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a love letter to the genre
this is a mid-length psychological dark comedy thriller crime drama (no, really, what exactly is it?) that reads like a film student's graduation project in the form of a love letter to film noir and its German expressionist roots. at times, the cinematography is thoroughly distracting, especially when the framing of characters is so obvious as to lean towards the ridiculous or the low-key lighting tips over into what looks like a stage spotlight with erratic wiring.
but this distraction is actually an asset. in a series which focuses on flawed individuals and a system designed to exclude them if they can't buy their way in, every inappropriate line, peculiar frame or flickering light reminds us just how broken and messed up this universe, and our own, is.
the cast plays into this vision incredibly well. Maggie Huang, who I'd previously only seen in a production I consider subpar, proved to be a revelation in a more thoughtful work. she is restrained while retaining an underlying edge which piques interest and curiosity. Wang Duo was less of a surprise given his previous roles, and there were moments when he almost seemed to enjoy himself too much, but he truly showed why this type of role is firmly in his remit.
Qin Junjie, paradoxically, felt somewhat underutilised but his performance can't be faulted. his Da Huihui is the show’s real enigma. plenty of screentime and his mannerisms signal openness, but his emotional world is still largely closed to us as viewers. he’s performative in the investigations for his social media channel, and while the logic of his actions is sound, he exists almost in a parallel universe where he is operating under the same systemic pressures but as more of an observer than a participant.
so while I know there isn't much to go on in this review if you are deciding whether to watch this, and this is deliberate in order not to spoil plot points in what is a fairly intricate setup, here is my recommendation. if you like slowburn thrillers, slightly absurd dark humour, damaged psychology, arthouse cinema, this is well worth the time. it's likely not for everyone but where it works, it really does. I have no regrets.
but this distraction is actually an asset. in a series which focuses on flawed individuals and a system designed to exclude them if they can't buy their way in, every inappropriate line, peculiar frame or flickering light reminds us just how broken and messed up this universe, and our own, is.
the cast plays into this vision incredibly well. Maggie Huang, who I'd previously only seen in a production I consider subpar, proved to be a revelation in a more thoughtful work. she is restrained while retaining an underlying edge which piques interest and curiosity. Wang Duo was less of a surprise given his previous roles, and there were moments when he almost seemed to enjoy himself too much, but he truly showed why this type of role is firmly in his remit.
Qin Junjie, paradoxically, felt somewhat underutilised but his performance can't be faulted. his Da Huihui is the show’s real enigma. plenty of screentime and his mannerisms signal openness, but his emotional world is still largely closed to us as viewers. he’s performative in the investigations for his social media channel, and while the logic of his actions is sound, he exists almost in a parallel universe where he is operating under the same systemic pressures but as more of an observer than a participant.
so while I know there isn't much to go on in this review if you are deciding whether to watch this, and this is deliberate in order not to spoil plot points in what is a fairly intricate setup, here is my recommendation. if you like slowburn thrillers, slightly absurd dark humour, damaged psychology, arthouse cinema, this is well worth the time. it's likely not for everyone but where it works, it really does. I have no regrets.
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