Living

Set in London in 1953, Living follows Mr. Williams, a long-serving civil servant whose life is consumed by forms, memos and ritual. He keeps the local bureaucracy running with quiet competence, but he returns to an empty flat that underscores how little personal satisfaction he has. When a stark medical diagnosis arrives, Williams can no longer postpone thinking about what his remaining time should mean. The film traces his attempts to reach out to younger colleagues, to mend small personal gaps and to find a bit of meaning in ordinary actions, all while avoiding dramatic plot turns that would spoil the story's emotional arc. His small experiments with kindness and courage feel tentative, yet each moment carries weight for him.

Released in 2022 and directed by Oliver Hermanus, Living is a British adaptation of Akira Kurosawa's 1952 film Ikiru. The project relocates Kurosawa's central premise to postwar London, keeping the focus on bureaucracy and a man's search for personal significance.

The film had a limited theatrical release and modest box office returns, finding a larger audience later through streaming and home-video platforms rather than broad commercial success. It gained attention through festival screenings and limited releases in multiple territories internationally.

Living prompted renewed attention to Ikiru among many viewers and critics, prompting conversations about aging, duty, and how small acts can give life meaning. Its restrained scenes and bureaucratic settings keep appearing in essays and film discussions as a thoughtful modern reading of a classic, and younger audiences rediscovered Ikiru.

Critics were favorable to Bill Nighy's restrained turn as Williams, praising the film's deliberate tone and humane outlook. Reviews highlighted mortality, the alienation of routine work, and how small, considered gestures can reshape a person's legacy. Some found the pacing slow, but many admired its emotional clarity and quiet dignity.