-maker but has to deal with financial issues as well as lack of time. Xiaoxiao lives with her boyfriend in Beijing, but she leaves him due to an issue with his mother. Xiaoxiao then moves into Jianqing's tiny room in a complex. Two of them make money selling computer softwares and Japanese porns.


In the present tense a grown and successful Jianqing meets with Xiaoxiao in a hotel while he is on a trip. They sit and talked about life growing up in Beijing and about how they really felt for each other. The story then goes back to the past and during Chinese New Year while Jianqing and Xiaoxiao are getting drunk, they end up having sex. They begin a relationship, but it is unsteady due to the financial issues as well as Jianqing's lack of understanding of what Xiaoxiao really wants. In order to not feel like he is a failure to his high school friends, Jianqing pretends to be a successful game maker when he is celebrating with his friends and ends up using all of his money to buy them a nice expensive dinner. The two of them return home during the Chunyun period, and spend time with Jianqing's father. Jianqing's father tells him that he doesn't need to act rich to his friends if he is not.
In the present day, Jianqing coincidentally encounters Xiaoxiao during a Chunyun flight. They room together for the night due to a flight delay and reminisce about their relationship. The story then goes back to the past. During Chinese New Year, Jianqing and Xiaoxiao get drunk and have sex, thus beginning their relationship. At the onset, things were good as they both got new jobs. At the next New Years party, Jianqing spends a lot of money to impress his friends back home. Two of them return home during the Chunyun period, and spend time with Jianqing's father. Jianqing's father tells him that he doesn't need to act rich to his friends if he is not.


One day the manager at the complex that they stay in tells them that they can no longer stay there and she is having a friend take over. While at work Jianqing snaps at a caller and curses at him, which the caller comes to the business and the two of them fight. Jianqing becomes increasingly angry at life, and he even scolds his dad for calling him, but after realizing what he said, wishes his dad a happy new year. The relationship of the two becomes even more distraught and Xiaoxiao eventually boards a train and breaks up with Lin, who has been ignoring her to play video games. Jianqing notices that she has gone and finds she has already boarded a train, but he does not talk to her and just watches her leave. He becomes determined to work and finish his game, now having the time and motivation to get things going, and the game becomes a big hit. He eventually gets a job deal and starts making money. Xiaoxiao sees Jianqing on the news in an interview where he talks about the inspiration of the game's story and how it ties back to her.
One day, the manager evicts the couple from the complex. While at work, Jianqing picks a fight with a caller and gets beaten up. The couple begins to disconnect as Jianqing becomes increasingly angry and distant, picking fights with strangers and arguing with his father. Xiaoxiao breaks up with Jianqing while he was gaming. When Jianqing notices Xiaoxiao's absence, he runs out and finds her on a subway train. They stand in silence as the train departs. He becomes determined to work and finishes his game, which becomes a big hit and lands him a job. Xiaoxiao sees Jianqing on the news where he talks about the inspiration of the game's story and how it ties back to her.


That year during the Chunyun festival Jianqing asks Xiaoxiao if she will go together with him to their hometown, which she does. Jianqing's father informs him that he is at the early stages of blindness. While eating dinner with Jianqing's father, he tells his father to leave his "crappy" restaurant and move in with him in Beijing so he can take care of him. His father becomes upset and tells Jianqing that his "crappy" restaurant helped fed his family for over 20 years. He refuses to leave and Jianqing berates his dad. Jianqing gets up and leaves, with Xiaoxiao following him. Jianqing asks Xiaoxiao to return to him and give him a second chance, now that he has money he can finally give her the life he had always promised. Xiaoxiao tells Jianqing that she didn't stay with him because she hoped he would get rich and buy her a house, but because she liked him. She tells him that he doesn't understand her and never has, and then leaves.
That year, during the Chunyun festival, Jianqing asks Xiaoxiao if she will go together with him to their hometown, which she does. Jianqing's father informs them that he is slowly becoming blind. He refuses to move to Beijing when Jianqing berates the family restaurant and tells him to move to Beijing so that Jianqing can take care of him. Jianqing leaves, with Xiaoxiao following him. On the street, Jianqing asks Xiaoxiao to give him a second chance now that he's successful. Xiaoxiao tells Jianqing that she didn't stay with him because she hoped he would get rich and buy her a house, but because she liked him. She tells him that he doesn't understand her and never has, and then leaves.


