Better Luck Tomorrow (2002) User Reviews

A Disturbing View of the Slide Into Anomie

[lawprof · 8/10 · 20 February 2004]

"Better Luck Tomorrow" has attracted much IMDb comment despite being shown in few theaters and then over a short period. Now available in DVD it will clearly garner a slowly widening audience by word of mouth. And it should.

This idie film operates on several levels. The story of a loose cohort of high school high achievers, mostly Asian-American, they are simultaneously self-challenged to make it to the Ivies while at the same time drifting in an affluent bubble of moral emptiness. They volunteer for public service project for points to strengthen their "apps" without any real commitment to the values of service.

Ben is the central character, a youth of untapped ability and boundless promise who seems unable to find any real meaning in his academic goals. The others are a cross-section of teenagers running from the daring to the reckless to the pathological.

He slowly falls hard for Stephanie, a beautiful classmate (actually almost thirty when the film was made but you'd never know it). She has a manipulative, rich boyfriend, "Stevo," and her relationship with him is both resistant and dependent. Girls in this film are ancillary arm candy for the males. Stephanie, who has issues of her own, she refers to her obligatory therapist, knows she's dominated by Steve but resisting submissiveness is very hard. Asian-American or not, Stephanie is a very recognizable teenager. Not too different a story from many high school buddy films, that part.

What is different and distinctive about this story are two factors. The first is that Ben and his friends start running scams at stores to get money for stolen merchandise returned for refunds and then graduate to both selling and using drugs. Their criminal activities become both more sinister and essentially aimless as challenge predominates over possible gain. To describe more would be to give away a genuinely original story line.

The second factor that separates "Better Luck Tomorrow" from the usual run-of-the-mill teen angst flick is the total absence of adult authority figures- parents, teachers (one biology teacher has a brief, colorless classroom presence), police (a sole cop is shown in a couple of seconds in a hallway, almost an opaque shadow). These kids have wheels and money but there's no evidence of their being accountable to anybody. Their ambitions and schemes are their sole interior reality.

Many IMDb comments are from Asian-Americans who view the characters as reflecting their own background. There is a brutal fight scene between the Asian boys and white kids at an unsupervised (of course) booze bash but much of the behavior that escalates into disaster isn't limited to any racial or ethnic group. I'm not even sure I feel comfortable dismissing the behavior as just another example of SoCal teen life.

The acting here, by a cast unknown (check IMDb for their names) is outstanding as is the direction and cinematography that pictures a slightly bleached suburb mirroring the superficiality of the central male characters. Anomie rather than evil is the malevolent controlling force for most of the boys.

A very disturbing film-one that does and should arouse discussion.

8/10.

A Gripping drama for ALL people

[LibrA_ChiK · 8/10 · 28 April 2003]

*WARNING:POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD (ACTUALLY, DEFINITE SPOILERS, SO WATCH OUT)

I suppose the topic of race should be brought up first and foremost. Yes, the main characters are Asian American, but the movie itself is NOT about BEING Asian American. The issue of race is irrelevant in this film, and that's one of the points the director and the actors are trying to make: that Asians are the same as any other nationality. It seems to bother some people that the race of the movie's characters is inter-changeable, but that just proves how universal the message of this film is.

"Better Luck Tomorrow" follows the lives of 6 Asian American teens living in suburbia: Ben, the narrator, is the over-achieving nice guy pining after Stephanie, the cheerleader with a brain, who dates Steve, the prep school rich boy. Included are Ben's friends: Daric, the slimy yet slick mastermind; Virgil, the deeply insecure goof ball with a knack for screwing things up and a penchant for porn; and Han, the "muscle" who takes pleasure in kicking his cousin Virgil's ass despite caring about him at the same time, in a tough guy kind of way.

Each character has a bright future ahead of them in Ivy League colleges around the nation, yet they're unsatisfied with what life has to offer. That's when Daric introduces Ben, Virgil, and Han to the world of petty crimes. The foursome begin distributing copy sheets to the student body, making $50 a pop and acquiring more money than they know what to do with. Soon the group find themselve delving deeper into the crime business, ripping off computer parts from the school and dealing drugs. It's no surprise that they soon find themselve in over their head.

I don't want to dwell any longer on the plot, if you've seen it you know it and if you haven't, well obvously you haven't heeded my spoilers warning. After watching this film, the first thing that ran through my mind was, "What the f*** was that??" At first I didn't like it much to tell the truth, only becaust i didn't immediately understand its message, but as i replayed multiple scenes in my head I realized how good this movie actually was. I haven't seen such a realistic portrayal of high school life in a long time. In Ben, Daric, Virgil and Han I saw my own friends and people at my school: the pressure to succeed in school at any cost (for example, Ben's coccaine habit that gives him the stamina needed to finish copy sheets and the homework from each of his honors classes, which in fact is not completely unrealistic seeing as some top students at my school are known to dabble in drugs to keep up with they're hectic schedules), the desperation, the insecurity, the supression of emotions to the point of bursting irrationally and inexplicably, and the overall feeling of unsatisfaction with one's life despite the commendable academic acheivements meant only to impress colleges. Growing up in an environment similar to that portrayed in the film, I felt like i was watching my classmates up there on the screen. It disturbed me to no end.

