Didi

by Mike McGranaghan

Every year, we get at least a couple little indie gems that deserve to be discovered by as many people as possible. Didi is one for 2024. The movie, which broke out of this year’s Sundance Film Festival, marks writer/director Sean Wang as someone to watch. He’s made a coming-of-age tale that is culturally specific and universal at the same time. The title is Chinese for “little brother,” and the meaning inherent in that becomes crystal clear during the third act. Following a successful theatrical run, Didi is available to own or rent on digital starting September 3, with a Blu-ray release slated for October 29.

Izaac Wang gives a fantastic performance as Chris, a rambunctious 13-year-old living in Fremont, California with his depressed mother Chungsing (the excellent Joan Chen), judgmental grandmother Nai Nai (Chang Li Hua), and college-bound sister Vivian (Shirley Chen). An unseen father is over in Shanghai, making money so the rest of the clan can live in America. During the waning days of summer, Chris attempts to woo a female peer named Madi (Mahaela Park), only to discover his skills are lacking. He also finds himself drifting away from his longtime friends and toward a crew of skateboarders for whom he begins shooting videos. These issues force Chris to take a cold, hard look at his attitude toward life.

The story is set in 2008, which allows it to engage in wonderfully precise references, from Myspace to AOL Instant Messenger to a hot new thing called YouTube. Rather than being used as cheap jokes, they’re present to capture the vibe of being a teenager during the aughts, a time when new-fangled technology was changing the way teens communicated and expressed themselves. They could have done what many films do, creating fictional social media platforms. The specificity of real-life examples helps Didi achieve a vibe of authenticity.

As portrayed by Izaac Wang, Chris is an introvert perpetually trying to exude an unearned sense of coolness. He’s reached a threshold that promises newfound awesomeness in life, only to realize there’s no guidebook on how to navigate it. With his expressive eyes, the young actor conveys a world of interior emotions. He can make you laugh or break your heart with a simple look. The character’s bewilderment at more grown-up socialization is as thoughtful as it is true. Not since Eighth Grade has there been a movie that so accurately depicts adolescent agonies.

Many of the best scenes are between Chris and Vivian. The siblings fight incessantly. When Chris urinates in a bottle of her hand lotion, Vivian threatens to get revenge by “having my period in your mouth.” We can nevertheless tell that she has had her own struggles. Over time, she comes to show compassion for her brother’s plight – compassion she understands that he needs more than he does. Right at the heart of the film is a sibling relationship rooted in awareness. Vivian may often be frustrated with her brother, but when he requires support, she steps up.

Elements like that are touching. Didi has plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, too. A sequence involving a squirrel that isn’t as dead as it looks is particularly uproarious. Snappy dialogue between Chris and the people around him is similarly funny. Sean Wang hits the right balance between seriousness and comedy. Because that’s how adolescence is, right? Sometimes it’s sad and terrifying; other times, it’s exhilarating. The movie may be semi-autobiographical, yet anyone who recalls those formative years is going to see a bit of themselves in this kid.

Didi is all-around terrific.

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