Director Sean Wang has arrived. His documentary short film, “Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó,” landed an Oscar nomination and, a few months later, his first narrative feature film, Didi, won the Audience Award for the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

While “Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó” has been available to watch on Disney+ for some time, Didi just released in theaters at the end of July. It offers a window into the life of Chris, a Taiwanese-American teenager, the summer before he starts high school. He must traverse friends, family, girls, parties, and online life in 2008. 

No matter how much critical praise Didi, collects, it may get drowned out amidst all of the flashier Oscar contenders on the verge of premiering in the coming weeks. Can Sean Wang strike Oscar nom gold again? Or is an indie coming of age film too small to last all the way through the season?

On this episode of The Long Take Review, P.T., Greg, Antonio, and I try to read the tea leaves and speculate as to Didi’s future. We each share what aspects of the film resonated with us personally, celebrate its funniest moments, and reflect on the halcyon days of AOL Instant Messenger. 

You can listen to The Long Take Review on Substack, Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Image Credit: Variety

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