Overview
A heartfelt journey through family bonds and cultural traditions unfolds as a young woman grapples with her grandmother's illness.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- poignant
- witty
- intimate
- reflective evening
- family movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a poignant, culturally specific, and universally relatable comedy-drama anchored by strong performances.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Billi and her relatives organize a wedding while deliberately hiding Nai Nai's terminal cancer diagnosis from her.
Billi's Chinese-American perspective clashes with her family's Chinese understanding of communal responsibility and illness.
The impromptu wedding functions as a covert reunion so relatives can see Nai Nai without telling her the true reason.
The film centers apartments, family meals, wedding preparations, and everyday encounters as the setting for its ethical and emotional conflict.
Films like The Farewell, and why
Minari
shared intimate comedy-drama tone, intergenerational family conflict, and culturally specific emotional storytelling
Joy Luck Club
shared immigrant identity themes, family reunion dynamics, and bittersweet warmth grounded in cultural differences
The Savages
shared poignant family relationships, understated humor, and emotionally layered confrontations with mortality
My Big Fat Greek Wedding
shared cross-cultural family tension, wedding-centered gathering, and blend of awkward comedy with heartfelt drama
Movie Details
- Director
- Lulu Wang
- Release Date
- 2019-07-12
- Runtime
- 100 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (1590)
Cast
- Awkwafina
- Zhao Shuzhen
- Hong Lu
- Hong Lin
- Tzi Ma
- Lin Xiao Jie
- Yang Xuejian
- Becca Khalil
- Jiang Yongbo
- Chen Han
Where to watch in United States
- 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 The Farewell about?
- A Chinese-American granddaughter navigates love, cultural duty, and a family-wide secret when her grandmother's terminal illness turns a wedding into a covert goodbye.
- What is The Farewell like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Farewell as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Farewell violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Farewell.
- What did critics think of The Farewell?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a poignant, culturally specific, and universally relatable comedy-drama anchored by strong performances.
- Which films are like The Farewell?
- Films with a similar feel include Minari, Joy Luck Club, The Savages, and My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
- How long is The Farewell?
- The Farewell runs 100 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Farewell?
- In United States, The Farewell is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
