Youth (Hard Times)
Icarus Films | Release Date: November 1, 2024 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
84
METASCORE
Universal acclaim based on 8 Critic Reviews
Positive:
8
Mixed:
0
Negative:
0

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
The New York TimesNicolas RapoldOct 31, 2024
Shot in a present-tense vérité style, it stitches together micro-stories into a larger narrative in which negotiation can’t undo exploitation. Read full review
88
RogerEbert.comSimon AbramsNov 1, 2024
This one stands out not only because it’s the fittingly agonizing climax to Wang’s trilogy but also for its sheer wealth of heartbreaking and totally convincing details. Read full review
83
Paste MagazineKatarina DocalovichSep 25, 2024
Hard Times is just as unflinching as Spring in its repetitive nature, but the second installment adds a dynamic approach to the material that was lacking in Spring. Read full review
83
The Film StageRory O'ConnorAug 15, 2024
Though Wang never directly addresses the wider forces driving this manic industry––mass consumption, globalization, fast fashion, capitalism––they seem to linger just outside the frame. On the ground level, however, the director isn’t pulling any punches regarding the people responsible for all this struggle and strife. Read full review
83
IndieWireJosh Slater-WilliamsAug 15, 2024
“Hard Times” offers no radical change from the (quite deliberately) repetitive construction of “Spring,” but does feature subtle shifts in focus and certainly a lot more in the way of incident and splintering effects. Read full review
80
Screen DailyJonathan RomneySep 4, 2024
Hard Times, as the name title suggests, is not an easy film to watch, nor is it intended to be. Read full review
80
VarietySiddhant AdlakhaAug 15, 2024
At nearly four hours in length, it surpasses even its gargantuan predecessor “Youth (Spring),” but it also uses that film as a platform for deeper exploration. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineJake ColeSep 12, 2024
The second installment in Wang Bing’s trilogy of documentaries about garment workers similarly leans into durational extremes but eventually and sneakily reveals a broadened scope. Read full review
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