I feel like this movie has so much to offer, despite some glaring pitfalls. I didn't think Ben's character was extremely effective. Perry Shen's acting consisted of looking around a lot and blinking innocently while making puppy dog eyes at Stephanie once in a while. I understood the fact that he didn't like Steve, but when he actually picked up that baseball bat and KILLED him, I was completely suprised. I don't know, my friends explained to me it was Ben's supression of so many different emotions the led to the sudden violent outburst, but I just didn't see it. Maybe I'm blind, I don't know. But that's the only thing that bothered me the most. But other supurbly executed scenes canceled my dislikes for the most part. The scene where Daric and Virgil finalize Steve's death by suffocating him with alchohol is truly chilling and emotionally wrenching; I actually covered my eyes for part of the time, it was that effective. I liked the ending, despite the creepiness of Ben interacting so normally with Stephanie after killing her boyfriend only moments before. It just mirrors the fact that real life isn't so neat and tidy, justice isn't always served, even if you or I don't like it. The moral ambiguity of the film exemplifies this; morality is subjective, and that's the bottom line.

As for the message of this film, there are so many different things you take away from it. Power corrupts; money corrupts; the moral condition of human nature; the power of guilt; etc. I also saw a general commentary on today's youth, how we throw ourselves into making our existance fit into a college resume, ignoring personal fulfillment in favor of getting that extra activity onto our resumes. It desensitizes you, makes you numb to experiencing life and finding who you really are. It sickens me what people will do to get even the slightest edge over another person for the sake of college or whatnot. People have forgotten what it means to fulfill they're own dreams before fulfilling the expectations of their parents and society, and they've overlooked the fact of how dangerous it can all end up to be.

Refreshing

[Kujo1 · 8/10 · 5 October 2003]

Let me start of by saying that it's very refreshing to see an American movie starring Asian American actors. There simply isn't a enough of this.

Better Luck Tomorrow is another solid independent movie that is somewhat derailed or should I say lowered by the un conclusive ending. I think it was ironic that it was Ben committed such a violent act. I thought it would of been Virgil or Han. I'm not really sure that I bought into the fact that his character was capable of that as he hadn't shown any violent tendencies previously in the film. His character was pretty calm, and low key. Anyway, the film has very good acting performances from relative unknowns. I was enchanted with the actress that plays Stephanie. This was apparently her introducing role, and I think she has a bright future. The actor that played Ben was very good as well. In all, a very good film. I really liked the direction of Mr. Lin. He's one to watch. By far, the best movie that MTV films has been associated with.

Asian film graduate that liked film

[madplo50 · 14 January 2004]

Being Asian and a film study graduate doesn't validate what I"m gonna say, but I thought it would get somebody's attention.

What I did like about this film is that it reminded me a lot of what I did in Highschool, minus killing people and playing with guns. I got really good grades in school, and after a while me and my friends would goof around and cause a lot of trouble. Add in all the alcohol, parties, and drugs, you have an interesting side story for bored students. Most people wouldn't agree with what I said, but hey its my review.

Two, being Asian American and growing up in a middle class-uppermiddle class area, it was strange being one of the few asian americans around. people might look down on this film as "gimicky" because it gained attention because it was an all asian american cast. well here's something peole who are not asian american maybe should consider: when you're asian american, and you live in an area heavily populated by caucasions and feel like an obvious minority, you'll naturally start a clique of your own, that, low and behold, has other asian americans primarily in it. the group of friends in this film are asian american not just to start some gimmicky marketing scheme. this is what often happens in real life. certain subtleties like this can't be overtly explained, but will be appreciated by its asian american audience because it hits pretty solid. this is very much an asian american film, even though people don't like all the violence and blah blah blah.

now from a film perspective, i like the stylistic techniques lin used. he changes film speed a lot, which is a lost art in film. this film reminded me alot of Scorsese's "Mean Streets," plus with the obvious "Good Fellas" homage in the film w/ the continuous shot where the group walks into the party where the fight breaks out. i like how this film worked hard to challenge general film conventions. this film breaks down into five acts (not the standard hollywood three), has asian americans playing roles that are reserved not for them, and has a post modern ending. american audiences are used to having everything resolved at the end, with clearly defined moral positioning. i don't think people knew how to respond to the ending, and felt kind of empty. well guess what, osama bin laden was never caught, and some 30% of murders are never solved or have their killers brought to justice. i felt that the ending was appropriate

The Asian stereotype. (spoilers)

[vertigo_14 · 6/10 · 25 April 2005]

"Better Luck Tomorrow" is the story of a handful of smart high school kids who's book-smart appearances are not always as they seem. The main character is Ben, an over-achiever who consistently remarks that pretty much everything he is does is simply to gain recognition by college admissions officers and nothing more. That's a dumb outlook for a person to have right from the start.

