Chen Yutong, a student at a girls' high school, suffers from school bullying. Her mother, Li Han, is unable to save her daughter from “hell”, and everyone around her turns a “blind eye” to the violence brewing in the collective silence...
I agree with the other review that this was messy! The thing is, some parts of this movie were good - but it didn't flow well at ALL and it definitely felt messy.
For one, when it's revealed that Zaifu's daughter passed away - they had this long ass scene that cut to the actor crying against the backdrop of a rainy (very obvious CGI might I add) sky, and during this time he smashed a boat that he made while his daughter was alive (no idea why he smashed it, wouldn't it be a good memory)?? Also his death was way too predictable and boring - and why did they add music LOL
Adding onto that, the characters do so many nonsensical things. The main FL literally beat her child everyday, and once that was revealed I just HATED her - and then to keep watching her attempt to locate her daughter felt like a chore, because frankly I thought the daughter would've been better off without her (in the film's case, even if she did pass away lol).
I also felt like the murders of the bullies were way too quick, it felt like they should've died closer to the middle of the film/to the end so it would've felt more satisfying.
Honestly I don't even feel disappointed with this movie, when I think about it I just feel like a big grey cloud is descending over my head and I can't make sense of it LOL.
Just to clear my head, I didn't understand THESE character motivations in MY eyes:
Why Yutong wrote 'ma' on her mother's hand - maybe as a 'signoff?'
Why the main woman would even want to find her daughter if she beat her literally every day (I know this is contentious because she's her DAUGHTER, but I just have no idea because their relationship was so terrible)
Why Zaifu yelled at Yutong when he kidnapped her despite the camera from outside not even picking up this scene from their room (they could've been cautious but still)
Why the pervert son of the cop suddenly stopped acting goofy and started being real serious and cooperating - surely if all he did was laugh and get punched by his dad every-time he got caught, he wouldn't have the mental faculties to help with a police case???
If Yutong was mute from birth then her condition wasn't based on her experiences, so why could she suddenly sing in the end credits???
Also the REAL kicker here that absolutely kills me, when it's revealed Yutong killed her own dad. In this case the mother could've called the police, and since Yutong was literally 9 years old she wouldn't have been prosecuted. The mother didn't contact the police because I'm GUESSING she didn't want her child to be taken into care/taken away from her - but again she literally BEAT HER EVERY DAY, so Yutong would've literally had a better life without her??
Man just don't watch this movie lol, it's not worth it unless you're easily impressed.
Reviewed by panta-46 / 10
Interesting... and messy!
Just came back from the cinema where I watched the remake of Boon-lip (Sam) Quah's "A Place Called Silence" from 2022... I couldn't help but wonder why a remake of the same movie was made just two years later by the same director!
The 7:50 P. M. session only had 20 people, so I was able to choose the best seats for an optimal viewing experience. The cinematography was impressive, with vibrant colors throughout, typical of many Chinese films nowadays. The screenplay was overly complex and lacked elegance, making it quite messy in some parts. However, the performances by Chuan-jun Wang, Janine Chun-Ning Chang, and Francis Ng were very good, and the editing was flawless, leaving me with an overall positive impression.
This crime thriller remake had a successful $50 million theatrical debut in mainland China, likely due to the appeal of the new cast. Despite being entertaining and filled with gore and slashing, the audience began to dwindle after couple of weeks as they switched to the latest comedies released in Chinese cinemas. While well-made, there was nothing particularly new about it.
Reviewed by fan_yuhua10 / 10
Satisfactory Chen Sicheng style crime film
I saw it, I can give it a score of 9. The ending pays tribute to Chen Sicheng, with a big reversal, but there is a logical reversal. The first ten minutes of the drama were really exciting, and I thought it was the kind of plot that was driven by the police investigation, but it was driven by the character played by Zhang Junning. The middle is particularly tight, with many fighting scenes and a racing scene (the scene where Jin Shijie is too much like Zhou Chude's "Three Evils" and Wang Chuanjun's scene reminds me of Lin Luhe). The actors' acting skills are explosive, and Wang Chuanjun and Zhang Junning acted so well. Cai Ming provided many laughs for the film... The scene is still in Southeast Asia, but... At least I went to Malaysia for live action filming. The music was particularly explosive, and the color scheme had a Korean film feel. The ending had the Easter egg removed, which was great. It could have been changed to Xiaotong singing in the car after releasing the pigeon. In the end, the police officer was sentenced, There must be some reason why the principal who embezzled and bribed did not enter.
