Netflix Reveals First Trailer for Dark Comedy Movie ‘Classmates Minus’

Netflix has revealed the first trailer of its Chinese-language dark comedy “Classmates Minus.” Directed by Huang Hsin-Yao and produced jointly by Chung Mong-hong and Yeh Ju-feng, Classmates Minus will arrive on Netflix on February 20. 

The film stars Cheng Jen-shuo, Liu Kuan-ting, Nadow Lin, and Shih Ming-shuai; winning the Audience Choice Award, along with Best Supporting Actor and Best Art Direction at the 57th Golden Horse Awards.

Classmates Minus depicts the lives of ordinary people in society and, with a comedic stroke, paints a picture of the grim reality that they face. The plot unfolds with four high school friends catching up with each other at a bubble tea shop. The men are now in their forties, but they still grapple with challenges in life. One devotes his life to work with next to no appreciation, and one discovers that his goddess-like high school crush has since become a prostitute. One who had always dreamed of becoming a film director somehow ended up running for the legislator. The four protagonists have all gone to great lengths to pursue a better life, yet they have received little return. This sentiment echoes the many ups and downs that ordinary folk in Taiwan experience every day.

Director Huang Hsin-Yao’s first feature film, The Great Buddha+ (2017), won five major awards at the Golden Horse Awards, including the Award for Best Director. Classmates Minus is Huang Hsin-Yao’s second feature film and is produced by seasoned local producer Yeh Ju-feng (My Missing Valentine and Our Times). Chung Mong-hong, who enjoyed a sweeping success at the Golden Horse Awards with A Sun, served as the executive producer and photography director of Classmates Minus.