Ben "befriends" Daric, a fellow competitor who inducts Ben into his small gang of four, where they basically earn their time as petty thieves and other formulations of outlaws. Things soon blow way out of proportion, and, if you've seen one of these kinds of a movies, you've seen a million of them. You should know that someone always gets hurt (or worse) before any sort of moral redemption can occur (and here, there doesn't seem to be any).

I wasn't impressed with this film for several reasons. First, is the fact that an Asian-American filmmaker and all Asian-American cast took it upon themselves to entirely portray themselves in the stereotypical frame of the Asian teenager--book-smart and rich. Though, we do see obvious influences of the American teenage stereotype in general, namely those characteristics that are claimed to be the products of Suburban boredom.

The second part, too, concerns the moral ambiguity presented in the story, which tends to leave the viewer wondering exactly what the director had in mind about that he was supposed to tell us (if he did so at all) about the end of the film. As another viewer notes, too, there are certain characteristics here and there that persuade against any empathy for the main character (who appears either gutless or apathetic to the situations he becomes involved in), as well as anyone else. To paraphrase another viewer, these kids are both rich and smart (and I'll add to the mix, arrogant), so why should we feel sorry for them when they get into more trouble than they can handle? It's a hard arrangement of characters that don't seem to mesh well with the story at hand (although, the concluding ambiguity makes even this complicated).

"Better Luck Tomorrow" is actually entertaining to a point. Fleshing out the stereotypes and the inconsistencies of characters and finales, may still leave something left worth valuing.

start of some interesting stuff

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 20 March 2021]

Ben Manibag (Parry Shen) is an overachieving perfectionist in academics and everything else to add more and varied achievements to his college applications. His longtime friend Virgil Hu (Jason Tobin) is a wild screw-up. They always follow Virgil's quietly confident cousin Han (Sung Kang) and they do petty crimes. Soon, the crimes become bigger and more dangerous. They become notorious, admired, and feared by all the students and acquaintances with their rumored connections to the mafia. Meanwhile, Ben falls for adopted Asian student Stephanie Vandergosh.

This is the beginning of an East Asian American invasion into mainstream Hollywood. Director Justin Lin would even connect this movie to the Fast & Furious franchise through Han. It includes interesting actors like John Cho. I do think that these are not the toughest guys around. It is a gated community so the kids could be naive enough to believe that they are part of the triad. Also, Justin Lin is trying out a lot of camera moves. The one that he seems to be missing is the Reservoir Dogs slow walk. He's still not pulling together everything but most of it works. Although I find Parry Shen fits this role, he's not a natural leading man type. The group is not always worth rooting for nor fearsome. It feels slightly like play-acting. More than anything, this is an opening for all this talent which would have been ignored in years past.

Disturbing moral ambiguity

[senortuffy · 6/10 · 11 December 2003]

In some ways, this film reminded me of an earlier movie, "River's Edge (1985)", because it involves a group of teenagers who seem totally detached from any feelings for other people. Except in that movie, some of the kids eventually realized what their problem was. Here, there is no such social development. The lead character at the end is just as out of it as he was at the beginning.

This MTV-produced film centers around a group of Asian-American high school kids living in an upper-middle class suburb of Los Angeles. They're bored with life and talk of "escaping" - which to most of them translates into going off to college and succeeding.

Ben is the main character and he's a young man with little self-esteem. He tries hard but he's sort of a nerd and he exists on the outside with his best friend, Virgil. Ben is nuts about Stephanie, this beautiful cheerleader in his biology class, but their relationship seems limited to working together on classroom projects.

Ben begins preparing cheat sheets for Daric, who then sells them to other students. Ben deviates from his good boy persona because he's bored and wants a little excitement. In short order, Ben and Virgil team up with Daric and another kid, Han, to form a gang of sorts. They steal things, sell drugs, start carrying guns, get into fights. Pretty soon, they all have the respect of their fellow students.

Without giving away any more of the plot, let me just say that Ben eventually wants out, wants back into his old life as a quiet nerd, but events prevent that from happening. He gets pulled in deeper until a real tragedy occurs.

