Lost in the Stars (2022)

It was a dark and starry night.

This movie opens with Hitchcockian flair as a man frantically begs indifferent local authorities on an exotic island getaway to find his missing wife. It was a dark and starry night the last time He Fei saw his wife Li Muzi. And his recollections seem fragmented, distorted by drugs and alcohol. The plot thickens as a seductive lady in red charmingly asserts she is his wife Li Muzi and can prove it. He Fei enlists Chen Mai, a high powered lawyer in a race against time to expose the imposter and find his wife. It is quite clear there is an elaborate grift at play but it is not clear who is pulling the strings.

Despite the strong and intriguing start, the plot reveals itself too early. The sense of mystery collapses abruptly as too many too obvious clues are dropped that point to a very predictable and done before whodunit plot. The drama's tone swiftly switches into dark comedy that ventures too far into the realm of the outlandish and absurd as the perpetrator is trapped into telling all. At that point it becomes a tragicomic story of addiction, deceit, greed, and revenge.

Zhu Yilong steals the show with his riveting portrayal of the many facets of He Fei. He made me feel scared, angry and sad. The high point in terms of tension, chemistry and suspense is the cat and mouse between He Fei and Janice Man's imposter. I could feel the air sizzle with between them as they taunt each other. Unfortunately even though Ni Ni's portrayal is on par with Zhu Yilong's in terms of charisma and nuance, there is simply no chemistry or tension of any sort between them. Their moments of confrontation and conflict are flawlessly executed on both parts but somehow there is no feeling of intense connection or conflict between them. This is not incompatible with their respective characters and what they are about but with no shade on either actor, I think this is just not a great pairing. I also find the supporting cast a bit lacking and think they should have minimized the use of English in the movie.

Despite its flaws, this is a highly entertaining movie. As a big suspense watcher, it falls short of my expectations in the latter half but I still enjoyed it well enough overall. This is China's 2023 summer hit that makes for a very fun watch. My rating 7/10.

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Only Through Lies Can the Audience Get a Glimpse of the Truth

Lost in the Stars is a superbly made suspense/thriller film by relative newcomer director duo Cui Rui and Liu Xiang, but bears the fingerprints of its producer/screenwriter, Chen Sicheng, as well. Where Chen Sicheng's Detective Chinatown series is more humorous, however, Lost in the Stars takes a decidedly darker turn, and makes the viewer question and re-question what they actually know as the narrative unfolds.

Set in the fictional Southeast Asian country Belandia (or Bankal, if the film's signs are to be believed), He Fei (Zhu Yilong) is a bedraggled man begging an apathetic police force to look for his wife, Li Muzi (Huang Ziqi), who has been missing for over half a month. With his visa expiring in a few days, he has precious little time to find her. This missing person case then takes a turn for the unexpected when a woman shows up claiming to be her (Janice Man), with all signs pointing to the fact that she is, in fact, He Fei's wife. Finding himself entangled in an increasingly complicated web of conspiracy and deceit, his only saving grace is big shot lawyer Chen Mai (Ni Ni). Nothing is as it seems, however, as one by one the mysteries get peeled back, revealing a truth that was, perhaps, best left hidden.

Cinematographically, Lost in the Stars is a visual feast, with a distinctive flair that is engaging and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Fast cuts, unconventional camera movements, and bright colors underscore the lively setting and enhance the fast pacing, while also juxtaposing the actual tone of the film. There is barely room to breathe, with one thing happening after the other; while it can get exhausting, it adds to the experience. The audience is dragged along for the ride as much as He Fei is. The few moments of reprieve come in the form of flashbacks, at once more muted in color and slower in pacing. The score is beautifully crafted to reflect these scenes as well as the characters' emotional states.

Plot-wise, it is a well-written film with a complex mystery that keeps you guessing. There're hints throughout the movie, foreshadowing that is easy (or, easier) to catch on a rewatch, but with twists and turns that sometimes make it feel like the ground gets dropped out from under you. Unlike the hallmark of a good detective, which is that you can figure it out alongside the character(s), Lost in the Stars' intrigue that keeps you guessing is what makes it shine. There are parts that are "predictable", but only insofar that any suspense film will have tropes they rely on. Don't try to figure out what will happen, the experience is rewarding whether you overthink it or not. Even the things that initially don't seem to make sense, do tend to get explained; the few plot holes (if you can even call them that, they're more like... plot dents) are easy to overlook and shouldn't take away from the audience's enjoyment of the film. In fact, what happened to suspension of disbelief? Sometimes a thing not making sense is because it's a movie and not real life. The only real gripe I have is that they at times lean (too) heavily on ableist and racist stereotypes for the sake of plot.

