Happily Ever After

Feng-I Fiona Roan made history with American Girl (2021) as the first woman to win Best New Director at the Golden Horse Awards. With countless accolades under her belt, anticipation has been building around her sophomore work. Effortlessly living up to expectations, Happily Ever After doesn’t disappoint. Delving into the themes of family relationships, generational expectations, and the definition of happiness, this is an engaging and approachable film with the perfect balance of humour and emotional tension.

Kitty (Shu-hua) and Claire (Xuan Chen) are two very different sisters. Kitty, the younger of the two, is the textbook daughter and the mother’s favourite — she’s about to get a promotion and is engaged to a wealthy man. Meanwhile, Claire is far from traditional. She disappoints her parents in both career and love, but is working towards what she wants. One has it all, and one is on her way to freedom, but contrary to what meets the eye, their quest for fulfilment is complicated. When an abandoned cat enters their lives, it becomes the catalyst for unveiling their deep emotional wounds.

Roan’s strong script delicately unfolds the complexity of defining one’s own joy. Claire and Kitty’s uncertainty towards upcoming milestones and fear of breaking family expectations may seem ordinary, but they are battles that strike utterly real to many.

Despite Kitty being her first acting gig, Shu-hua of K-pop group i-dle puts on a convincing and sincere performance alongside rising star Chen, and backed by seasoned actors Kuei-Mei Yang and Jack Kao — all as individuals searching for happiness in their own ways.

GIOVANNA FULVI