It's hard to sympathize with Ben because he's such a wuss. He joins this gang even though he doesn't like its leader, Daric. He goes along with the crowd and has no influence over anyone else, especially his friend Virgil who turns psycho with his newfound power. He really likes Stephanie, and she seems to like him too, but he never makes a move on her. And in the end, despite wanting out, he gets involved in a horrific crime, actually being the main perpetrator in it.

The end has Ben and Stephanie driving off in her brand new luxury car wondering what the future will bring to both of them. Excuse me, but am I supposed to care about them at this point? These are just vacuous teenagers, spoiled little brats who did some terrible things. They're not heroes, they're not objects of pity.

The movie's actually pretty well done, and the acting alright considering the teen leads. It's interesting that you never see anyone's parents at any time; it's always just the kids alone or interacting with their peers. Maybe that's what the producers wanted, to create a universe where the teenagers exist all by themselves except for enjoying the nice homes their absent parents provided for them.

Anyway, the absence of any moral development in the main characters left me empty at the end. When the climax to the film came, there was no one on the screen that I cared about at that point. The film just ends on a flat note.

more than what I expected

[botkiller · 10/10 · 11 August 2004]

I picked this film up on a whim, and I thought that I knew what it was going to be about, but I was mistaken; I didn't expect the dark comedy/tragedy that the film ended up being. However, this was not bad. I have watched tons of films wherein at one point, you say to yourself, "Ok, this is just not possible", and you want to think that it's not, because the characters don't seem to deserve what you know what will happen to them. "Very bad things" with Jon Favreau comes to mind, but "Better Luck Tomorrow" actually connected me to the characters and made me really feel like I just wanted to scream at them and say tell them not to go down the road they were following! This is something that not many films can do ("Bad things" included).

This film is quite impressive, especially considering it was shot for a VERY shoestring budget, and had some great camera work and very solid editing. It did not in any way look like an amateur film, at all. I don't understand how this film has been branded "shallow"; it takes an original story and tells it in a convincing manner not characteristic of many films lately.

On one final note, all the acting is great, and I really don't care if anyone in it was thirty years old playing a seventeen year old, they were great performances and they had actual heart behind them.

If you have a chance, see this film, but be prepared to get a little more than what you thought you would.

Weak film making cripple this compelling story

[macpimp742 · 7/10 · 19 April 2003]

In a film whose directing seems to cripple this compelling story BETTER LUCK TOMORROW shows a decadent cycle that leads to a selfish world free from morality. The movie takes on a depressing role, and in the end does not satisfy the audiences need for justice, although that may be the point of this film. Even so in the end this film left me slightly disturbed and unsatisfied.

Gripping, occasionally self-conscious, but a brave, awesome feat in the end

[Quinoa1984 · 10/10 · 11 May 2003]

Director Justin Lin's drama, Better Luck Tomorrow, brought back memories of seeing Larry Clark's Bully on TV, which was also about teens who looked for partying to have something to do with their time in the midst of dreary, same-temperature-all-the-time suburbia. But this time, Lin has his teenage characters not as aimless- these kids, and at least the lead, have futures and/or aspirations, thanks to rich families, and because of which feel secure in their side life's of drug-dealing and robbery.

The beginning sets a perfect mood, as two Asian-Americans lie in their backyard, basking in a hazing heat, think they hear one of their beepers, and realize that the sound is coming from under the soil, alongside with a body. This is set up not to spoil the story (this tale is inspired by true events some eleven years ago), but to set up the slick, if bleak, atmosphere.

The central character of Lin's film is Ben, a JV Basketball player who rarely gets picked to play, repeats words he picks up in the dictionary over and over in preparation for SAT's, and works a part-time job in a food court so he'll have something to put on college applications. Along with this are his friends, Virgil, Han, and Daric, the last of which being the most intriguing of the supporting characters.

Instead of Lin getting overtly cocky with his plot ideas and characters, he creates a study of them, and of the paths they are each on in their high times of adolescence. He does this in a style that is kinetic even in scenes that slow down or just have minor dialogue, and when things pick up they pick up (and slow down) at the right pace. We get a sense where the movie will take us, yet by the time it does it's surely not as expected.

When the last scene rolls around, and Ben has made decisions that will possibly effect the outcome of his life, it's clear that Lin has made a film for MTV that has a life-force, a cool if sorrowful spirit, and an understanding of the additudes of youth that skims close to the line of a soap, but never is stupid enough to even try it. Some will leave cheated; I think this it may be one of the best films of the year, a little gem for the Asian-American community. Between A and A+ (A because of a slightly weak side-plot with the character of Stephanie)

interesting film

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 6 February 2014]

I watched this film because I recently interviewed Parry Shen, its star, who now plays Brad on General Hospital.

Better Luck Tomorrow is a film that probably doesn't speak very well to my generation, who are quite removed from what went on in the movie.