The story then returns to the present and it is shown that Xiaoxiao is still struggling and single. Jianqing is revealed to have a wife and children, living successfully. The two tearfully ask each other if the young love they had years ago was real, and Xiaoxiao admits that she really loved him. She tells him that maybe they were destined to meet on the train home, and maybe they were also destined to not be together. Jianqing drives Xiaoxiao home and says goodbye. She tells him that they never really had a "real" goodbye before, so she gives him a friendly emotional hug and they say their goodbyes. Jianqing tells Xiaoxiao that she will find true love again one day. While returning home with his wife, Jianqing's father mistakenly calls her Xiaoxiao, to which Jianqing tries to not react. It is later revealed that Jianqing's father was already blind and thought his son had married Xiaoxiao, but quickly realized it wasn't her. He writes Xiaoxiao a final letter, telling her that he wishes she would have ended up with his son, but life doesn't go according to plan. He called Jianqing's wife Xiaoxiao because he wanted Jianqing to marry her so badly. Jianqing's father passes away and Jianqing goes to his father's restaurant, reminiscing about the past.
The story then returns to the present. It is revealed that Xiaoxiao is single whereas Jianqing is married with a child. The two tearfully ask each other if the young love they had years ago was real, and Xiaoxiao admits that she really loved him. She tells him that maybe they were destined to meet on the train home, and maybe they were also destined to not be together.


Jianqing drives Xiaoxiao home. They hug and formally say their goodbyes. Jianqing tells Xiaoxiao that she will find true love again one day.
⚫
At the end, Xiaoxiao plays through the game, finding the hidden messages for her in the story written by Jianqing. Colour returns to the present timeline as they reconcile with the past.

While returning home with his wife, Jianqing's father mistakenly calls her Xiaoxiao, to which Jianqing tries to not react. It is later revealed that Jianqing's father was already blind and thought his son had married Xiaoxiao, but quickly realized it wasn't her. He writes Xiaoxiao a final letter, telling her that he wishes she would have ended up with his son, but life doesn't go according to plan. He called Jianqing's wife Xiaoxiao because he wanted Jianqing to marry her so badly.

After Jianqing's father died, Jianqing goes to the restaurant and reminisces.

⚫
At the end, Xiaoxiao plays through the Jianqing's game, finding the hidden messages for her at the end. Color returns to the present timeline as they reconcile with the past.


==Cast==
==Cast==
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==Production==
==Production==
The script was created by Zhang Biyai based on a short story ''Home for Chinese New Year''. Jing Boran claims to have first read the script "by accident and immediately fell in love with it. Then I met René and we talked about my views on the script and my ideas. We found that we agreed with each other, and therefore I decided to take up the role."<ref name="entertainment.com.ph">http://entertainment.com.ph/2018/06/25/us-them-breaks-barriers-in-china/</ref>
The script was created by Zhang Biyai based on a short story ''Home for Chinese New Year''. Jing Boran claims to have first read the script "by accident and immediately fell in love with it. Then I met René and we talked about my views on the script and my ideas. We found that we agreed with each other, and therefore I decided to take up the role."<ref name="entertainment.com.ph">{{Cite web |url=http://entertainment.com.ph/2018/06/25/us-them-breaks-barriers-in-china/ |title='Us & Them' breaks barriers in China |access-date=2018-12-30 |archive-date=2018-12-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181230184113/http://entertainment.com.ph/2018/06/25/us-them-breaks-barriers-in-china/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>


