●HOW I CAME TO IT
I watched a bullying theme movie and in the recommendation I found this movie. The synopsis seemed interesting so here I am, after finish this masterpiece.it took me three whole days to get back to my senses.

●STORY
Movie starts with a teacher taking an english class. Then the movie jumps back to 2011, in a school campus where students are pressured due to the upcoming college entrance exam called GAOKAO in chinese. Immediately after that Chen Nian only friends commits suicide having one final mortification as her classmates take pictures who had been a mute spectators when she was bullied. She goes to her friend and cover her with a jacket becoming the new target of queen bee. While going home she sees a guy being beaten up, she tries to call cops, but ends up getting caught and humiliated. Later she seeks the guy to protect him from the school bullies.

●PLOT VIEW
The plot is simple, which left me in jeopardy as I got immersed in this masterpiece.
It leaves chills down the spine, showcasing the brutal depiction of the society, mortifying the dead, bullying of weaklings, bad parenting with the ultimate pressure of the exams on the teens.
Though the main focus is bullying however the movie doesnt explain why?
The bullies are like monomaniacs with no empathy. it may start with pranks and when ignored it consumes the bullies to do more, leading to crimes. As in bullied they keep on enduring, because most of the times, bullies arent punished and gets fierce. the death seems only a way to finish the infinite pain of endurance. the school is filled with big red banners of optimistic phrases which is purely overlooked and serves as a piece of decoration.
the vicious bullying tale is compelling as it tries to keep emotional connection between the leads keeps growing as they understand each other pains.
Its an uncomfortable treat with a murder mystery which particularly escalates the story and gives a final finishing touch. They become innocent victims to the cruel law, which failed to protect them when it was needed.
There is minimal dialogue and everything is much conveyed with the actions this intensifies the agony of the movie.

●ACTING/CAST
 Zhou Dongyu as Chen Nian is enduring everything, the home problems, exam pressure, physical and mental bullying yet is sharp headed and focused. her phlegmatic and frigid face is worth praises. She had nailed her character with breathtaking performance.
Jackson Yee as Xiao Bei, is a gold-hearted punk, he shows a touching vulnerability behind his braggadocio. His lean and thin body seemed as if he cant fight and gets beaten up easily, having bruises, deep cuts wearing ripped clothes, living in a small dark room beneath highway. He aced the role with perfection showing the deepest emotions with a bang.
the bullies were being little demons and I hate them to core, but they acted marvelous.

●MUSIC
The music truly transports you into the story as you were watching. It BGM works like magic with least dialogues in the movie.

●REWATCH
The movie is worth watch a million times, due to its touching and vulnerable melomance plot.

●APPRECIATION
I had an emotional breakdown after finishing this extreme graphic bullying movie. I must say the chinese movies depicting bullying is very gruesome way.
The suspenseful and agile camerawork in the latter part gives and a sensational effect.
I read that BETTER DAYS was nominated for Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards, indeed it deserves the accolades for such a realistic exposure to present pressured high school environment.

●CRITICISM
I hope nobody starts bashing me out for criticizing the over interference of the chinese government to the movie. I read that they banned the movie from releasing and we can understand now why. Its has exposed the bullying in Chinese high schools, where the pressure to achieve is lethal contrasting GAOKAO exam.
Also this movie is based on Novel but due to gov pressure, it has narrative scene saying the perpetrator has got 4year prison sentence, why make it a true story despite being made out of a novel.
final accord is one of the lead actors telling us about how we should be vigilant about school violence, and about oh so many things the government does to prevent it; instead of leaving some food for thought to the viewers, the film decides to spoon-feed, and that does ruin the impression quite a bit.

●FAV SCENE
The shaven head, it is one of the most terrifying scenes of the movies which shakes up souls.

●QUOTES
Chen Nian - Is it my fault they bullied me?
Chen Nian - Revenge may seem normal to most people.But those of us who have suffered. Are we the ones who are wrong?

RECEMMENDATION
Yes I would recommend this movie to peeps who love a soul stirring movie. Also “cry me a sad river” is another aching movie over bullying theme.

●AFTERTHOUGHT
Its very strange to see that she could be nostalgic about her school days or that maybe she is nostalgic about her one melomance.
I havent experienced this painful torture, though I got ragged in college pretty bad but that lasted only a few days with no physical injury. Bullying is physical and mental torture pushing one to a painstaking end.

●NOTE
There is a special post credit scene which satisfy the closure of the emotional saga, it could be missed as its after the end credits.