In the 1960s, Dìdi would have been a minor player in a film about somebody else. In the 1980s, Dìdi would have been a bittersweet John Hughes film about a shy boy who gets the girl. In the 2000s, Dìdi would have been a raunchy comedy about a shy boy who wants the girl, but ends up a town hero. In 2024, Dìdi is an increasingly isolated incel loser who has to figure out how to deal with his family because his friends all suck.
To be fair, Dìdi sucks, too. I think that’s what I liked about this film. There isn’t an honest world in which nerdy, awkward Dìdi becomes the envy of school like Christopher Mintz-Plasse in Superbad or f***s the prom queen like Anthony Michael Hall in Sixteen Candles. That’s not gonna happen. The movie knows it and deep down, Dìdi probably knows it, too. But he doesn’t know nearly enough about anything to keep from making an ass of himself.
Dìdi (Izaac Wang) is a suburban 13-year-old Taiwanese-American in search of an identity. The only place he knows himself is at home, where he’s a jerk to his mother (Joan Chen) and older sister (Shirley Chen). Dad is off in Taiwan (“making money”), so mom, sis, Nai Nai, and Dìdi (aka “Chris” aka “WangWang”) are a family unit, one the budding high school student can’t stand.
Around his friends, Chris is a different kid entirely. He’s a second banana and so unsure of himself he constantly looks for prompts. The group leader, Fahad (Raul Dial) is into sex, and urges Chris
to act on his urges … but only in classic 13-year-old-boy fashion, which leaves a great deal to be desired. Not that WangWang is making great strides of his own. Early in the film, he develops a texting relationship with his would-be squeeze, Madi. He asks what she’s up to and she asks for movie recommendations. Chris quickly consults Madi’s MySpace page (the film is set in 2008). Her favorite films include The Notebook, 13 Going on 30, Mean Girls, The Devil Wears Prada … Chris picks one at random and texts back, “Have you ever seen A Walk to Remember?”
Oh Dìdi
Oh, oh, oh Dìdi
Yeah, this little coup may work short-term, but you are in waaaaaaaaaaaay over your head. This is sad to the point of cringe-worthiness. And, well, this is about as good as the kid is gonna look in this film. Before long, he will have alienated not one, not two, but three groups of potential friends. All because he doesn’t even know enough to be honest about personal shortcomings.
I should have found Dìdi frustrating given the lack of personal honesty our hero shows, but instead, I felt the opposite. I found the film both honest and refreshing in calling out its hero and making him pay a price every time he tries to get away with something. No, it wasn’t exactly fair, but Dìdi is far closer to reality than the fictional tweens that came before him. Very little of this is feel good or fantasy indulgent material; hence, the film is ideal for every other group besides the exacts one it describes. And yet, this is the kind of film that teenage boys should pay attention to the most.
There was once a teenager Dìdi
Who never wanted to appear needy
So he faked all his coups
Would fail and then lose
Perhaps he will learn not to be greedy
Rated R, 94 Minutes
Director: Sean Wang
Writer: Sean Wang
Genre: A refreshing look at incels
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: People who enjoy honest movies
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: John Hughes fans
