Directed by Lulu Wang and based in part on her real life experiences, The Farewell tells the story of Billi (Awkwafina) as she learns about her grandmother’s terminal illness and how she reacts to her family’s decision not to tell her grandmother about it.

Though it could’ve been paced a little better, The Farewell is worthy of the hype. The entire film is carried by the phenomenal, crazy realistic, and still endearing script. Somehow, despite the premise, The Farewell is able to find levity in the dour situation it takes place in. It brings out a lot of genuine laughs, and this is also credit to the amazing performances all around. Awkwafina kills it as Billi, as does the rest of the cast as her family. I’d be remiss not to mention the score either, which is really affecting and a beautiful complement to the rest of the film.

Overall, The Farewell, a few pacing issues aside, is a stunningly realistic portrait of how family copes with death in different ways, bolstered by a fantastic script and great performances.

Score: 8.4/10