It's the story of Asian-American teens from affluent homes and apparently no supervision. They are what we used to call "brains" -- highly intelligent and ambitious, all concerned with getting into a top college. Everything they do -- all their volunteering, sports, after-school jobs, is geared toward having things to put on their application. High grades, Ben (Shen) the narrator points out, are no longer enough.

Ben is interviewed about affirmative action for the school newspaper by Daric (Roger Fan) and after that, Daric offers him a job writing cheat sheets for more money than he's making at the fast food place where he works. The guys -- Ben, Virgil, and Han -- steal for the fun of it, to take some pressure off of their studies, but then move on to doing drugs and selling drugs.

Ben falls for Stephanie (Karin Anna Cheung) who is the girlfriend of Steve (John Cho) who doesn't seem to treat her all that well; he doesn't like school functions so he asks Ben to take her to the formal dance. Steve approaches the gang with a burglary job, which plummets them even further downward.

I was never someone who was under the gun to get good grades; my family never put any pressure on me in that way. My emphasis was on creativity. But I can understand the tremendous stress these kids were under to be successful and their desire to blow off steam. Unfortunately, they had no supervision and no moral code. Out of control teenage hormones and rage are the result, particularly from Ben, who has held in his feelings all along.

Directed by Justin Lin, I liked the focus on Asian-Americans in the film as I think sometimes different ethnicities have trouble being cast as they should, and it's rare to have a film like this. Justin Lin does a good job of directing, speeding and slowing down the film, and giving us an ambiguous ending. I wasn't crazy about that -- yes, I'm one of those old-fashioned types that likes things tied up. The ending left me totally up in the air.

Doing the ending as he did, Lin seems to be talking about morality, guilt, non-guilt, non-justice, and the plight of teens today who don't have to answer for their actions. Maybe we just let life take care of what happens to them. Or maybe, like Crimes & Misdemeanors, nothing happens to change their life trajectory at all.

Highly stylish, and superbly acted

[smakawhat · 9/10 · 25 April 2003]

4 Asian high school friends seem to have it all, good grades, a bright future where colleges are going to be fighting over their applications and the world is their oyster. But beneath the suburban undercurrent lies a group of the most jaded Asian-American kids who get in over their head in illicit activities.

The film is narrated by Ben, a smart kid who is going about his usual run of the mill life. Eventually he is approached by Derrick a born class leader who finally mentions to him, Why are you being a second class benchwarmer on a basketball team?? When you can be your own man?

It turns out Derrick first starts asking Ben to write up cheat sheets for $50 bucks, and then with the enlistment of scrawny Virgil and his no nonsense cousin Han, the guys end up with a reputation that leads to bigger and riskier things...

The film has a great fresh style and pace to it, Justin Lin's direction is impecable. Slow motion edits, fast cuts, perfect timing with the soundtrack, good cinematography are all apparant and enjoyable and not to annoying as they sometimes can be when they are thrown at you constantly. What's probably the most telling thing about this movie is the focus on Asian-Americans in a not so seen light. All these kids have the world ahead of them, perfect grades, homes, money, but they are all dead inside and lacking direction. It doesn't help also that their parents in the film are nowhere to be seen, and no doubt non existent. All the trappings of success and great intelligence that the kids have is no match for there lack of faith and spiritual deadness which Better Luck Tomorrow shows off impecably!

Most important is the camradare these kids share and the wonderful casting that was chosen. Derick exhudes confidence and smarts like a crooked politician, Han is the cool guy doesn't say much looks like he can break your face with his intesnse stare, and Ben is the guy we follow through all his dillemas and trials with much anticipation and hope. But the best is saved for the scrawny Virgil played AMAZINGLY by Jason J Tobin.

He's the small kid who ends up a lot like the whipping post, and over compensates his rash bravado and toughness to hide his obvious weaknesses and extreme vulnerability. He is the guy you can't help smile and appreciate but also pray for knowing that he is in someway doomed cause of his lack of self esteem.

Wonderful film

Rating 9 out of 10.

Not Just Another Teen Gang Movie...

[hokeybutt · 7/10 · 25 September 2004]

BETTER LUCK TOMORROW (3+ outta 5 stars)

Really good film depicting a group of Asian-American high school students who slowly become enmeshed in more and more serious criminal activity. Excellent acting by the mostly Asian cast. The story is a kind of combination of Trainspotting and Goodfellas... tracing the friendship of four young men as their escalating life of crime begins to affect their friendship. These aren't the usual poor dumb crooks either... an interesting twist is that one of them, Ben (played by Parry Shen) is an incredibly bright super-achiever who doesn't *need* to turn to crime... he just enjoys the power that comes with the notoriety. I really didn't think I was going enjoy yet another youth-crime-drama... but the story and performances in this one hooked me early on and kept me enthralled until the end.

