ReviewDear You movie review: nostalgic Teochew family drama a surprise box office hit in China

Boasting a cast of largely unknown actors and playing out almost entirely in the Teochew (Chiu Chow) dialect of eastern Guangdong, Lan Hongchun’s modestly budgeted drama Dear You has become a runaway success at the mainland Chinese box office.

Its young female lead, Li Sitong, gives a career-making performance, while eagle-eyed viewers will recognise 80-year-old actress Usha Seamkhum from the 2024 Thai blockbuster How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies in a small but notable role.

Dear You follows Hiau-ui (Zheng Runqi), a cash-strapped young Teochew man, as he heads to Thailand in search of his estranged grandfather, Ten Baksheng, who has supposedly been living and thriving there for the last 50 years.