The title of Shih-Ching Tsou’s solo directorial debut, co-written and edited by Oscar-winning filmmaker Sean Baker, undersells the complexity of this vivid portrait of a Taiwanese family struggling to make ends meet. It does, however, nod to an archaic superstition the grandfather of I-Jing (the ferociously adorable nine-year-old Nina Ye) has about her being left-handed and the influence it has on her behaviour. I-Jing, her older sister Shu-Fen (Janel Tsai) and her mother Xiao-hong (Blaire Chang) have recently made the move back home to Taipei after mysteriously leaving for many years. Tsou vibrantly captures the chaos and thrills of reconnecting with old family and friends, and the bustling nightlife of the market where their noodle kiosk begins to thrive.

Every richly drawn character in the film is hustling in some sense. Shu-Fen is craving her independence and takes up a job where she gets into a messy romantic entanglement with the owner. Xiao’s relationship with her ex-husband is a touchy subject and one that she is literally still paying for after being guilted into coughing up the cash for his funeral. Her parents and sisters all give her a hard time and Chang’s performance is wonderfully imbued with the quiet exhaustion and vulnerability of a single mum trying her best. All the performances are full of life: Ye as I-Jing is a force of nature and Tsai nails the rebellion and nuance of a lost and confused young soul.

The carefully conceived screenplay balances tragedy and comedy with a mischievous sense of humour and playfulness that’s reminiscent of Baker’s The Florida Project. As the dramatic stakes crank up in a nail-bitingly funny finale, the narrative and thematic threads of mistakes, making amends, personal growth and scandalous family secrets are expertly handled. An intoxicating debut that has deservedly earned its spot as Taiwan’s official Oscar entry.

In cinemas from Friday 14 November and on Netflix from Friday 28 November.