Better Luck Next Time

[steelerboy22 · 2/10 · 29 April 2003]

I'm usually not the kind of person to just come out and bash a movie, but this movie was horrible. I was originally very interested in seeing this because I am an Asian American and there are hardly any Asian-American movies out there that don't have kung fu or guns in them. First off, this movie was way too unbelievable in so many different ways, I don't even know where to begin. The story meandered along in so many different ways, I lost interest halfway through the movie.

It wasn't all bad, though. One good thing about the movie was the photography. Some of it at times seemed gimmicky, but overall, the DP did an excellent job with the visuals. That was the one thing that saves me from giving this movie an absolutely horrible rating. 4/10.

Anyone trying to understand today's affluent youth culture would do well to start here

[citrus538 · 21 September 2003]

First of all, this is a film about wealthy middle-class Asian teens. Too much smoking? Too much profanity? It seems a lot of IMDB users are out of touch with suburban teen culture.

One user even complained about the "the ubiquitous melancholy feeling you'll have throughout watching the movie (which) will stick with you hours after thanks to the resolutionless ending." That's like complaining about Nietzche because he's depressing.

That said, this is an EXTREMELY good movie. Anyone trying to understand today's affluent youth culture would do well to start here. It is true that the leads in this movie did not have to be Asians, but anyone who thinks this is a valid complaint should go visit a SoCal high school and check out the student population. Guess what you'll find? And while you're at it, could you please name a drama starring Asian people? Joy Luck Club? Okay, what else? Exactly.

I think it's also important to point out that MTV had no part in the creation of this movie. All they did was see the movie AFTER it had been made and agree to distribute it. Makes you wonder how valid most of these comments are when the writers don't even bother to read about the movie to understand it better.

Mediocre

[ninjalinda · 6/10 · 27 April 2003]

While walking out of the theater, I was thinking it was an okay movie, and maybe I needed some time to think it over in my head. I realized that if all the characters in the movie had been Caucasian, I wouldn't have given it another thought. It's just another movie about high school sex, drugs, and violence. Most people who went to see the movie were intrigued by the notion that the top-achievers at their school were involved in those things. However, Better Luck Tomorrow depicts not a fantasy-school but rather a well-concealed reality. Other viewers see the movie to support the Asian community. They would probably admit that their incentive had nothing to do with the plot, but just the fact that the movie dealt with Asian-American teens. I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone who is looking for something ground-breaking and original, but if you're interested in seeing a movie about sex, drugs, and violence for Asian-Americans, then this is the movie for you.

Needed to go all the WAY!

[doctorsoju · 6/10 · 22 April 2003]

This movie is the first breakout movie for Asian Americans. With that comes a lot of expectations and responsibility. Being the first major breakout movie, (I know there were other Asian American movies before but none of them had the press this movie had and Mtv backing them) I was expecting something along the lines of "Boyz n the Hood' or "Do The Right Thing."

I'm not saying it should mimic the gangster life, but sort of acknowledge their race, culture, and position and how that is different from the rest of the world. That's a breakout movie, its supposed to break down walls.

This movie didn't acknowledge all the lead characters being Asian, it didn't even really deal with that. Its more a movie about kids growing up in Orange Country than it is about being Asian. Those actors could have just as easily been replaced with white actors and this could have been the same movie.

That's what I don't like, the interchangeability of the actors race. The female lead being adopted wasn't even a real issue in the movie. It feels like this movie needed more...BALLS. To go all the way and say, "Hey we're Asian, here we are, like it or not, this is what we are!" Like black filmmakers have done in the past for their race.

I don't know if Mtv made them change the movie, or the filmmakers were scared the movie wouldn't do well commercially if it dealt with race too much. Even the trailers made no mention of them being Asian, instead they were categorized as being overachievers not Asian. C'mon, the audience isn't blind, obviously they recognize the actors are Asian so don't show them oranges and try to sell them apples.

This movie could have just as easily worked if the cast was all Jewish dealing with life as an overachiever.

That's what I don't like, its a watered down Asian movie that tries to become acceptable for the mainstream and the MTV crowd. C'mon if you going to be groundbreaking and disturbing, then do it. Don't fake the funk!

Go MTV Films

[iwatcheverything · 7/10 · 23 November 2003]

This film is a must see for film lovers. It is entertaining while telling a slightly interesting story. It has an ending that is pretty much known about half way through the film. I will not tell any spoilers b/c I believe you should see this movie for yourself. It should have nudity written in the rated R reasons however just as a warning. This film is a real good watch and a rare find. This is a must own film. Check it out next time you get a chance.

What About the Girls?

