10 Best Hidden Gem Movies Of 2019
8. The Farewell
The Farewell is an American comedy/drama written and directed by Lulu Wang, which was first screened in the U.S. Dramatic Competition section at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. It was later given a theatrical release in July 2019 and received widespread acclaim for the screenplay and direction by Wang, as well as for the performances of Awkwafina and Zhao Shuzhen.
The movie is semi-autobiographical, as it follows some of the events of Wang's life, which she originally discussed as part of an episode of This American Life in a radio story called "What You Don't Know."
The story revolves around a family focused on the grandmother/matriarch after learning she only has a short time left to live. The family comes together to decide that they shouldn't tell her about her impending mortality, and instead, they decide to hold a large family gathering to celebrate and honor her before she dies.
The film wasn't released to widespread notice, but considering it was only made for $3 million it turned out to be a financial success. It's been acclaimed critically, but it deserved a way bigger audience on release.