2023
·102m
Only the River Flows
Summary
1990s, Banpo Town, rural China. A woman's body is found by the river. Ma Zhe, Chief of the Criminal Police, heads up the murder investigation that leads to an obvious arrest. His superiors hurry to congratulate him, but several clues push Ma Zhe to delve deeper into the hidden behaviour of his fellow citizens.
Reviews
lachlanthiele
May 28, 2023
<b>EXT. WHERE DOES THE RIVER STOP - DAY</b>
<i>Only The River Flows</i> is my first <i>Wei Shujun film</i>, and it is now someone I'd like to explore as I adored many elements of this film. First, it's shot on film 😍 which builds a beautiful atmosphere solidified through noir-style lightning and heavy smoking. I'm already on board any time a film noir style is present; <i>Only The River Flows</i> is solid throughout the first 80 minutes of the film, as it's fully engulfed in that crime noir storytelling. A cop hunts down a killer, and when an arrest is made, and the case can be shut, a thought of 'why' lingers on the officer's mind.
The plot intrigued me as it flowed into a psychological thriller, sometimes reminding me of Twin Peaks, which is a tremendous compliment. However, there is a literal 'BANG' at the minute 80 mark, and the final 20 minutes start going all over the place. I love where the film went during the final moments, involving a 'Twin Peaks' style dream sequence. However, the last act's apparent lack of cohesiveness ultimately disappoints — pulling my review from a solid four stars into a three.
<b>FADE OUT.</b>
