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REVIEW
Oct. 10, 2023
Lost in The Stars
The Chinese mystery crime film is filled with unexpected twists, mind-bending moments, and gut-wrenching angst that delivers a whirlwind of emotions. Adapted from a 1960’s play A Trap for Lonely Man, Cui Rui and Liu Xiang’s film is one that chills viewers to the bone. By: Theng Min Yee
Genre: Mystery, Crime, Drama
Distributor: China Media Capital
Length: 122 minutes
Produced by:
Cui Rui
Liu Xiang
Chen Sicheng
Production companies:
Beijing Tianhua Huawen Motion Picture Investment Co.
Beijing Weimeng Chuangke Network Technology
Beijing Yitong Chuanqi Film Culture
Douyin Culture
Pearl River Film Media
Shanghai Taopiaopiao Film Culture
Description
The Chinese mystery crime film is filled with unexpected twists, mind-bending moments, and gut-wrenching angst that delivers a whirlwind of emotions. Adapted from a 1960’s play A Trap for Lonely Man, Cui Rui and Liu Xiang’s film is one that chills viewers to the bone.
The blissful celebration of their marriage anniversary at a Southeast Asian island-resort goes awry when He Fei finds that his wife, Muzi, has disappeared. Flustered, He Fei looks to the local police for help, but is denied assistance due to a lack of evidence.
Things start taking an eerie turn when He Fei wakes up to an unknown woman in his bed, calling herself Muzi, whilst carrying a fake Chinese passport with his wife’s name plastered next to a picture of the said imposter. His reality is put to doubt when he finds out that photographs of Muzi in his phone have been replaced with the unfamiliar face of the fake wife, who seems privy to even intimate details that no stranger should know. This absurd situation leads to the police questioning He Fei’s state of mind.
In the midst of befuddling circumstances, lawyer Chen seems to be the key to resolving He Fei’s troubles, as she agrees to help him prove that the unknown woman is not Muzi. A series of action-packed investigations lead them to pinpoint a criminal group involved in identity theft, which could hold the answer to Muzi’s disappearance.
However, the mysteries are far from unravelled, with Chen repeatedly accusing He Fei of harbouring a secret, and the latter begrudgingly divulging his past of being a gambling addict. The unveiling of this information merely scratches the surface of a chilling sequence of events, one that is sure to leave viewers at the edge of their seats.
Lost in the Stars smashed box office numbers, amassing a staggering RMB146 million on its first day of release. The film has continued its stellar performance, becoming the most-watched title in the Dragon Boat Festival period of Chinese film history, with a RMB one billion box office record. Within a few months of its release, the crime mystery film has been nominated for the 13th Beijing International Film Festival “Tiantan Award.”
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