In ‘Living,’ a very grumpy and very British man learns how to live

Last Friday saw the Philadelphia opening of A Man Called Otto, a remake of the 2015 Swedish film A Man Called Ove, in which a grumpy Tom Hanks learns to live again after the death of his wife. This Friday brings Living, a British remake of the 1952 Japanese film, Ikiru, by the great Akira Kurosawa. In Living, a grumpy Bill Nighy learns to live — for the first time in decades — after a medical diagnosis gives him limited time.

Nighy (Love, Actually, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) is excellent as Williams, a British civil servant at the Public Works, whose upper lip is stiffer than his starched collars. He is a paper-pushing bureaucrat, the personification of monotony, who comes to question how little he’s enjoyed his life when that life appears to be nearing its end.

In an American version of this story, he would then go out barhopping with his pals, get drunk, punch out a bully, find a warmhearted woman who teaches him to love, make up with all the family members he’s wronged, and start a Foundation of Fun, so no one makes the same mistake he did.

But Living is very much not an American movie. It’s period British, set in the 1950s, with bowler hats, bumbershoots, overwhelming politeness, excellent manners, and locked-up feelings. Williams is so stoic, any emotion at all might kill him before his illness.

He befriends a much younger female colleague (Aimee Lou Wood), causing a minor scandal, but not because he wants to take her to bed. He only hopes a small bit of her enjoyment of life will rub off on him. She helps push Williams to return to the office, where he decides to swing into actual action and support a tenement project for a trio of mothers who’ve been getting the classic government runaround. It’s a small victory for Williams, but he’s going to enjoy the win … even if it kills him.

Living is the postholiday season “It’s a Not So Wonderful Life.” Calling it languidly paced is generous, but the understated performances are refreshing and it’s a good choice if you enjoy character over plot, civility over car chases, and want to feel a little better about yourself. Written by Kazuo Ishiguro (The Remains of the Day). Directed by Oliver Hermanus. (Rated PG-13. Premieres Friday, Jan. 13, in theaters.)

Gerard Butler (Law Abiding Citizen) plays a pilot who miraculously lands his flight in a lightning storm. The bad news is, he put the plane down on a war-torn island, where his passengers are taken hostage and the only man who can help him save them is an accused murderer. With Mike Colter (Luke Cage). (Rated R. Premieres Friday, Jan. 13, in theaters.)

A remake of the 1990 comedy, which was sort of a twist on Risky Business and now seemingly the plot of every episode of Euphoria. With his parents away, a high school student decides to host a house party. At LeBron James’ house. Bad behavior and hilarity ensues. Starring Jacob Latimore, Tosin Cole, and Andrew Santino. The feature debut of noted music video director Calmatic. (Rated R. Premieres Friday, Jan. 13, in theaters.)

Sci-fi, horror, thriller, in which an evil cult steals the Shroud of Turin so an evil biotech company can clone the DNA of Jesus for nefarious purposes. (Rated R. Premieres Friday, Jan. 13, in theaters.)