Beyond the writing and cinematography, however, is the acting. Leading man Zhu Yilong has surpassed himself again in this film, showing a layered, multifaceted performance as He Fei. An attentive husband, a scheming bastard, a desperate gambler, a man on the edge (a man who has jumped over it a long time ago)... His nuanced portrayal sets the bar for the rest of the cast, who at times seem like they can barely catch up. While the ensemble all did great jobs, it is not an exaggeration to say that they paled in comparison to Zhu Yilong's force majeure (Ni Ni, his main co-star, I felt gave as good as she got, though).

When reviews first came out after the film was screened at the Hainan International Film Festival late last year, someone wrote that if you thought he was good in Lighting Up the Stars (a film which netted him not only his first Golden Rooster nom, but also the win), you hadn't seen him yet in Lost in the Stars. Having now seen and loved both, I am forced to agree. The many faces of He Fei leave the viewer pondering; not just the character and the film itself, but also human nature at large. There's a depth to Zhu Yilong's portrayal that seems almost wasted compared to what some of the minor characters were doing.

It's also a shame that there was more chemistry between the side characters than the leads. This is not to say that there was none between the leads, but when you get to the Manman and Li Muzi scenes, it feels more "real"... Or maybe that's by design, considering that the film builds up these characters as lying liars who lie and with every lie that gets uncovered there are more taking their place.

TL;DR: Lost in the Stars is a very compelling suspense movie. It is not just about the mystery behind the disappearance of He Fei's wife (and her(?) subsequent reappearance), it is about the lies we tell ourselves and others, and whether we keep believing them or not. It's a thought-provoking film that is absolutely worth a watch (and perhaps a rewatch).

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Remarkable True Story Brought to Life on the Big Screen

I'm surprised that many didn't realize this is a true real-life story, prompting me to share my thoughts on it. Personally to me, movies adapted from real-life stories are always worth watching due to the tales they tell, information they share, or awareness they raise. Consider, for instance, the Korean movie shedding light on issues like exploited disabled children that stirred public attention for justice. So the essence lies in understanding the core of movie adaptations. Without further ado, the real-life story of this movie revolves around a successful young woman who encounters a suitor.

He gave her all affections possible for the likes of the stars and promising the moon for her attention and they entered into a relationship. As their romance blossoms, culminating in marriage. Yet, she discovers her husband isn't who she thought he was. He becomes a freeloader, a reckless spender, and a swindler of her hard-earned wealth. She did tried to share her wealth (yes she’s a successful self-made career woman) with him as she appointed him as the top management of one of her companies but later she realized he’s been swindling her money when her staffs informs her there’s a large sum of money no longer in company funding and once she tried looking for him, he went missing for many days until he came back one day and admitted of having financial difficulties and confessed of having huge gambling debts. He again promised moons and stars to her that’s he will change his habitual gambling and turn into a new leaf. She believe him blindly for the love she still had for him but later after not long, he resumed to his old self. Then she thought of getting a divorce but realized she’s already pregnant and was contemplating to tell him and give him a last chance to repent and be a good person again…hoping the news towards fatherhood will cure him but alas he didn’t! He planned a ‘good trip’ to bring her for mountaineering as it’s her passion and she trusted him. But the most scariest part was when he went with her to the top of the mountain (I forgot which place it was) and he lovingly hold her in his arms from behind hug and whispered into her ears asking if she have any regrets in life. She blurted out there isn’t any regrets as this is all I want in life (she’s a successful career lady making lotsa money, parents well and healthy, and now her husband seems to turn into a new leaf and they are having a baby together!) but the next second right after she said that answer, he whispered (as though it’s sweet nothing into her ears) ‘Then you may go to die’ and he just pushed her down the mountain!!! (note: he’s the husband and will be the main beneficiary of all her entire wealth including assets, companies, etc!) But thankfully life works miracles when least expected, although she fell down the mountain below but her gravity drop was greatly reduced by the leafy tree and she managed to land down although very much injured (she had broken about 17 pieces of bones all over her body) but still having breath and a lost mountain climbing tourist saved her!!! It was totally a nightmare when she was sent to the hospital but yet the authorities called her husband because not knowing he’s the culprit to her fall (she was unconscious) and he begun to act out his concern as a caring husband (disgusting right??!!) and she was unable to tell the truth of her fall as he looks after her 24/7 in the hospital…thankfully at one point (finally an opportunity timing!) she managed to pretend to her husband she forgave him and convinced him to let her contact her very best friend and from thereon she managed to speak to her best friend with somewhat underlying message (guess only best friend can tell when saying coded words etc hints) to rescue her. It wasn’t mentioned in her real life documentary what exactly did her friend did but managed to bring the bad murderous husband to jail! But bad news is supposedly 33years of jail term was subsequently reduced to less than 10 years as he appealed and won it. Now it’s almost time for his release… and I think probably that’s why this movie adaption is made, to bring into public’s attention of this real life story.

