# Her Story (2024 film)

Her Story (Chinese: 好东西; pinyin: Hǎo dōng xī; lit. 'Good Things') is a 2024 Chinese comedy-drama film directed by Shao Yihui, and starring Song Jia, Zhong Chuxi, Zeng Mumei and Zhang Yu. The story revolves around Wang Tiemei, a single mother, and her child who move into a new home and become acquainted with their neighbor, Xiao Ye. The two women, each with contrasting personalities, form a unique bond. Released on 22 November 2024, the film received critical acclaim for its screenplay, direction and performances.

## Plot

Set in Shanghai, the story follows single mother Wang Tiemei (Song Jia) and her daughter Wang Moli (Zeng Mumei) as they move into a new home and meet their neighbor, Xiao Ye (Zhong Chuxi). Despite their contrasting personalities—Wang Tiemei being resilient and practical, and Xiao Ye more gentle and spontaneous—a connection develops between them.
Wang Tiemei demonstrates strong nurturing skills, while Xiao Ye brings a sense of unpredictability with her talent for improvisation. Together, they face personal challenges and provide mutual support as they navigate past experiences and new circumstances.
The narrative is further shaped by two men in Wang Tiemei’s life: her ex-husband (Mark Chao), who complicates her efforts to find stability, and her daughter’s drum teacher Xiao Ma (Zhang Yu), who introduces new dynamics into her life. The film explores themes of personal growth and self-awareness, raising questions about the challenges the characters will encounter and how their perspectives on themselves and their environment may evolve.

## Cast

* Song Jia as Wang Tiemei
* Zhong Chuxi as Xiao Ye
* Zeng Mumei as Wang Moli
* Mark Chao as Wang Tiemei's ex-husband
* Zhang Yu as Xiao Ma
* Bin Ren as Xiao Hu

## Production and pre-publicity

On 18 March 2024, the film began shooting in Shanghai and on the same day, the concept poster of the film was released.
This film serves as a parallel piece of director Shao Yihui's 2021 directorial debut B for Busy, continuing its focus on themes of "centering women's perspectives and addressing women's struggles" while conveying the idea that "loving the world begins with loving oneself."
When asked by the media about similarities and differences between Her Story and B for Busy, director Shao Yihui explained that the "similarity lies in their lack of intense drama—both are refined from everyday life", and in Her Story "places greater emphasis on showcasing women's unique life experiences, distinct from those of men" and "aim to present how contemporary independent women live, find happiness, and derive a sense of meaning and value." Shao Yihui has emphasized at public appearances that she is not interested in provoking “gender antagonism”.
On 25 October, the film released a playful teaser titled "Fun Story" and simultaneously unveiled a relationship poster series titled "So Close". On 29 October, "Her Story" was highlighted in Alibaba Pictures' latest film lineup for 2024. On November 1, a director's cut featurette called "Define by Yourself" was released, followed by the relationship featurette "Fully Matured Love" on November 5. A special video, "Bringing Joy", was released on 11 November, kicking off advance ticket sales and a limited second round of screenings in 64 cities from 16 to 17 November. As the release date approached, the final "Whatever" trailer was released on 18 November, along with the final "Live Your Best Life" poster. The "Pure Joy" special was released on 20 November. The film premiered in Beijing the same month and a promotional roadshow was held in Chengdu on the 19th. New posters were unveiled on 22 November.

## Release and reception

The film was released both domestically and internationally on 22 November 2024, with debut in the United States and Canada on November 28, followed by the United Kingdom on 29 November. In Australia and New Zealand, it was distributed in theaters by Little Monster Entertainment on 28 November, with Singapore’s Golden Village releasing it on the same date. Malaysia’s Mega Films Distribution released the film on 8 December. In China, from release until 11 December, the film made $77 million in box office, overtaking Moana 2. In Douban, Her Story has a score of 92.2%, indicating positive and critical acclaim.
The Chinese publication The Sixth Tone and British newspaper The Guardian called the film as China’s answer to the 2023 Hollywood blockbuster Barbie. In an interview, Yang Xiaolin, director of the Film Research Institute at Tongji University, highlighted the film's popularity as stemming from its keen observation of everyday life, marking it as a fresh take on realist cinema. He noted that the film captures the essence of the present without exaggeration, focusing on the experiences of ordinary individuals, particularly the young and middle-aged "new Shanghainese." However, Yang also criticized the film for its intentional sidelining of male characters, arguing that it portrays a gendered narrative where women are depicted as victims of harm or discrimination in a male-dominated society, often intensifying the gender conflict by glorifying one side while vilifying the other. Fang Xiaoya of China Daily wrote that the film "created a narrative that speaks to women's experiences with honesty and warmth, inviting the audience to imagine a world where women can be the architects of their own futures."
Wendy Huang of What's On Weibo wrote that "The success of Her Story, the conversations it inspires, and its contribution to highlighting female perspectives in film reflect the evolving dynamics of contemporary cinema and the strengthening of female voices in traditionally male-dominated industries."