Living (2022) Apr 2026

Based on Akira Kurosawa’s 1952 masterpiece Ikiru , which itself was inspired by Leo Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich , the film is a masterful study of legacy and the quiet heroism found in small, purposeful acts.

: Realizing that true living isn't found in fleeting pleasures, Williams dedicates his final days to pushing through the very bureaucracy he once upheld. His goal is to build a small children's playground in a bombed-out London neighborhood. Living (2022)

In the 2022 film , Bill Nighy delivers an Academy Award-nominated performance as Rodney Williams, a veteran civil servant in 1950s London whose life is defined by rigid, joyless routine. Upon receiving a terminal diagnosis, Williams is forced to confront the emptiness of his existence and embarks on a poignant quest to find meaning in the time he has left. Based on Akira Kurosawa’s 1952 masterpiece Ikiru ,

: After decades of being a "dead man" behind a desk, Williams attempts to "live" through various means—first through hedonism in Brighton, then through a platonic friendship with a vibrant former colleague, Margaret (played by Aimee Lou Wood). In the 2022 film , Bill Nighy delivers

: The film highlights the stifling nature of post-war British bureaucracy, where "to do nothing is to do no wrong," and contrasts it with the profound impact one individual can have when they choose to care. Critical Reception

Directed by Oliver Hermanus with a screenplay by Nobel laureate Kazuo Ishiguro , the film received widespread acclaim. Critics from Rotten Tomatoes praised Nighy’s understated, heartbreaking performance and the film's lush, period-accurate aesthetic.