There’s a moment in Sean Wang’s “Dìdi” that stopped me cold: Chris Wang, a Taiwanese American teen in Fremont, California, quietly questioning where he fits—torn between the comfort of his Asian friends and the appeal of the white skater kids he hopes will see him as “cool.” That push-pull, that calculation of identity in real time, is something I know all too well. Growing up Asian American in a mostly white Bay Area suburb, the pressure to adapt—sometimes without realizing it—was ever-present.
The title “Dìdi” (Mandarin for “little brother”) reflects both the film’s intimacy and its point of view. It’s a coming-of-age story pulled directly from Wang’s own adolescence, and while it speaks clearly to the first-gen Asian American experience, its emotional reach is universal. Anyone who’s tried to look cooler than they are for a crush, who’s felt suddenly misaligned with old friends, who’s flailed through the limbo of early teen years—this story is for you, too.
Chris (played with remarkable nuance by Izaac Wang) is stumbling through that exact limbo. He’s just finished eighth grade, hormones are spiking, and his voice is cracking. His parents are separated. His sister gets him and roasts him in equal measure. His world feels both wide open and emotionally claustrophobic. The performances feel so natural that you almost forget you’re watching a narrative film—it plays more like memory.
A standout among the cast is Joan Chen, whose performance as Chris’s mother adds immeasurable weight to the film. Chen, best known for “The Last Emperor,” “Twin Peaks,” and “Saving Face,” carries decades of screen presence, but here she delivers something entirely fresh: a deeply lived-in portrait of an immigrant mother who’s still figuring herself out. There’s no tiger mom trope here. She’s firm but gentle, supportive but unsure. A former artist who quietly longs for creative affirmation, she anchors the film with moments that are both deeply moving and laugh-out-loud funny—one scene involving a fart is destined for a spot in the canon of great movie fart scenes. And somehow, it’s poignant.
The film also benefits from Shirley Chen’s layered performance as Chris’s older sister. She brings wit, patience, and that distinct older sibling energy that says: I love you, but I will absolutely call you out. Their dynamic gives the film some of its most grounded and affectionate moments.
Wang, whose short film “Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó” was nominated for an Oscar, makes an assured leap into features here. His direction is light-handed but precise, letting the story unfold without pushing for emotional crescendos. He avoids the temptation to turn moments into monologues. Instead, he trusts the texture of adolescence—the awkward silences, the sideways glances, the white lies about where you are and who you’re with. “Dìdi” doesn’t reach for catharsis. It lets it build slowly, scene by scene, like real life.
It’s also part of a larger and long-overdue wave in Asian American storytelling. Twenty years ago, Joan Chen starred in “Saving Face”—a film that remains a touchstone for many in the community but flew under the radar in its time. Today, thanks to the breakthrough success of films like “Crazy Rich Asians,” “The Farewell,” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” we’re finally seeing that stories centered on Asian American lives can get made, can be widely seen, and can receive awards recognition. “Dìdi” continues that momentum, not by shouting its relevance, but by being deeply, unapologetically personal.
“Dìdi” reminded me of things I hadn’t thought about in years—and maybe hadn’t processed until now. That strange mix of shame and pride, invisibility and awkward visibility, the hunger to be noticed and the fear of standing out.
It’s not a perfect film, but it’s a beautiful, heartfelt, and deeply human one. And for that, it earns a strong four stars.