Overview
A mother's quest for justice leads to unexpected revelations about love and family.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- witty
- melancholic
- sincere
- reflective evening
- lgbtq+ film night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised Dear Ex as an affecting, sincere comic melodrama whose strong performances and nuanced treatment of love, grief, and reconciliation outweigh narrative hiccups and tonal missteps.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Sanlian, Jay, and Song Chengxi reveal different understandings of the deceased man's relationships and the insurance dispute.
Critics specifically note oversaturated flashbacks, conspicuous music choices, and production design balancing kitsch with genuine feeling.
Jay's status as the late husband's male partner challenges Sanlian's assumptions about inheritance, intimacy, and family belonging.
The death, contested insurance policy, and son’s decision to live with Jay force the characters toward acceptance and forgiveness.
Films like Dear Ex, and why
The Cakemaker
shared comic melodrama, queer romance, family conflict, and reconciliation
The Way He Looks
shared lgbtq+ relationship drama, grief, secrecy, and emotionally restrained reconciliation
The Kids Are All Right
shared family dysfunction, shifting emotional loyalties, and bittersweet queer romance
Movie Details
- Directors
- Mag Hsu, Hsu Chih-yen
- Release Date
- 2018-11-02
- Runtime
- 99 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (167)
Cast
- Hsieh Ying-shiuan
- Roy Chiu
- Joseph Huang
- Spark Chen
- Ai-Lun Kao
- One-Fang
- Danny Liang
- Yang Li-yin
- Chung Hsin-ling
- Ting-Chien Wu
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Dear Ex about?
- A Taiwanese comic melodrama about a grieving mother, her son, and the male partner her late husband left behind.
- What is Dear Ex like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Dear Ex as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Dear Ex violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Dear Ex.
- What did critics think of Dear Ex?
- Critics broadly praised Dear Ex as an affecting, sincere comic melodrama whose strong performances and nuanced treatment of love, grief, and reconciliation outweigh narrative hiccups and tonal missteps.
- Which films are like Dear Ex?
- Films with a similar feel include The Cakemaker, The Way He Looks, and The Kids Are All Right.
- How long is Dear Ex?
- Dear Ex runs 99 minutes.
- Where can I watch Dear Ex?
- In United States, Dear Ex streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.
