---
title: "The Farewell"
year: 2019
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-farewell"
fi1m_id: "the-farewell"
imdb_id: "tt8637428"
tmdb_id: 565310
wikidata_id: "Q60611804"
fi1m_score: 84
critics_score: 82
critics_reviews: 15
published: "2026-09-16"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:07.727836+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# The Farewell (2019)

Directed by Lulu Wang · 1h 40m · MPA PG · Comedy, Drama

## Identity

The Farewell

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/the-farewell
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** the-farewell
- **IMDb ID:** tt8637428
- **TMDB ID:** 565310
- **Wikidata ID:** Q60611804
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8637428/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/565310, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q60611804

**Fi1m score: 84** · Critics 82 from 15 reviews

*In a sentence:* A fake wedding is an elaborate way to avoid a conversation, but we understand the attraction

> Lulu Wang’s family drama is funny, painful and worth making time for, especially for Awkwafina and Zhao Shuzhen. Its explanations can be too tidy, but the performances make the family’s deception difficult to dismiss.

## Synopsis

Billi (Awkwafina), a young Chinese-American woman, learns that her grandmother, Nai Nai (Zhao Shuzhen), has terminal cancer. Her family decides not to tell Nai Nai and arranges a fake wedding so relatives can gather without explaining why. Billi wants to be honest with her grandmother, but the family regards silence as a way of protecting her. Little Nai Nai (Hong Lu) is among those caught up in the deception. As wedding preparations give everyone a reason to be together, Billi must decide how to behave around the person they have come to see.

## Review

Lulu Wang’s *The Farewell* is funny and quietly upsetting, and we recommend it with a small reservation about how often it explains the family’s thinking. The writer and director gives a Chinese-American family a practical problem: how to gather around a grandmother with terminal cancer without telling her why everyone has come. A fake wedding provides the excuse. Billi’s objection is understandable, but so is the family’s wish to spare Nai Nai fear.

Awkwafina makes Billi’s unease the right size for a comedy in which nobody can quite say what they mean. Her subdued performance gives the family’s attempts at cheerfulness something uncomfortable to work against. We were moved by how little she seems able to join in, with Nai Nai still present and everyone already preparing to miss her. The sadness comes from having to conduct an ordinary conversation under those conditions, and Awkwafina does not force it.

Zhao Shuzhen is crucial because Nai Nai has the warmth and force of someone whose family would organise itself around her. She makes it difficult to think of the grandmother only as a patient, which helps us understand the relatives’ decision to keep quiet. Hong Lu’s Little Nai Nai adds to the sense of relatives who have known each other’s habits for years. The ensemble makes the deception feel like an awkward family undertaking, carried out by people with different capacities for concealing their feelings.

In the conversation staged against wedding photographs, Anna Franquesa Solano keeps the cheerful background part of the scene. Lee Yong-ok’s production design earns its place in the comedy here: the displayed happiness sits awkwardly behind people struggling with what to say. It is a useful visual detail, doing some of the work that the script elsewhere gives to explanations. The photographs keep the wedding present even during a private exchange.

Michael Taylor and Matthew Friedman keep the changes between humour and distress unshowy, giving the performances room without making each hesitation feel momentous. At 100 minutes, the film has space for small exchanges, although a few repeat what we already understand. Alex Weston’s score is sympathetic, but its tenderness occasionally feels more definite than the mixed feelings on the actors’ faces. These are small lapses in a film that usually knows how much its cast can convey without assistance.

The reservation concerns the writing most of all. When the family explains its reasons for withholding the diagnosis, the distinction between Billi’s expectations and theirs can sound too neatly settled. We understand the need to make those differences clear, but a few of these exchanges tell us what the uneasy performances have already shown. The comedy is sharper when affection and exasperation coexist without anyone being required to explain what their culture believes.

There is a familiar version of this story that would spend its time dividing the relatives into cowards and truth-tellers. This film is more interested in why decent people agree to something that troubles them, and its affection never makes the choice look painless. That generosity is a good reason to watch it with family. Allow for a little over-explanation, and leave time to disagree afterwards.

*Fi1m score 84, published 16 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics warmly recommend The Farewell, with praise centred on Lulu Wang’s controlled direction and her balance of family comedy with the sadness of impending loss. Awkwafina’s restrained performance draws particular attention, while Zhao Shuzhen’s grandmother gives the ensemble much of its warmth and emotional force. The reviews also value the cultural detail: the family’s deception prompts questions about love, duty and immigrant identity without reducing the differences to a simple contest between right and wrong.

