“Slowness and making viewers aware of deceptively aimless pacing are perhaps the definitive characteristics of Wang’s output. He embeds himself in the lives of his subjects, sometimes across several years, roaming a community’s space with his camera in order to cinematically convey the rhythms of a given way of life. His documentaries are purely observational works that end up speaking on some of the most difficult truths about China’s past and present.” —IndieWire

“A hallmark of Wang’s work is the discomfiting, shifting position in which he places the viewer. While watching Hard Times, I felt terribly helpless, hopeless, and sometimes angry at Wang for allowing us such intimate yet coolly distant access to misery; I also felt confided in, when subjects spoke directly to the camera about their lives…. Wang’s project reveals the monstrous production needed to sustain the ceaseless consumption promised by the ads overrunning our world.” —Devika Girish, Film Comment

“Wang’s seriousness of approach is mirrored in his film’s wise rejection of aesthetics: there is a mesmerizing quality to the skilled work being done but, in spite of his considerable runtime, the director isn’t looking to lull you into something as cozy as ambient abstraction. Good for him.” —The Film Stage

“Delivers a thorough cinematic vision with a precise political edge. The documentary serves an ode to worker solidarity and mobilisation. Wang’s powerful second instalment effectively uses cinéma vérité as more than just an observational storytelling tool. Instead, his presence serves as an active commentator on the systemic injustices at play.” —POV Magazine