The extended shots and continuous takes evoke strong vibes reminiscent of Edward Yang and Hou Hsiao-hsien, which might make some viewers find the material a bit monotonous. But if you're a fan of Edward Yang or Hou Hsiao-hsien's films, this is a treat. I would even go so far as to say this is the best thing I've seen from iQIYI and Chinese contemporary film/television in a long time.
The direction, production, and the actors' performances (there are some seriously impressive performances here) are genuinely excellent and ensure there's always something captivating happening within the frame.
The atmosphere and mood of the show stayed with me long after the credits rolled in the final episode. If nothing else, the final half-hour or so will linger in your memory long after the screen goes dark.
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IMO, the mystery itself and characters are not what you come to for this show. Instead, it's the setting, which the production design does a killer job to immerse you in, taking you authentically to multiple time periods of 东北 in Chinese history. The characters are rather impenetrable, icy, and alien. There's no fun interaction between characters. But, the lack of connection and attachment is also a point of the show in demonstrating the effect of trauma, Chinese history, and economic recession in impeding communication, empathy, warmth, and close ties. The show is bleak, nihilist, and oh so noir.
I loved that the show had movie length episodes, which were necessary for maintaining the captivating atmosphere. I hope mysteries with variable episode lengths can survive amidst the industry- and market-driven pressure to produce Douyin-oriented shorts.
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Don't wast your time with this light on series with iQiyi
Why Try to Change Me Now is another iQiYi short series. I usually enjoy their short series like Bad Kids, Homesick, and Who is the Murderer, to name a few; except this one.I watched about 2 1/2 episodes, and I could no longer continue with it. It was too slow and draggy, and the story and acting were dull. Each episode is over an hour, and I could not see myself sticking with it. The characters' buildings were not there, and I ended up falling asleep watching the drama.
I am giving it a 3.0 rating and dropping it as well. If you have different opinions, please let me know. Too bad, it is only 6 episodes in total, but the plot did not lure or engaged me.
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