The film was shot in [[Hailar District|Hailar]], one of China's coldest places, in winter 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/c/2017-12-23/doc-ifypvuqf4582136.shtml|title=刘若英导演处女作《后来的我们》宣布杀青|trans-title=Filming wraps up for Rene Liu's directorial debut ''Us and Them''|date=2017-12-23|website=[[Sina Corp]]|language=zh}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://tv.cntv.cn/video/C10205/c85a89c4c36c3de24e89ccd00a4e5c44|title=井柏然周冬雨合作新戏海拉尔极寒拍摄被冻坏|website=[[China Network Television]]|language=zh|trans-title=Zhou Dongyu and Jing Boran "freezing" while filming new movie in Hailar's extreme cold weather|date=2018-01-26}}</ref> Liu remarked that shooting scenes in minus 40 degrees Celsius weather was painfully cold.<ref name="cherry">{{cite news|author1=Zhang Rui|title=Eason Chan sings wistful theme for Rene Liu's new film|url=http://www.china.org.cn/arts/2018-04/13/content_50873768.htm|access-date=30 December 2018|work=china.org.cn|date=13 April 2018}}</ref>
The film was shot in [[Hailar District|Hailar]], one of China's coldest places, in winter 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/c/2017-12-23/doc-ifypvuqf4582136.shtml|title=刘若英导演处女作《后来的我们》宣布杀青|trans-title=Filming wraps up for Rene Liu's directorial debut ''Us and Them''|date=2017-12-23|website=[[Sina Corp]]|language=zh}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://tv.cntv.cn/video/C10205/c85a89c4c36c3de24e89ccd00a4e5c44|title=井柏然周冬雨合作新戏海拉尔极寒拍摄被冻坏|website=[[China Network Television]]|language=zh|trans-title=Zhou Dongyu and Jing Boran "freezing" while filming new movie in Hailar's extreme cold weather|date=2018-01-26|access-date=2018-02-16|archive-date=2018-10-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181031052351/http://tv.cntv.cn/video/C10205/c85a89c4c36c3de24e89ccd00a4e5c44|url-status=dead}}</ref> Liu remarked that shooting scenes in minus 40 degrees Celsius weather was painfully cold.<ref name="cherry">{{cite news|author1=Zhang Rui|title=Eason Chan sings wistful theme for Rene Liu's new film|url=http://www.china.org.cn/arts/2018-04/13/content_50873768.htm|access-date=30 December 2018|work=china.org.cn|date=13 April 2018}}</ref>


Taihai Publishing released a 288-page book by the director and her thoughts throughout the production, including on-set photography.
Taihai Publishing released a 288-page book by the director and her thoughts throughout the production, including on-set photography.


==Music==
==Music==
[[Hong Kong]] pop singer [[Eason Chan]] sang the theme song for the film. The song was composed by Chen Chien-ci and written by Ge Dawei, and the music video was directed by Shen Xiaowei. The music video was released on April 10, 2018, receiving 2 million views in just two hours.<ref name="cherry" />
Cantopop singer [[Eason Chan]] sang the theme song for the film. The song was composed by George Chen and written by David Ke, and the music video was directed by Shen Xiaowei. The music video was released on April 10, 2018, receiving 2 million views in just two hours.<ref name="cherry" />


==Release==
==Release==
The film premiered on April 23, 2018 in Beijing.<ref>http://ent.163.com/18/0424/10/DG5B5OE7000380D0.html</ref>
The film premiered on April 23, 2018 in Beijing.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.163.com/ent/article/DG5B5OE7000380D0.html|title=电影《后来的我们》首映 陈可辛夸哭刘若英|date=24 April 2018|website=163.com|access-date=16 November 2021}}</ref>


