Zhao Liying is making waves with her gritty lead role in the new film “We Girls,” but not without sparking controversy. While many hail her portrayal of Gao Yuexiang as the most powerful performance of her career, others are put off by the character’s frequent profanity and morally gray decisions.
Directed by famed filmmaker Feng Xiaogang, “We Girls” has already grossed 70 million yuan (approx. 9.7 million USD) in just three days, ranking second among Qingming Festival holiday releases. The film is being lauded as Feng’s best work in recent years, and a career-defining role for Zhao.
Zhao plays Gao Yuexiang, a poor woman burdened with a disabled, abusive husband and a deaf daughter who needs an expensive cochlear implant. To survive, she takes on countless jobs and eventually turns to working in online sex chats, for which she’s imprisoned. Inside jail, she faces bullying but fights back. After release, she hustles to earn enough money to bring her daughter home from a welfare center and supports other formerly incarcerated women along the way.
Gao Yuexiang is a woman of contradictions, uneducated and willing to lie, fight, and even break the law for her child, yet also deeply human, loving, and empathetic. The character is likened to a sunflower growing from weeds, constantly seeking light in a dark world. The film delivers a powerful message about resilience and women’s struggle for redemption in a harsh society.
Zhao’s performance has been widely praised for its emotional depth and transformation. Many Weibo users have declared it her best role yet. However, not all feedback is positive. Some viewers criticize the role’s vulgar language and rough behavior, saying it borders on excessive. Critics also note a trend in Zhao’s filmography of playing suffering women, citing her past roles in “Article 20” and “Tiger Wolf Rabbit,” and argue her character choices are becoming one-dimensional, always crafted to elicit tears.
Moreover, We Girls’ heavy themes, gritty realism, and lack of moral boundaries may alienate audiences who prefer lighthearted entertainment. Despite its critical acclaim, this could pose a challenge to the film’s overall box office success.
According to Sina, the film was produced on a modest budget of 15 million yuan and has already started to turn a profit. Zhao Liying reportedly declined an actor’s fee and instead invested her earnings into the production, also serving as a producer, signaling just how much faith she placed in the project.
Whether praised for its artistic boldness or criticized for its harsh tone, “We Girls” confirms Zhao Liying’s willingness to take risks, and proves she’s not afraid to get her hands dirty for a role that matters.
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