Crimson River (2020)

A River Runs Through It

The illusory peace of a sleepy riverside town is shattered by a murder that recalls a twenty year old cold case. Shan Feng, who was just a boy then, partially witnessed the murder of his crush Xiao Baige (little white dove) returns to his hometown to investigate these possibly connected cases. His inquiries reopens old wounds and reveals the festering impact the lack of closure Xiao Baige's senseless murder has on her friends, family and the town.

The premise and darkly intriguing ambience and suspenseful tension of this drama really drew me in at the beginning. And I can't fault the execution from the pacing; to the top notch acting; to how the disparate threads gradually converge into the river that runs through these quietly spooky remote towns. Where the drama falls down is the story is excessively melodramatic and the motivators of many of the key protagonists and antagonists rings hollow. Many characters in this drama are driven towards doing terrible, terrible things but their actions and trauma they suffer seems out of proportion to the events that catalize these extreme reactions. Too many of the characters are deeply dysfunctional and are driven towards tragic outcomes simply for the sake of inflicting pain on the surrounding characters.

The strongest point of the story is how the main villain hides in plain sight and is revealed gradually as everything comes together and how the story illustrates that in these small rural towns there are really only two degrees of separation between people. But just like I felt the first victim was just not interesting enough to have inspired such profound reactions from so many people, the triggers for the villain's derangement are unconvincing. The role however, is brilliantly acted and the character comes across as both lugubrious and menacing.

Bottom line this looks like a crime thriller, it tries very hard to be one and it almost feels like one but at its core, something rings hollow. It is not terrible, a lot of effort obviously went into it and it is a decent quick watch for some cheap thrills. I give it a 6.5.

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A Haunting Drama That Lingers

I really enjoyed this drama. The ambience of the always rainy, overcast town fit the tone perfectly and reflected the emotional states of the characters. The cast delivered grounded, authentic performances that gave the story a haunting and often poignant quality. At its core, the drama revolves around a 20-year-old case that turns out to be far more layered than it first appears. As those layers are peeled back, we learn how the case shaped the characters’ lives, robbed them of happiness, and kept them from finding peace. I felt the story lost some of its momentum in the final two episodes, and the ending was a bit muddled. But overall, this is a strong watch for anyone who enjoys investigative dramas that offer more than a straightforward true-crime narrative. It delves into the psychology of its characters, draws us into their lives, and builds heartfelt arcs that interweave into a compelling and emotionally resonant whole.

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