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Trailer

All About Lily Chou-Chou

2001Movie2 h 26 minNR

CrimeDrama
76
GreatGoodWatch score
IMDb7.5Letterboxd4.2/5Metacritic738.3Rotten Tomatoes70%89%

A deeply moving, profoundly sad drama movie about everyday modern life and growing up, with standout score and characters.

Good for friends night · teens · thought-provoking

Skip it if you need an uplifting mood · you want fast pacing

Where to watch

Fingerprint

Not for warmth, laughs or comfort.

Movies with

Story

Pain can take you in prison. The ether can set you free.

Charts the troubled teenage years of students Yūichi Hasumi and Shūsuke Hoshino, exploring the shifting and complex power dynamics of their relationship against the backdrop of Yūichi's love for the dreamy and abstract music of pop star Lily Chou-Chou.

Feels like

  • Teenage Anguish
  • Psychological Drama
  • Bullying & Alienation
  • Music-Driven Narrative
  • Online Community Dynamics
  • Bleak Coming-of-Age
  • Existential Reflections
  • Social Commentary
  • Raw & Unflinching

Cast

16 of 16

Crew

Directed by
Shunji Iwai
Written by
Shunji Iwai
Produced by
Naoki Hashimoto
Music by
Takeshi Kobayashi

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

October 6, 2001 · 2 h 26 min · NR

Released
October 6, 2001
Runtime
2 h 26 min
Age rating
NR
Content
Violence, Strong Language, Suicide Themes, Disturbing Imagery
Genres
Drama, Crime
Original language
Japanese
Made in
Japan
Budget
$1 million
Box office
$7 million
Available in
5 countries

Tropes

Scenery Porn, Loony Fan, The Unseen +9

  • Scenery Porn
  • Loony Fan
  • The Unseen
  • Mis-blamed
  • Stacy's Mom
  • Hopeless Suitor
  • Driven to Suicide
  • So Beautiful, It's a Curse
  • Good Bad Girl
  • Important Haircut
  • Bittersweet Ending
  • Defiled Forever

12 of 44 tropes. From TV Tropes.

Q&A

7 questions, like "Where can I stream All About Lily Chou-Chou?"

Questions about All About Lily Chou-Chou

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream All About Lily Chou-Chou?

JustWatch TV FreeJustWatch TV+PhiloThe RokuKanopyHooplaFandorAsianCrush

In the United States, All About Lily Chou-Chou streams on JustWatch TV+, Philo, Fandor, AsianCrush, and Metrograph, and it is free with ads on JustWatch TV Free, The Roku, Kanopy, Hoopla, Plex, Fawesome, and Tubi TV. You can rent or buy it from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, and Fandango At Home. It also streams in 4 other countries.

Is All About Lily Chou-Chou worth watching?

76
GreatGoodWatch score

Mostly, it's well received, with a GoodWatch score of 76 (IMDb 7.5, Letterboxd 4.2 out of 5, Rotten Tomatoes 70%, and Metacritic 73). Audiences rate it higher (83 out of 100) than critics (72).

Will I feel good after watching All About Lily Chou-Chou?

BleakHopeful

Probably not: the title analysis rates it 9 of 10 for bleakness and 9 for melancholy, against 1 for hopefulness.

Is All About Lily Chou-Chou plot-driven or character-driven?

CharactersPlot

Mostly character-driven: it leans on character depth (9 of 10) and pathos (9 of 10) more than on its plot.

Was All About Lily Chou-Chou a box office hit?

Budget$1 million
Box office$7 million

Yes, a big one: it cost about $1 million to make and earned $7 million worldwide, 5.4 times its budget.

Is All About Lily Chou-Chou in English?

Japanese

No, it was made in Japanese.

What tropes does All About Lily Chou-Chou use?

Scenery PornLoony FanThe UnseenMis-blamedStacy's MomHopeless SuitorDriven to SuicideSo Beautiful, It's a CurseGood Bad GirlImportant HaircutBittersweet EndingDefiled Foreverand 32 more

TV Tropes lists 44 tropes for it, including Scenery Porn, Loony Fan, and The Unseen.