At the [[2018 Cannes Film Festival]], [[Netflix]] bought exclusive distribution rights to the film everywhere outside of [[China]].<ref>[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cannes-netflix-takes-chinese-blockbuster-us-them-world-1109132 Cannes: Netflix Takes Chinese Blockbuster 'Us and Them' for the World (Exclusive)]</ref> The film was released on the service on June 22, 2018.<ref>[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/netflix-june-2018-new-releases-movies-tv-1114362/item/netflixs-new-releases-coming-june-2018-june-22-1114638 Netflix's New Releases Coming in June 2018]</ref> Liu remarked, "I am honored that the film was chosen as Netflix’s first Chinese language original film."<ref name="entertainment.com.ph"/>
At the [[2018 Cannes Film Festival]], [[Netflix]] bought exclusive distribution rights to the film everywhere outside of [[China]].<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/cannes-netflix-takes-chinese-blockbuster-us-them-world-1109132/|title=Cannes: Netflix Takes Chinese Blockbuster 'Us and Them' for the World (Exclusive)|first=Patrick|last=Brzeski|website=Hollywoodreporter.com|date=7 May 2018|access-date=16 November 2021}}</ref> The film was released on the service on June 22, 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/netflix-june-2018-new-releases-movies-tv-1114362/|title=Netflix's New Releases Coming in June 2018|first=Katherine|last=Schaffstall|website=Hollywoodreporter.com|date=2 June 2018|access-date=16 November 2021}}</ref> Liu remarked, "I am honored that the film was chosen as Netflix’s first Chinese language original film."<ref name="entertainment.com.ph"/>


==Reception==
==Reception==
⚫
===Box office===

⚫
''Us and Them'' was a hit in China, earning $191 million over its first two weekends.<ref name="auto"/> There was controversy over its $88.8 million May Day weekend opening, and whether ticket sales were inflated through refundable tickets <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2018/film/asia/china-box-office-questions-us-and-them-holiday-weekend-1202791492/|title=China Box Office: Questions Surround 'Us and Them' $88 Million Holiday Weekend Win|first=Patrick|last=Frater|website=Variety.com|date=30 April 2018|access-date=16 November 2021}}</ref> with a rival studio suing over the allegations.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://chinafilminsider.com/headlines-from-china-box-office-hit-us-and-them-sued-for-unfair-competition/|title=Headlines from China: Box Office Hit 'Us and Them' Sued for Unfair Competition &#124;|website=Chinafilminsider.com|access-date=16 November 2021}}</ref> Maoyuan, the online ticket sales platform accused of malpractice, attributed the abnormal refunds to high-demand for pre-sale tickets and scalpers.{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}} The success of the movie made Liu the first female Chinese filmmaker with a film earning over one billion yuan.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.inkstonenews.com/arts/chinese-women-filmmakers-topping-box-office/article/2153842|title=Chinese women filmmakers are blazing a path|website=Inkstonenews.com|access-date=16 November 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fi-ct-china-box-office-us-them-20180509-story.html|title='Us and Them' becomes first film by mainland Chinese female director to gross more than 1 billion yuan|date=9 May 2018|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=16 November 2021}}</ref>
⚫
===Box Office===
⚫
Us and Them was a hit in China, earning $191 million over its first two weekends.<ref>https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cannes-netflix-takes-chinese-blockbuster-us-them-world-1109132</ref> There was controversy over its $88.8 million May Day weekend opening, and whether ticket sales were inflated through refundable tickets <ref>https://variety.com/2018/film/asia/china-box-office-questions-us-and-them-holiday-weekend-1202791492/</ref> with a rival studio suing over the allegations.<ref>http://chinafilminsider.com/headlines-from-china-box-office-hit-us-and-them-sued-for-unfair-competition/</ref> Maoyuan, the online ticket sales platform accused of malpractice, attributed the abnormal refunds to high-demand for pre-sale tickets and scalpers.{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}} The success of the movie made Liu the first female Chinese filmmaker with a film earning over one billion yuan.<ref>https://www.inkstonenews.com/arts/chinese-women-filmmakers-topping-box-office/article/2153842</ref><ref>https://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fi-ct-china-box-office-us-them-20180509-story.html</ref>


