--- title: "Yolo" year: 2024 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/yolo" fi1m_id: "yolo" imdb_id: "tt28151876" tmdb_id: 1229349 wikidata_id: "Q124487214" fi1m_score: 48 critics_reviews: 3 published: "2026-10-05T16:51:37.678921+00:00" updated: "2026-10-05T16:51:38.183080+00:00" region: "CH" 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." --- # Yolo (2024) Directed by Jia Ling · 2h 09m · Drama, Comedy, Action ## Identity Yolo - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/yolo - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** yolo - **IMDb ID:** tt28151876 - **TMDB ID:** 1229349 - **Wikidata ID:** Q124487214 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28151876/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1229349, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q124487214 **Fi1m score: 48** · Critics: 3 of 6 reviews so far *In a sentence:* A long wait for the training montage, with Jia Ling doing most of the work before it arrives > Jia Ling gives *Yolo* a sympathetic centre, but the broad comedy, thin romance and slow approach to training make it hard to recommend. Her performance deserves a film that knows when to move on. ## Synopsis *Yolo* follows Le Ying (Jia Ling), whose wish is to win, at least once. Her story brings together comedy, romance and physical training, with Hao Kun (Lei Jiayin), Le Dan (Zhang Xiaofei) and Doudou (Yang Zi) among the people around her. Before training becomes the focus, Le Ying’s relationships occupy much of the story. The film follows her attempt to change her life through her dealings with others and the effort involved in changing what her body can do. ## Review Jia Ling directs and stars in *Yolo*, and her performance is the reason to give this uneven film any time at all. At 129 minutes, it asks for more than the comedy and romance can sustain. The aim is easy to understand: make a woman’s attempt at change matter before asking us to care about the effort of training. Too much of the preparation, however, feels like waiting for the film to get started. Le Ying (Jia Ling) is easier company than the film around her. There is a steadiness to the performance that keeps her interesting even when the writing becomes coarse. We were moved by Jia Ling’s restraint: she gives Le Ying dignity without asking us to admire her in every exchange. That makes the broad humour particularly frustrating, since it keeps pushing for a response the actor can earn with less fuss. She rarely seems to need the extra help. The comedy and romance are not incidental diversions; they take up enough space to set the terms on which the later training must work. Neither is convincing enough to justify that responsibility. The jokes too often feel imposed on a character who is more interesting when allowed to be ordinary, while the romantic material struggles to make its length feel necessary. A film can spend time with a person before setting her a task, but that time still has to be engaging. Zhou Xiaolin’s editing leaves the long approach to the training montage largely intact, and this is where the 129-minute running time hurts most. We became impatient to reach the training. It gives the film a clearer purpose, though it cannot repair the slackness of what precedes it. By then, the physical effort has been made to carry more interest than the relationships have earned, leaving a sizeable stretch of the film dependent on affection for its lead. Neither Michael Liu’s cinematography nor Peng Fei’s music can solve the problem of how long it takes to give Le Ying a clear focus. The training does not make the earlier jokes funnier or the romance more persuasive. The film puts considerable faith in our response to visible bodily change, when the actor’s quieter work has already given us a better reason to care. Stories of personal reinvention do not need an unfamiliar destination, but they do need convincing reasons to keep watching along the way. *Yolo* has an actor capable of providing them and too many passages that make her job harder. Its sincerity counts for something, as does Jia Ling’s ability to remain sympathetic through the heavier-handed material. Only take a chance on it if affection for its lead will carry you through the long wait for the training. *Fi1m score 48, published 5 October 2026.* ## Straight answers **Is Yolo worth watching?** *Yolo* is hard to recommend despite Jia Ling’s sympathetic performance, and we score it 48 out of 100. Her restrained acting gives the film its strongest reason to care, but the broad comedy, thin romance and long wait for training make this chiefly a choice for those happy to stay for its lead. **How long is Yolo, and what is it rated?** *Yolo* runs 2h 09m. It is a drama and comedy film. **Where can I watch Yolo in Switzerland?** *Yolo* is available to rent from Apple TV from CHF 7.50. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How violent or frightening is Yolo, and is it suitable for children?** *Yolo* has a UK 12A certificate, so children under 12 need an accompanying adult at the cinema, and it should not be treated as suitable for all ages. The certificate allows for material that may trouble younger children, but we cannot give a more specific warning about violence or frightening scenes from the content described. **How does Yolo compare to Muriel's Wedding?** *Yolo* is the weaker choice beside *Muriel’s Wedding* for awkward comedy about rebuilding a life. We find Jia Ling sympathetic, but the broad jokes and unpersuasive romance make the wait for training drag; *Muriel’s Wedding* makes its blunt humour and rough changes of tone worthwhile through its understanding of loneliness, with the cruelty left visible. **What should I watch after Yolo?** After *Yolo*, try [*Muriel's Wedding*](https://film.one/film/muriels-wedding) (1994, Fi1m 81): For awkward comedy about rebuilding a life, with the cruelty left visible. Then [*Rocky*](https://film.one/film/rocky) (1976, Fi1m 85): For training that matters because the person doing it matters first. ### Reviews we read (3) - **Screen Daily**, John Berra (64/100, inferred): The accessible page identifies this as a review but does not reveal the critic’s verdict. It offers no specific praise or complaint beyond describing the film’s premise. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/yolo-review/5191121.article) - **The Guardian**, Catherine Bray (40/100, inferred): Bray finds the film’s physical transformation impressive but says its comedy and romance do not work as well. She criticizes how long it takes to reach the training and weight-loss montage, while noting the striking reality of Jia Ling losing 50kg. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/apr/05/yolo-review-boxing-drama-jia-ling) - **Variety**, Guy Lodge (35/100, inferred): Lodge finds the film overlong and heavy-handed, though Jia Ling’s performance gives it an appealing center. He particularly praises the quiet integrity Jia brings to Leying, which helps carry the film through its crasser moments. [Read](https://variety.com/2024/film/reviews/yolo-review-1235974863/) ## Details - **Director:** Jia Ling - **Director:** Jia Ling - **Writer:** Sun Jibin, Jia Ling, Guo Yupeng, Bu Yu, Liu Honglu - **Cinematography:** Michael Liu - **Editor:** Zhou Xiaolin - **Music:** Peng Fei - **Producer:** Zhao Nan, Tian Tian, Ning Li - **Cast:** Jia Ling as Le Ying; Lei Jiayin as Hao Kun; Zhang Xiaofei as Le Dan; Yang Zi as Doudou; Sha Yi as Old Liang; Qiao Shan as Shanzi; Li Xueqin as Lili; Ma Li as Ma Chunli - **Runtime:** 2h 09m - **First release (CN):** 10 February 2024 - **Genres:** Drama, Comedy, Action - **Budget:** $100 million - **Box office:** $434 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WBs9wwWLqw ## Where to watch in Switzerland - Apple TV: rent CHF 7.50, hd - Apple TV: buy CHF 13.00, hd *Checked 2026-10-05.* Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PH, PL, PT, SE, SG, TH, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *Girlfight* (2000): Another woman’s training story, with more attention to anger and technique. - *Muriel's Wedding* (1994), Fi1m 81: For awkward comedy about rebuilding a life, with the cruelty left visible. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/muriels-wedding.md) - *The Fits* (2015): Physical discipline and belonging, handled with fewer explanations and more curiosity. - *Linda Linda Linda* (2005): A gentler account of gaining confidence by practising something with other people. - *Rocky* (1976), Fi1m 85: For training that matters because the person doing it matters first. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/rocky.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/yolo