‘Didi’ Review: An Ode to All of the Adolescent Growing Pains

Some movies take your heart into the palm of their hand and pull on each and every string, like an exact science–Sean Wang’s directorial feature debut Dìdi is one of those films. Dìdi, the Mandarin word for “little brother” follows Chris Wang as he prepares for the end of summer before his freshman year of high school. While readying for the pivotal transition period, Chris must figure out how to say goodbye to his older sister, maneuver new and old relationships, and see his mother from a human perspective. Coming off his first Oscar Nomination for his Documentary Short Nai Nai & Wài Pó in 2023, Sean Wang’s Dìdi won the Sundance U.S. Dramatic Audience Award this year. An incredibly well-done film, Dìdi depicts the balancing act of being one person and craving so much to be someone else while having the limited experience and knowledge of being 14.

The coming-of-age genre can sometimes feel like a cop-out or that there isn’t anything new to explore or say; that is exactly why films like Dìdi must be made and seen. This is not just your everyday entry into the beloved genre, it is a semi-autobiographical film of writer/director Sean Wang’s life, produced by beloved Indie filmmaker Carlos Lopez Estrada. It is honest, tender, and quite frankly an extremely mature piece of filmmaking. Dìdi’s level of intimacy can only come from the director’s ability to put his heart on the line and not be afraid to give himself love and forgiveness for the shameful or odd choices he made when he was younger. Adding even more to Wang’s commitment to his past, the home in the film is his childhood home, and his grandmother plays Chris’ grandmother (who he was not afraid to give some notes to tweak her performance). Dìdi is an ode to the child he once was and is a beautiful thing to behold.

It is the vulnerability of the main character Chris, played by Izaac Wang, that allows you to see yourself at that age and be just as lost and embarrassed as he is. That time in your life can be hard to look back on if you’re too critical of yourself, but Dìdi’s intentions of forgiveness and grace for Chris’ blunders make the film all the sweeter. Throughout the movie, Chris comes close to getting what he wants, but he never can quite grasp it. The almost high-schooler does his research on his crush’s MySpace page and wears his sister’s Paramore shirt, however, no matter who he tries to be for her, he cannot get away from who he truly is. The same thing happens with his friends who he ends up embarrassing, and also with his mother, who he feels he embarrasses because he isn’t the most academically centered child she might wish he was. Dìdi exists in the part of Chris’ adolescence that is the least glamorous and yet is the most formative.

The driving force of Dìdi is Chris’ relationship with his mother Chungsing, played by Joan Chen. Chris’ mother is his only constant throughout the film and it is evident that she does all she can to take care of her family while her husband is in Taiwan working abroad despite the toll it takes on her. Chris starts to see his mother’s flaws as they butt heads, and comes to understand her as a human, mother, and woman who had wants and needs beyond just being a mother. Wang’s film also delicately handles what it means to be Asian-American, have immigrant parents, and accept who you are despite those around you making it difficult. Though this is a subplot, it is woven throughout the film with nuance that pricks your heart with compassion and pain whenever it is used as a way to other Chris from his peers. Eventually, with the acceptance of his true self, and love from his mother, Chris ultimately understands that the things that made him different have made him who he is, and there is no one way to exist, or one girl or friend group. High school may not be so horrible after all, at least not as bad as the last couple weeks of this summer–for now. 

Dìdi is a reminder that your life and everyone else’s is pretty complicated, but overall, it is a movie to whisper how much your mother loves you and to not be so hard on yourself. Dìdi is currently in select theaters, it will be released everywhere on August 16th.

Score: 4.5 out of 5

I think what made Dìdi so special for me was the rare ability of a film to come to a close, the credits began to roll, and I sat in the theater as my emotions hit me like a wave. The entire time I laughed as if I was watching a home video of moments from my own life and witnessing mistakes and judgments I had made about who I was and who my friends were. Every fight with a friend, every crush that didn’t like me back, and the overwhelming sensation that no matter how lame I was my parents still loved me. Dìdi is special, and so is its writer/director Sean Wang as his future career is scientifically proven to be long and meaningful. I can recommend this to anyone who might not think they were the coolest kid because Wang helped me forgive myself for my mistakes and remember that they made me who I am. Also, I call my parents every day now.