===Critical response===
===Critical response===
On [[Rotten Tomatoes]] the film has an approval rating of 100% based on reviews from 6 critics.<ref>{{cite web |title=Us & Them (2018) |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/us_and_them_2018 |language=en }}</ref> It holds a score of 5.9/10 based on 224453 user ratings on Chinese-language Douban<ref>https://movie.douban.com/subject/26683723/</ref> and 6.3 on Chinese-language Mtime.<ref>http://movie.mtime.com/253823/</ref> Eddie Strait of the Daily Dot remarked that, "[Liu] is a generous storyteller, unafraid to let her characters make mistakes but never vilifying them.".<ref>https://www.dailydot.com/upstream/us-and-them-netflix-review/</ref> Joe Reid of ''Decider.com'' described it as "a simple but beautifully filmed love story that touches upon the economic realities of the world [...]"<ref>https://decider.com/2018/06/24/us-and-them-on-netflix-stream-it-or-skip-it/</ref> John Berra of ''Screen Daily'' commented on how, "Liu deftly handles the peaks and troughs of young love, eliciting winning performances from Jing and Zhou."<ref>https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/us-and-them-review/5128687.article</ref> Bhaskar Chattopadhyay of ''First Post'' highlighted the parental dynamic between Jianqing's father and Xiaoxiao: "It is the sort of writing, the kind of performance that one hopes to see in a film, and it literally saves the film from being just another love story, elevating it to a whole new level altogether."<ref>https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/us-and-them-movie-review-beautifully-crafted-romantic-film-with-a-sensitive-take-on-fragile-relationships-4637901.html</ref> On October 19, 2018, Vulture ranked it as #43 in its list of ''Every Netflix Original Movie, Ranked''.<ref>Every Netflix Original Movie, Ranked</ref>
On [[Rotten Tomatoes]] the film has an approval rating of 100% based on reviews from six critics.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/us_and_them_2018|title=Us and Them (2018)|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|publisher=[[Fandango Media|Fandango]]|access-date={{RT data|access date}}}}</ref>
It holds a score of 5.9/10 based on 224453 user ratings on Chinese-language Douban<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://movie.douban.com/subject/26683723/|title=后来的我们|access-date=16 November 2021|website=Movie.douban.com}}</ref> and 6.3 on Chinese-language Mtime.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://movie.mtime.com/253823/|title=Mtime时光网 —— 影片|website=Movie.mtime.com|access-date=16 November 2021}}</ref> Eddie Strait of the Daily Dot remarked that, "[Liu] is a generous storyteller, unafraid to let her characters make mistakes but never vilifying them.".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dailydot.com/upstream/us-and-them-netflix-review/|title='Us and Them' is a bittersweet romantic drama, done right|date=24 June 2018|website=Dailydot.com|access-date=16 November 2021}}</ref> Joe Reid of ''Decider.com'' described it as "a simple but beautifully filmed love story that touches upon the economic realities of the world [...]"<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://decider.com/2018/06/24/us-and-them-on-netflix-stream-it-or-skip-it/|title=Stream It or Skip It: 'Us and Them' on Netflix Is a Blockbuster Chinese Romance|website=Decider.com|date=24 June 2018|access-date=16 November 2021}}</ref> John Berra of ''Screen Daily'' commented on how, "Liu deftly handles the peaks and troughs of young love, eliciting winning performances from Jing and Zhou."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/us-and-them-review/5128687.article|title='Us And Them': Review|first=John|last=Berra2018-04-30T13:41:00+01:00|website=Screendaily.com|access-date=16 November 2021}}</ref> Bhaskar Chattopadhyay of ''First Post'' highlighted the parental dynamic between Jianqing's father and Xiaoxiao: "It is the sort of writing, the kind of performance that one hopes to see in a film, and it literally saves the film from being just another love story, elevating it to a whole new level altogether."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/us-and-them-movie-review-beautifully-crafted-romantic-film-with-a-sensitive-take-on-fragile-relationships-4637901.html|title=Us and Them movie review: Beautifully crafted romantic film with a sensitive take on fragile relationships|date=1 July 2018|website=Firstpost.com|access-date=16 November 2021}}</ref> On October 19, 2018, Vulture ranked it as #43 in its list of ''Every Netflix Original Movie, Ranked''.


