Lilting
A grieving mother and her son’s former lover use translation and memory to find a fragile language for shared loss.
Overview
A poignant exploration of love and loss unfolds in contemporary London as two strangers navigate their grief.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Slow
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- melancholic
- delicate
- intimate
- quiet evening
- reflective viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a delicate, quietly resonant cross-cultural grief drama distinguished by strong performances and cinematography.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Junn and Richard rely on a translator while reconstructing their shared connection to Kai.
Junn and Richard gradually piece together memories of Kai after his death.
The film unfolds through intimate encounters in contemporary London and a care-home setting, favoring delicacy over overt melodrama.
Richard's relationship with Kai is remembered alongside Junn's mourning and limited understanding of her son's life.
Films like Lilting, and why
The Farewell
quietly affecting grief drama centered on cross-cultural communication and restrained performances
Weekend
intimate lgbtq+ relationship drama shaped by memory, loss, and understated emotion
45 Years
delicate chamber drama exploring bereavement, family distance, and difficult emotional disclosure
In the Mood for Love
melancholic, multilingual-feeling relationship drama about love remembered through absence
Movie Details
- Director
- Hong Khaou
- Release Date
- 2014-08-08
- Runtime
- 91 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (133)
Cast
- Ben Whishaw
- Cheng Pei-pei
- Andrew Leung
- Morven Christie
- Naomi Yang
- Peter Bowles
- Shane Salter
- Leila Wong
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Metrograph, Strand Releasing Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Lilting about?
- A grieving mother and her son’s former lover use translation and memory to find a fragile language for shared loss.
- What is Lilting like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Lilting as slow, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Lilting violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Lilting.
- What did critics think of Lilting?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a delicate, quietly resonant cross-cultural grief drama distinguished by strong performances and cinematography.
- Which films are like Lilting?
- Films with a similar feel include The Farewell, Weekend, 45 Years, and In the Mood for Love.
- How long is Lilting?
- Lilting runs 91 minutes.
- Where can I watch Lilting?
- In United States, Lilting streams on Metrograph, Strand Releasing Amazon Channel.