Reservations concern how much story and character development support the premise, rather than the performances. Screen Daily offers the clearest dissent, finding the film touching but slight, with too little narrative drive or depth; The AV Club also finds it scattered and occasionally maudlin. The spread is otherwise largely positive, though critics differ over whether the film’s strength lies chiefly in its cultural specificity or its wider resonance.

## Straight answers

**Is The Farewell worth watching?**

*The Farewell* is worth watching for anyone who wants a family comedy that is also quietly upsetting, and we scored it 84. Awkwafina and Zhao Shuzhen carry a story about relatives arranging a fake wedding rather than telling a grandmother she is dying. Our reservation is that the script sometimes explains the family's reasoning after the performances have already made it clear.

**How long is The Farewell, and what is it rated?**

*The Farewell* runs 1h 40m and is rated PG by the MPA in the US. It is a comedy and drama film.

**Where can I watch The Farewell in the US?**

*The Farewell* is available to rent from Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV from $2.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How does The Farewell compare to The Wedding Banquet?**

*The Farewell* is the gentler and sadder of the two, while [*The Wedding Banquet*](https://film.one/film/the-wedding-banquet) is the broader farce. Both use a wedding to hide a family secret, but Ang Lee's film plays more for laughs and occasionally labours them, where Lulu Wang's stays close to grief and sometimes over-explains it. Choose *The Farewell* for the performances, *The Wedding Banquet* for the comedy.

**What should I watch after The Farewell?**

After *The Farewell*, try [*The Wedding Banquet*](https://film.one/film/the-wedding-banquet) (1993, Fi1m 81): Another wedding conceals a family secret, with sharper farce and equally complicated loyalties. Then [*Tokyo Story*](https://film.one/film/tokyo-story) (1953, Fi1m 92): For the ordinary family conversations that become painful once we hear what remains unsaid; and [*Petite Maman*](https://film.one/film/petite-maman) (2021, Fi1m 88): A quieter encounter with family grief, told through a child’s curiosity and shared play.