== Accolades ==
== Accolades ==
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[[Category:2018 films]]
[[Category:2018 films]]
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[[Category:Films shot in Inner Mongolia]]
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[[Category:Chinese films]]
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[[Category:Chinese drama films]]
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[[Category:Mandarin-language Netflix original films]]
[[Category:2018 directorial debut films]]
[[Category:2018 directorial debut films]]
[[Category:2018 drama films]]
[[Category:2018 drama films]]
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[[Category:2010s Mandarin-language films]]
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[[Category:Films shot in Inner Mongolia]]
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[[Category:Chinese drama films]]
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[[Category:Netflix original films]]

Latest revision as of 10:27, 20 November 2024

Us and Them
Theatrical release poster
Traditional Chinese後來的我們
Simplified Chinese后来的我们
Literal meaningWho We Will Be
Hanyu PinyinHòulái de Wǒmen
Directed byRene Liu
Produced byZhang Yibai
Starring
CinematographyMark Lee Ping-bing
Distributed byTianjin Maoyan Culture Media (Mainland China)
Netflix (International)
Deltamac (Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan)
Release dates
  • April 28, 2018 (2018-04-28) (Mainland China)
  • June 22, 2018 (2018-06-22) (International)
  • August 2, 2018 (2018-08-02) (Hong Kong)
CountryChina
LanguageMandarin
Box office$209 million[1]

Us and Them (Chinese: 后来的我们; lit. 'The Future Us') is a 2018 Chinese romantic drama film directed by Taiwanese singer-actress Rene Liu in her directorial debut and produced by Zhang Yibai. The film stars Jing Boran and Zhou Dongyu, and was released on April 28, 2018.[2] The film explores the relationship between a man and a woman who share the same rural hometown and try to find personal and professional fulfillments together in Beijing in the face of economic, social, familial, and romantic adversity.

Plot

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The story is told between the past and the present, the "us" and the "them". The scenes in the past are presented in color while scenes in the present are in black and white.

During the Chunyun period, two strangers, Lin Jianqing and Fang Xiaoxiao, meet on the train while traveling home. They become friends and find out that they are both living in Beijing, trying to find success. Jianqing wants to become a game-maker but has to deal with financial issues as well as lack of time. Xiaoxiao lives with her boyfriend in Beijing, but she leaves him due to an issue with his mother. Xiaoxiao then moves into Jianqing's tiny room in a complex. Two of them make money selling computer softwares and Japanese porns.

In the present day, Jianqing coincidentally encounters Xiaoxiao during a Chunyun flight. They room together for the night due to a flight delay and reminisce about their relationship. The story then goes back to the past. During Chinese New Year, Jianqing and Xiaoxiao get drunk and have sex, thus beginning their relationship. At the onset, things were good as they both got new jobs. At the next New Years party, Jianqing spends a lot of money to impress his friends back home. Two of them return home during the Chunyun period, and spend time with Jianqing's father. Jianqing's father tells him that he doesn't need to act rich to his friends if he is not.

One day, the manager evicts the couple from the complex. While at work, Jianqing picks a fight with a caller and gets beaten up. The couple begins to disconnect as Jianqing becomes increasingly angry and distant, picking fights with strangers and arguing with his father. Xiaoxiao breaks up with Jianqing while he was gaming. When Jianqing notices Xiaoxiao's absence, he runs out and finds her on a subway train. They stand in silence as the train departs. He becomes determined to work and finishes his game, which becomes a big hit and lands him a job. Xiaoxiao sees Jianqing on the news where he talks about the inspiration of the game's story and how it ties back to her.

