This slow-burning depressing combination of thriller and romance premiered in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival, and stylistically and thematically, “Summer in Changshi” continues on previous Chinese films on similar themes. It was also a directorial debut for Chinese actor Feng Zu, who also cast himself in the lead role of the tormented and depressed Detective Bin.
This mentally unstable and fragile inspector who has not yet recovered from his fiancée’s suicide will become fascinated by the victim’s sister from one of his cases, the equally depressed doctor Li Xiue whose daughter died. These two seem to merge the common sense of guilt with which they live and this only initially classic thriller will develop in a completely unexpected direction.
The plot of this film takes place during an unbearably hot summer in Hunan Province, and Bin is thinking about quitting because he just has had enough of everything. But the situation will change when he and his partner Lei (whose ex-girlfriend Bin will get involved with even before he meets Li Xue) are contacted by a doctor who claims she dreamed of the whereabouts of her brother’s body a few months later. Look at the miracles, that’s exactly where the cops will find a suitcase containing parts of his brother’s body.
What seemed at the time to become a classic thriller about the search for the doctor’s brother’s killer will turn into a somewhat strange, but again somehow interesting dark romance. The two depressants seem to be attracted to each other and Bin will start researching what really happened to Li Xue’s daughter and will realize that there is a lot, a lot of weirdness out there. Rating 7/10.
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