### Reviews we read (28)

- **Slant Magazine** (3.5/4): The film thoughtfully braids the somber and the absurd, tapping into universal truths about loss and how families prepare for it. Awkwafina gives a revelatory lead performance as the story mixes contemplative drama with comic moments. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review-the-farewell-thoughtfully-braids-the-somber-and-the-absurd/)
- **Little White Lies**, Carol Grant (4/4/4): The critic praises the film's precise, empathetic portrayal of a Chinese-American family staging a fake wedding to gather before the grandmother's death from cancer, highlighting Wang's confident direction and authentic performances, especially Zhao Shuzhen's. It values cultural specificity over universality and provokes questions about tradition and identity. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/the-farewell)
- **Radio Times**, Dave Aldridge (4/5): Describes it as an upbeat, joyous, life-affirming drama leavened with laughs, despite the terminal illness premise, praising the entertaining blend of languages and life lessons. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-ehb1c0/the-farewell/)
- **Time Out**, Tomris Laffly (4/5): The review calls it bittersweet and witty, commending Awkwafina's thoughtful performance and Wang's handling of the 'good lie' theme, emphasizing small details of culture and family love that transcends borders. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-farewell)
- **The AV Club**, Beatrice Loayza (B): The film captures cultural tension with tenderness but feels scattered and veers into maudlin territory. Wang balances morbid material and humor, though character development and emotional catharsis are under-developed. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/awkwafina-wrestles-with-a-true-lie-in-the-scattered-sun-1836082193)
- **Screen Daily** (50/100, inferred): Calls it a touching albeit slight dramedy with emotional truths from the cast but criticizes insufficient narrative drive and depth, noting the strong conceit but that the story lags. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-farewell-sundance-review/5136187.article)
- **Empire**, Nick de Semlyen: The review calls it one of 2019's most pleasant surprises, a warm and charming mix of comedy and melancholy based on real events, with sharp ensemble portraits and a standout subdued turn from Awkwafina. Minor quibbles are noted about symbolic elements and the ending, but overall it is embraced as a big, lovely hug of a film. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/the-farewell/)
- **Evening Standard**, Charlotte O'Sullivan: The film is praised as hilarious, sad and uplifting, with Wang's direction singled out for its original visual touches and nuanced character work. Awkwafina and the ensemble, especially Hong Lu, are highlighted for bringing emotional depth and authenticity to the story of family deception and love. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/the-farewell-review-hilarious-affecting-and-destined-for-awards-success-a4239346.html)
- **Film Comment**, Soraya Nadia McDonald: The critic praises Wang for subverting expectations around family secrets and the inevitability of revelation in a story based on a real lie. Zhao Shuzhen's performance as the grandmother is highlighted for its warmth and quiet devastation. [Read](https://www.filmcomment.com/article/the-big-screen-the-farewell/)
- **IndieWire**, Eric Kohn: Awkwafina gives her best performance in a bittersweet dramedy about generational conflicts in a Chinese-American family. Lulu Wang directs a look at a young woman navigating her family's deceptions and cultural differences. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/the-farewell-review-awkwafina-sundance-1202038325/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Justin Chang: The critic calls it a stealthy, melancholy charmer that addresses cultural stoicism and emotional concealment with exquisite poise and wry humor. It singles out the graceful observational realism and the irreplaceable matriarch figure for praise. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-the-farewell-review-awkwafina-20190709-story.html)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw: The critic praises this semi-autobiographical family drama for its light touch in exploring cultural clashes between American directness and Chinese emotional restraint, calling it a delightful and satisfying film. Wang is singled out for her deft writing, wry insight and ability to balance humour with pathos in scenes like the heart-to-heart conversation against wedding photos. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/sep/21/the-farewell-review-lulu-wang-awkwafina)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, David Rooney: The critic calls it a warmly satisfying family affair with an assured grasp of tone and a persuasive understanding of immigrant experience. Awkwafina's layered performance is highlighted as a quiet revelation. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/farewell-review-sundance-2019-1179427/)
- **The Independent**: Wang's semi-autobiographical comedy-drama is hailed as one of the year's best for its warm, honest take on immigrant family dynamics and the cultural practice of shielding a loved one from a terminal diagnosis. Awkwafina delivers a startlingly emotional performance as the conflicted granddaughter. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/farewell-movie-review-lulu-wang-awkwafina-tzi-ma-cast-release-date-a9110596.html)
- **The New Yorker**, Anthony Lane: The critic notes the film's two-tone tale of mourning and revelry at a family gathering under false pretenses, commending its compact, coolly heartwarming quality and avoidance of cuteness while immersing viewers in cultural nuances of deception and love. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/07/22/the-farewell-mixes-mourning-and-revelry)
- **The New York Times**, A.O. Scott: The critic praises the film's rich premise drawn from real life, with a loose structure and tone that balances candor and tact in depicting family deception around a grandmother's illness. It highlights the authentic feel of events that genuinely happened and the emotional conflict experienced by the protagonist. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/11/movies/the-farewell-review.html)
- **Total Film**: Wang's low-key, semi-autobiographical comedy-drama is celebrated for resisting Hollywood melodrama in favour of observational laughs and earned sentiment, with strong praise for Awkwafina and Zhao Shuzhen. The story of a family staging a fake wedding to hide a grandmother's illness is presented as remarkable and heartfelt. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/the-farewell-review-awkwafina-shines-in-deft-comedy-drama/)
- **Variety**, Peter Debruge: The critic describes it as a bittersweet comedy about family deception over a terminal diagnosis, effective in inviting reflection on loss through its specific cultural lens and understated tragicomic tone. It praises the script's weighing of ethics without overt sentimentality. [Read](https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/the-farewell-review-awkwafina-1203117966/)
- **Vulture**, Emily Yoshida: Wang transcends the premise with confidence and subtlety in her second feature. The film is frequently funny on top of heavy themes, delivering an incredibly satisfying meal of a story about family and truth. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2019/07/the-farewell-awkwafina-sundance-movie-review.html)
- **Polygon**, Karen Han (95/100, inferred): The critic calls it one of the best films of the year, praising its dense handling of the central lie in the immigrant experience, nuanced performances, and refusal to exoticize or simplify cultural clashes. [Read](https://www.polygon.com/2019/7/12/20690302/the-farewell-review-awkwafina-lulu-wang-a24/)
- **Deadline**, Pete Hammond (90/100, inferred): The critic declares it one of the year’s best pictures for its nuanced handling of a family’s elaborate lie and universal emotional truths. Awkwafina’s lower-key dramatic turn and the uniformly superb ensemble, especially Shuzhen Zhao as Nai Nai, are singled out for praise. [Read](https://deadline.com/video/the-farewell-review-awkwafina-lulu-wang/)
- **Den of Geek**, Mark Harrison (90/100, inferred): The review calls the film one of the year's best for its sensitive balance of farce and pathos and cultural specificity. Awkwafina's revelatory performance and Zhao Shuzhen's lovable grandmother are singled out for praise. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-farewell-review-a-truly-original-family-drama/)
- **/Film**, Chris Evangelista (9/10): Awkwafina gives a breakout dramatic performance as Billi, a Chinese-American woman grappling with her family's decision to hide her grandmother's terminal illness behind a fake wedding. The film is praised for its emotional honesty, strong ensemble cast, and blend of melancholy and warmth. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/563835/the-farewell-review/)
- **The Ringer**, Manuela Lazic (90/100, inferred): The critic highlights how the film explores immigrant identity and family contradictions with tact, humor, and economy, focusing on the cultural clash around hiding illness and the warmth of family interactions. [Read](https://www.theringer.com/2019/07/11/movies/the-farewell-awkwafina-lulu-wang-review)
- **The Playlist**, Jordan Ruimy (85/100, inferred): Lulu Wang's film offers a resonant, culturally specific yet universally relatable story of family, love, and loss, anchored by Awkwafina's strong turn and a talented supporting cast including Zhao Shuzhen and Tzi Ma. It stands out for its understated humor, emotional depth, and thoughtful exploration of cultural differences around death and truth-telling. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/farewell-awkwafina-sundance-review-20190126/)
- **The Wrap**, Carlos Aguilar (85/100, inferred): The critic calls the film a bittersweet triumph that gives Awkwafina a career-defining dramatic role as a young woman grappling with family secrets and cultural divides. Zhao Shuzhen’s vivacious performance as the grandmother stands out for its warmth and emotional pull. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/the-farewell-film-review-awkwafina-lulu-wang/)
- **Collider**, Matt Goldberg (B+): The critic praises the film as a smart, sweet, heartwarming story that highlights cultural differences in family bonds through excellent performances by Awkwafina and Zhao Shuzhen. It values the East/West divide without declaring one superior. [Read](https://collider.com/the-farewell-review-awkwafina/)
- **The Skinny**, Thomas Atkinson (4/5): Wang's personal family drama is commended for its controlled direction and intricate character work amid cultural tensions. The ensemble, especially the grandmother figure, is praised for adding depth to the tragicomic tone. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/the-farewell)