That year, during the Chunyun festival, Jianqing asks Xiaoxiao if she will go together with him to their hometown, which she does. Jianqing's father informs them that he is slowly becoming blind. He refuses to move to Beijing when Jianqing berates the family restaurant and tells him to move to Beijing so that Jianqing can take care of him. Jianqing leaves, with Xiaoxiao following him. On the street, Jianqing asks Xiaoxiao to give him a second chance now that he's successful. Xiaoxiao tells Jianqing that she didn't stay with him because she hoped he would get rich and buy her a house, but because she liked him. She tells him that he doesn't understand her and never has, and then leaves.

The story then returns to the present. It is revealed that Xiaoxiao is single whereas Jianqing is married with a child. The two tearfully ask each other if the young love they had years ago was real, and Xiaoxiao admits that she really loved him. She tells him that maybe they were destined to meet on the train home, and maybe they were also destined to not be together.

Jianqing drives Xiaoxiao home. They hug and formally say their goodbyes. Jianqing tells Xiaoxiao that she will find true love again one day.

While returning home with his wife, Jianqing's father mistakenly calls her Xiaoxiao, to which Jianqing tries to not react. It is later revealed that Jianqing's father was already blind and thought his son had married Xiaoxiao, but quickly realized it wasn't her. He writes Xiaoxiao a final letter, telling her that he wishes she would have ended up with his son, but life doesn't go according to plan. He called Jianqing's wife Xiaoxiao because he wanted Jianqing to marry her so badly.

After Jianqing's father died, Jianqing goes to the restaurant and reminisces.

At the end, Xiaoxiao plays through the Jianqing's game, finding the hidden messages for her at the end. Color returns to the present timeline as they reconcile with the past.

Cast

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Production

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The script was created by Zhang Biyai based on a short story Home for Chinese New Year. Jing Boran claims to have first read the script "by accident and immediately fell in love with it. Then I met René and we talked about my views on the script and my ideas. We found that we agreed with each other, and therefore I decided to take up the role."[3]

The film was shot in Hailar, one of China's coldest places, in winter 2017.[4][5] Liu remarked that shooting scenes in minus 40 degrees Celsius weather was painfully cold.[6]

Taihai Publishing released a 288-page book by the director and her thoughts throughout the production, including on-set photography.

Music

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Cantopop singer Eason Chan sang the theme song for the film. The song was composed by George Chen and written by David Ke, and the music video was directed by Shen Xiaowei. The music video was released on April 10, 2018, receiving 2 million views in just two hours.[6]

Release

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The film premiered on April 23, 2018 in Beijing.[7]

At the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, Netflix bought exclusive distribution rights to the film everywhere outside of China.[8] The film was released on the service on June 22, 2018.[9] Liu remarked, "I am honored that the film was chosen as Netflix’s first Chinese language original film."[3]

Reception

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Box office

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Us and Them was a hit in China, earning $191 million over its first two weekends.[8] There was controversy over its $88.8 million May Day weekend opening, and whether ticket sales were inflated through refundable tickets [10] with a rival studio suing over the allegations.[11] Maoyuan, the online ticket sales platform accused of malpractice, attributed the abnormal refunds to high-demand for pre-sale tickets and scalpers.[citation needed] The success of the movie made Liu the first female Chinese filmmaker with a film earning over one billion yuan.[12][13]

Critical response

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On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 100% based on reviews from six critics.[14]

It holds a score of 5.9/10 based on 224453 user ratings on Chinese-language Douban[15] and 6.3 on Chinese-language Mtime.[16] Eddie Strait of the Daily Dot remarked that, "[Liu] is a generous storyteller, unafraid to let her characters make mistakes but never vilifying them.".[17] Joe Reid of Decider.com described it as "a simple but beautifully filmed love story that touches upon the economic realities of the world [...]"[18] John Berra of Screen Daily commented on how, "Liu deftly handles the peaks and troughs of young love, eliciting winning performances from Jing and Zhou."[19] Bhaskar Chattopadhyay of First Post highlighted the parental dynamic between Jianqing's father and Xiaoxiao: "It is the sort of writing, the kind of performance that one hopes to see in a film, and it literally saves the film from being just another love story, elevating it to a whole new level altogether."[20] On October 19, 2018, Vulture ranked it as #43 in its list of Every Netflix Original Movie, Ranked.