[janqb · 10/10 · 12 April 2003]

Just came back from a screening of this movie in NYC. Being Chinese American, I felt I could vicariously live through the characters' mishaps and adventures. I think this film is a manifestation of some unconscious fantasies I had during high school. Unfortunately, during high school I was too busy trying to land a spot in the incoming class of an Ivy League to think about power trips from petty crimes or even relieving the stress of perfectionism. Being female also dramatically reduced my access to the possibility for petty crimes and other risky experimentation. Chinese girls are raise to be good, dutiful daughters, who in turn become their own slave drivers feeding off of their need for perfectionism. Thanks to the oppressive histories of East Asian cultures, Asian parents brook no rebellion from girls. Girls are constantly taught that the slightest transgression will bring harsh criticism. And, having already fallen out of favor for not being born male, girls are dealt much harsher punishments than boys for rebellious behavior. The patriarchal adage "boys will be boys" resonates through Asian cultures with the accompanying implication that "girls must also be girls". Unfortunately, "Better Luck Tomorrow" makes no mention of the double standards imposed on Asian-American girls. It was disappointing to see the sole female actress become a pawn in the brokering of power between two high school boys.

The Asian girls in my high school who exhibited risky behavior were always sidelined by more daring male exploits. Essentially, female risky behavior amounted to wanton sex with men and occasional petty thievery. How little it differs from our non-Asian counterparts!

But if anything, at least this movie is not about kung fu fighting Chinese actors coupled with black or white male leads in movies like "Bulletproof Monk". Justin Lin's "Better Luck Tomorrow" aptly reminds the audience that Chow Young Fat, Jet Li, and Jacky Chan are not Asian-American men!

Criticisms aside, "Better Luck Tomorrow" is a clever film featuring some fine acting. The strengths and vulnerabilities of the Asian American boys are explored in a hitherto unprecedented way. Kudos to Jason Tobin for some fine acting!

Perfection comes with a price

[rbritton · 6/10 · 3 June 2005]

I had been wanting to rent this movie for a while now, ever since I read an article about it in "Entertainment Magazine". That article piqued my curiosity about this film. Since I am African-American I know how we see ourselves in society but I wanted to see how Asians (especially young Asians) view themselves in this society. The amazing part about the film was as long as these teens grades were good no one suspected them of committing any crimes plus the fact that their demeanor at school was so laid back and normal. Unfortunately that is also the eerie part about this movie because those kids could be your own next door neighbors or friends of your own kids and you would never suspect them of such crimes. Also the fact that out of all the character's "dark sides", Ben (the most unlikely one) had the "DARKEST SIDE OF ALL". I think it was a piece of symbolism to say that when he lost his virginity that all his inhibitions were released to the point that he would do just about anything which led to his ultimate act of violence. It was quite disturbing to see Han trying to comfort Virgil as they were finishing off killing Steve and then to have the guilt weigh so heavy on Virgil to where he attempted suicide. It seems as though Virgil and Ben mentally switched places. I was explaining to my daughter the fact of what happens sometimes when people are too smart for their own good--you get bored and your "idle mind becomes the devil's workshop". These kids were striving and pushing themselves towards perfection but what they did not realize was "perfection (or near perfection) comes with a price".

It's way more than just a "teen" film....

[snake77 · 8/10 · 17 June 2003]

At first glance this seems to be a Asian-American version of the classic teen film premise of "good kids gone bad". Although the ethnicity of the characters does play a part in it, the real thrust and emotional direction of this film is something deeper, and puts it head and shoulders above most "teen" films. It nicely parallels the usual high school issues (crushes, insecurities, rivalries) with the unique and very serious situations of the story (and it thankfully makes the main female character every bit as complicated and interesting as the males).

Some really good acting and a terrific script helps carry the core message of Better Luck Tomorrow. And that message is that although these kids are incredibly smart and in many ways lead adult lives, they're still just kids and aren't emotionally prepared for the kind of situations they find themselves in. The movie does a great job of showing the slow escalation in both pressure and stakes when the boys move from petty teenage scams to real hardcore crime. By the end of the movie you feel like you've accompanied these boys on a very long journey, and not one of them is the same when it's over.

It's also a somewhat disturbing window into the lives of modern high-achieving high schoolers. The filmmakers make what I'm sure was an intentional, searing indictment of the parents of such kids - not one parent is seen or even really talked about in the entire movie. To me the message was obvious - that the parents are so immersed in their own lives that they are content to basically put their children on autopilot as long as, as one character memorably puts it, "the grades are there". I wouldn't be surprised if some people (especially baby boomers) find this way too real to make them comfortable.