## Details

- **Director:** Lulu Wang
- **Director:** Lulu Wang
- **Writer:** Lulu Wang
- **Cinematography:** Anna Franquesa Solano
- **Editor:** Michael Taylor, Matt Friedman
- **Music:** Alex Weston
- **Production design:** Lee Yong-ok
- **Costume design:** Athena Wang
- **Producer:** Lulu Wang, Marc Turtletaub, Peter Saraf
- **Cast:** Awkwafina as Billi; Zhao Shuzhen as Nai Nai; Hong Lu as Little Nai Nai; Hong Lin as Doctor Wu; Tzi Ma as Haiyan; Diana Lin as Lu Jian; Yang Xuejian as Mr. Li; Becca Khalil as Shirley
- **Runtime:** 1h 40m
- **Certificate (MPA):** PG
- **Release (the US):** 12 July 2019
- **Genres:** Comedy, Drama
- **Budget:** $3 million
- **Box office:** $23 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RofpAjqwMa8

## Where to watch in the US

- Amazon Prime Video: rent $2.99, sd
- Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $12.99, sd
- Apple TV: buy $14.99, hd

*Checked 2026-09-16.*

Also available in: AE, AT, AU, BE, CA, CH, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, HK, IE, IN, IT, JP, KR, NL, NO, NZ, SE, TR, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Still Walking* (2008): A family gathering lets old resentments surface through food, politeness and small evasions.
- *The Wedding Banquet* (1993), Fi1m 81: Another wedding conceals a family secret, with sharper farce and equally complicated loyalties. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-wedding-banquet.md)
- *Tokyo Story* (1953), Fi1m 92: For the ordinary family conversations that become painful once we hear what remains unsaid. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/tokyo-story.md)
- *The Savages* (2007): Two siblings face a parent’s decline with awkward jokes and little talent for reassurance.
- *Petite Maman* (2021), Fi1m 88: A quieter encounter with family grief, told through a child’s curiosity and shared play. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/petite-maman.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/the-farewell