Accolades

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Year Awards Ceremony Award Name Result
2018 55th Golden Horse Awards Best New Director Liu Ruoying Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Tian Zhuangzhuang Nominated
Best Adapted Script Yuan Yuan, He Yuming, Pan Wei, An Zhen, Liu Ruoying Nominated
Best editing Liao Qingsong, Kong Jinlei Nominated
Best Original movie song "We" original singer: Eason Chan / lyrics: Ge Dawei / Composer: Chen Jianwe Nominated
2018 Chinese Film Media Awards Audience Favorite MV "We" Won
Most Popular Actress Zhou Dongyu Won

References

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  1. ^ "Us and Them". Box Office Mojo by IMDbPro.
  2. ^ "《后来的我们》刘若英眼里的"百味春运"" [Us and Them: The Kaleidoscope of Chunyun in Rene Liu's Eyes]. Epaper.xkb.com.cn (in Chinese). 2018-02-13.
  3. ^ a b "'Us & Them' breaks barriers in China". Archived from the original on 2018-12-30. Retrieved 2018-12-30.
  4. ^ "刘若英导演处女作《后来的我们》宣布杀青" [Filming wraps up for Rene Liu's directorial debut Us and Them]. Sina Corp (in Chinese). 2017-12-23.
  5. ^ "井柏然周冬雨合作新戏海拉尔极寒拍摄被冻坏" [Zhou Dongyu and Jing Boran "freezing" while filming new movie in Hailar's extreme cold weather]. China Network Television (in Chinese). 2018-01-26. Archived from the original on 2018-10-31. Retrieved 2018-02-16.
  6. ^ a b Zhang Rui (13 April 2018). "Eason Chan sings wistful theme for Rene Liu's new film". china.org.cn. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
  7. ^ "电影《后来的我们》首映 陈可辛夸哭刘若英". 163.com. 24 April 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  8. ^ a b Brzeski, Patrick (7 May 2018). "Cannes: Netflix Takes Chinese Blockbuster 'Us and Them' for the World (Exclusive)". Hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  9. ^ Schaffstall, Katherine (2 June 2018). "Netflix's New Releases Coming in June 2018". Hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  10. ^ Frater, Patrick (30 April 2018). "China Box Office: Questions Surround 'Us and Them' $88 Million Holiday Weekend Win". Variety.com. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  11. ^ "Headlines from China: Box Office Hit 'Us and Them' Sued for Unfair Competition |". Chinafilminsider.com. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  12. ^ "Chinese women filmmakers are blazing a path". Inkstonenews.com. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  13. ^ "'Us and Them' becomes first film by mainland Chinese female director to gross more than 1 billion yuan". Los Angeles Times. 9 May 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  14. ^ "Us and Them (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  15. ^ "后来的我们". Movie.douban.com. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  16. ^ "Mtime时光网 —— 影片". Movie.mtime.com. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  17. ^ "'Us and Them' is a bittersweet romantic drama, done right". Dailydot.com. 24 June 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  18. ^ "Stream It or Skip It: 'Us and Them' on Netflix Is a Blockbuster Chinese Romance". Decider.com. 24 June 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  19. ^ Berra2018-04-30T13:41:00+01:00, John. "'Us And Them': Review". Screendaily.com. Retrieved 16 November 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  20. ^ "Us and Them movie review: Beautifully crafted romantic film with a sensitive take on fragile relationships". Firstpost.com. 1 July 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
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