The film is paced well and is full of interesting little scenes and bits of dialogue, and they aren't solely for amusement. I realized that many of them were there to obliquely foreshadow what would happen later. This is called great screenwriting. Couple that with very capable direction and this is one impressive film. I think that there's a very promising future ahead for all of the obviously talented people involved in Better Luck Tomorrow. Hats Off!

Some good and some bad, watchable to me.

[deloudelouvain · 6/10 · 10 February 2022]

Considering it's a MTV productions it's actually not that bad. Well I liked it more than my wife did. Better Luck Tomorrow is definitely overrated, it's clear some people involved in this movie reviewed and rated it with the highest score possible. It's always annoying when that's happening but you get used to it. The story isn't all that bad, if you are not to bothered to watch adult actors playing eighteen year old students. I always wondered why they do such a thing, are there really no young actors that could have made this more believable? That said most of the actors did okay, some others were not that great. Overall this movie is watchable but I think it will have more success with the younger generation than with adults. It's an MTV movie so you know what you're going to get.

A superbly crafted, very mature insight into teenage culture

[johnwolpert · 8/10 · 30 December 2002]

I saw this film at the Toronto film festival, and was completely absorbed in it. It is both an intelligent observation of teenage culture and a great achievement in style and cinematography Follows in the footsteps of masterpieces like "Goodfellas" and "Menace to Society". Like them, this film plunges us into the lifestyle of its characters, and unrelentingly attempts to relate us to them. One wouldn't think that it is possible to be so consumed by a world occupied by those quiet over-achievers we overlooked in high school, but this film offers a darker, edgier vantage point that is so involving we cannot look away.

What I enjoyed so much about this film is that its characters are intelligent, but their intelligence is constantly overwhelmed by hormones and social pressures typical of the American teenager. It begins as a story of four Asian-American high school students, all with promising futures and crystal clean records, who decide to enter a life of crime and violence. Their crimes are easy because their reputations as do-gooders make them inconspicuous. The film follows Ben, whose richly observant narration offers a voyeur type insight into their declining souls. We watch, with unblinking eyes as harmless vices transform into drugs and murder. Soon enough the lives of these characters collapse, rendering one a surviver of a botched suicide attempt, and another a paranoid killer. The brilliance of these characters is not simply an excuse for their crimes, but an added weight on their shoulders. Their intelligence breeds conflict; they are smart enough to know that their lives are being jeopardized, but logical enough to see that when the extra pennies are so easy to attain, the crime is to lose the opportunity.

The crown jewel of this film is Stephanie, strongly portrayed by beautiful Karin Anna Cheug, possibly the hottest new thing to hit Hollywood in years. Her character is strong, on par with the boys in terms of intellect and achievement, but her heart is gold. Mark my words, after the release of this film, this girl is going to be on the cover of every magazine in this country. Wonderful girl, Wonderful film.

Ambitious, Flawed, Fascinating

[davidals · 6/10 · 9 December 2003]

For a while after seeing this I didn't really know what to think - I'd read a lot of pre-release hype on this one, and was almost expecting an Asian-American DO THE RIGHT THING (which would be way overdue), and this definitely isn't it - instead it almost seems to update some of the Blaxploitation clichés of the 70s, with an (East) Asian cast.

Such films portrayed Black Americans as one-dimensional walking stereotypes - nothing but violence and attitude - and had little to do with the actual diversity of African-American culture. BLT - in trying to overturn one set of Asian American stereotypes by inventing some new ones - is of questionable value (image-wise) at best.

But it is also very, very stylish, and I was never bored. The actors are a bit old to be high school kids, but they do manage to bring life to the characters, and visually the film is a treat, with vivid cinematography that is never cluttered, and an MTV-influenced style that still manages some originality. Subject-wise, it's more of a morbid parable than anything else, so I wasn't put off by the occasional lack of realism. The director is to be commended for his determination and independence here - like DO THE RIGHT THING, BLT attempts to harness unspoken rage in a way that might make some valid social statement, and even though it's not flawless, it will be very interesting to see what he does next.

Pointless MTV-produced film about overachieving Asian students

[johnhomicidal · 3/10 · 8 November 2005]

This film had potential. Lots and lots of potential. But sadly, like most MTV productions (save for Napoleon Dynamite), it falls flat on its face toward the midpoint. There really is no direct plot (except something about an academic decathalon), and the characters offer no sympathy whatsoever--they're all snotty Dawson's Creek-esquire rich brats. And for the record, there is one big, huge continuity error in the beginning of the movie: two of the main character discover a dead body in the backyard of a house and one of the character's voice-over declares, "It was the first time either of us had seen a dead body." Bull. Bull. Bull. You put the body there, moron! At the end of the film, they murder a fellow Asian student and put his body in that exact same spot! It's a shame that they didn't try to make a better Asian teen-oriented movie. See Attack the Gas Station! instead.