u/EmbarrassedAnnual66

Just saw an excellent thriller made in China primarily for Chinese audiences, with a Taiwanese writer/director. It’s currently in select theaters in the US, at least in two theaters in NYC and presumably other cities with Chinese immigrant populations. I saw it in the Times Square AMC.

The movie takes place in a dense, maze-like housing project, giving a disorienting feel to everything. Various stories are introduced — a desperate gambler begs his father for money, a woman wakes up feeling as if she’s been assaulted, a child goes missing inside his apartment block — and over time these mysteries are interwoven and solved.

I know that China censors criticism of the government, but I was impressed by how this movie worked in social criticism, such as how economic strain can force bad decisions and how social taboos on discussing sexual assault and mental health keep people trapped and cause further pain.

Mostly though, it’s just well-made and captivating, sometimes violent, sometimes funny, sometimes moving. I’m going to look for earlier work by the writer/director (Wei-Hao Cheng).