Overview
A small-town drug store owner takes on a life-changing mission to provide affordable medication to those in need.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- compassionate
- tense
- social justice film night
- world cinema night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised its compassionate social realism, emotional accessibility, and strong performances while some found its messaging and character focus overly conventional.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Cheng Yong's business supplying affordable leukemia medication exposes the consequences of expensive legal drugs and restricted access.
Cheng begins as a small drug seller pursuing profit but becomes increasingly responsible for patients who depend on him.
The film places humorous interactions and entrepreneurial schemes alongside illness, poverty, and institutional pressure.
The story centers on a small drug store, patients, families, and practical commercial negotiations in contemporary China.
Films like Dying to Survive, and why
Dallas Buyers Club
social realist drama about access to life-saving medication, moral responsibility, and a reluctant ordinary protagonist
The Intouchables
warm yet socially conscious crowd-pleaser balancing comedy with institutional critique and emotional stakes
Angels Wear White
Chinese social realism focused on vulnerable people navigating economic and institutional pressure
The Pursuit of Happyness
empathetic ensemble drama combining humor, hardship, and critique of unequal access to essential resources
Movie Details
- Director
- Wen Muye
- Release Date
- 2018-07-06
- Runtime
- 117 min
- Rating
- 8.2 / 10 (225)
Cast
- Xu Zheng
- Zhou Yiwei
- Wang Chuanjun
- Tan Zhuo
- Zhang Yu
- Yang Xinming
- Wang Yanhui
- Jia Hongxiao
- Li Naiwen
- Gong Beibi
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Cineverse Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Dying to Survive about?
- A struggling Chinese shopkeeper risks his livelihood and freedom to bring affordable leukemia medicine to patients shut out by the healthcare system.
- What is Dying to Survive like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Dying to Survive as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Dying to Survive violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Dying to Survive.
- What did critics think of Dying to Survive?
- Critics broadly praised its compassionate social realism, emotional accessibility, and strong performances while some found its messaging and character focus overly conventional.
- Which films are like Dying to Survive?
- Films with a similar feel include Dallas Buyers Club, The Intouchables, Angels Wear White, and The Pursuit of Happyness.
- How long is Dying to Survive?
- Dying to Survive runs 117 minutes.
- Where can I watch Dying to Survive?
- In United States, Dying to Survive streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Cineverse Amazon Channel.
