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Better Luck Tomorrow

Play trailer Poster for Better Luck Tomorrow R,  2003,  1h 41m,  Crime/ Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist 81% 106 Reviews Tomatometer 79% 5,000+ Ratings Popcornmeter
81% Tomatometer 106 Reviews 79% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
An accomplished high school student, Ben (Parry Shen) seems to excel at almost everything except winning over his dream girl, Stephanie (Karin Anna Cheung). When he begins an unlikely friendship with trouble-seeking tough guy Daric (Roger Fan), Ben becomes involved in petty crime that gets increasingly dangerous, with his various illegal ventures extending to include Stephanie and her wealthy beau, Steve (John Cho). Can these restless teens curb their criminal activities before it's too late?
Better Luck Tomorrow

What to Know

Critics Consensus

A promising work by Lin, the energetic Better Luck Tomorrow is disturbing and thought-provoking.

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Critics Reviews

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David Ansen Newsweek Mar 7, 2018
Lin's movie tries to do too much--it takes some dark, credibility-defying turns--but you come away knowing you've witnessed the birth of a moviemaking career. Go to Full Review
Ben Nuckols Associated Press Apr 2, 2013
Better Luck Tomorrow, a corrosive, insightful study of the pressure-packed lives of suburban high school students, brings a new variant to gangster movies: gangsters with perfect SAT scores. Go to Full Review
Joe Morgenstern Wall Street Journal Apr 2, 2013
Better Luck Tomorrow breathes new life into a familiar story: coming of age in high school. Go to Full Review
Jake Mulligan Dig Boston Aug 6, 2021
3.5/5
Perceptive at dramatizing moments where teenagers' performances of masculinity and maturity inadvertently melt into something more fraught and real. Go to Full Review
Barbara Shulgasser Common Sense Media Jun 21, 2021
4/5
Justin Lin's sleek and skillful Better Luck Tomorrow is a well-contoured fantasy, not about magical worlds, secret gardens, or Middle-earths, but about the place within where demons may lie in those who may otherwise seem to be the best of us. Go to Full Review
John Powers L.A. Weekly May 17, 2018
Better Luck Tomorrow is a huge step forward, and though it doesn't fully transcend its small budget, the story feels rooted in something more solid than prefab posturing. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Draco L Jun 16, 2018 The ensemble cast works well together in Justin Lin's take at a high school dramedy.
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Better Luck Tomorrow

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Justin Lin

Director

Parry Shen

Ben Manibag

Jason Tobin

Virgil Hu

Sung Kang

Han

Roger Fan

Daric Loo

John Cho

Steve Choe

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Better Luck Tomorrow

Better Luck Tomorrow (2002) Better Luck Tomorrow (2002) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis An accomplished high school student, Ben (Parry Shen) seems to excel at almost everything except winning over his dream girl, Stephanie (Karin Anna Cheung). When he begins an unlikely friendship with trouble-seeking tough guy Daric (Roger Fan), Ben becomes involved in petty crime that gets increasingly dangerous, with his various illegal ventures extending to include Stephanie and her wealthy beau, Steve (John Cho). Can these restless teens curb their criminal activities before it's too late?
Director
Justin Lin
Producer
Julie Asato, Ernesto Foronda, Justin Lin
Screenwriter
Justin Lin, Fabian Marquez, Ernesto Foronda
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Production Co
MTV Films
Rating
R (Violence|Drug Use|Sexuality|Language)
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 11, 2003, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA)
$3.8M
Runtime
1h 41m
Sound Mix
Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Surround, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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