It’s very disheartening to know someone closest such as husband role in life is the person who is plotting for a murder! Worst of, for he knew she’s pregnant (in this movie it was slightly tweaked to be more touching that ML didn’t know FL was pregnant…and I cried at the last scene) but in reality story the husband knew it!!! Such a cruel man to kill off own child…mother + child!

One important point to share, the real life lady told during the interview that later in life only she realize her husband actually why wasn’t the person she thought she knew before marrying, bcos he researched on her via social media and knew everything about her likes and dislikes which is how he plot out a character to be her exact love match! This is also a good warning for us not to keep posting our inner most thoughts as we wouldn’t know who’s lurking outside seeing our daily lives and plotting against us…to kill us or whatever bad intentions!

The film is an exploration of the human psyche and a testament to resilience—crucial lessons that extend far beyond entertainment. The heart-wrenching tale of a husband's betrayal reveals the darkness that can lurk in those closest to us, delivering an emotional punch that lingers long after the credits roll. With powerful performances and haunting realism, this adaptation stands as a chilling portrayal of twisted intentions. It's not just a movie—it's a wake-up call to the unsuspecting, a reminder that even the closest relationships can harbor the most sinister motives.

Hope I could share more such as the interview story link but I’ve watched in on YT many mths ago…however, it gave me a very deep impression as I cried when hearing her words and life story so much that I begin searching to validate if it’s a true story and now I can only penned down what I remembered from it.

As the director masterfully delves into the psychological intricacies of human nature, the film succeeds in its mission to unmask the hidden faces of deception. While this genre might not suit everyone's tastes, the film stands as a poignant reminder that some stories demand sharing, serving as a stark warning against the unexpected hazards that life can bring.

P.S. Nini is also one of my favourite actress and again she nailed the best friend character well…and even the ML acting is good here.

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A good movie

After seeing it three times in the movie theater, which is the best way to experience this film. It's really good, I cannot help but feel with this role Zhu Yilong wants to remove himself from being seen as Shen Wei. I had a hunch Mo San Mei was the start, then getting the chance to see him as Ma Zhe it became more obvious, and I pondered if playing He Fei made me feel ready for Ma Zhe.

If you get a chance to see this movie without being spoilt then it will make the experience 100000000 times better. In a nutshell - this film is really excellent - if you go into it blind, but that's tricky. I will say Zhu Yilong got to play his dream role and for once He Fei's ending is justified.

NiNi and Zhu Yilong are like the dream team of acting talent in this film with how they bounce off each other so well, it is an absolute joy to watch them act together - their argument scenes and He Fei's manic behaviour with Lawyer Chen Mai's powerful demeanour.

This film is so empowering for women - which is refreshing - and at the end I was rooting for them all and so proud of them.

He Fei was already out of favor with me because he is a gambler - red flag, red flag, even with his pretty face- which lasted for about 10 minutes then I felt cold and suspicious of him - only to be proven right. The beach scene gave me chills at how scary He Fei was, and just how brilliant Zhu Yilong is at vanishing into a role. I see some reviews on weibo of not being able to look at Zhu Yilong after seeing this film - I don't get it - he looks nothing like He Fei - the man is a chameleon of an actor - what I see on screen is He Fei not Zhu Yilong, so it didn't bother me - perhaps I'm more familiar with him or I'm able to compartmentalise. It's easy to separate the two. He Fei is a gold-digger and an asshat of a man who basically conned a rich vulnerable woman into marrying him - he wanted a sugar mama - to fund his gambling and give him a good life. He had a good life, he worked for her family's company, she helped him pay off his debts, but the whole "I swear never to gamble again" sweetie, no, you're going to rehab asap - because it's a legit addiction and he needs rehabs, but no, he gambles again - 10 million in debt this time and if he doesn't pay it he's in big trouble. What does he do? the worst thing ever.

The tag line is who is lying?
They all are - He Fei is the evil liar though, NiNi and Janice Man's characters are liars for a good cause - to bring He Fei to justice, and they do it, and it is brilliant.

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Cool...!

This is a very good film and definitely underrated here on MDL.
If for one thing it doesn't suffer from the usual Chinese cliches. I mean to be over melodramatic, or with a trillion irrelevant subplots for the minor characters, or plagued with political or social messages etc.
I really enjoyed the very good acting, the plot that had plenty of twists, the fast pace, the settings and I was positively surprised by the international cast, ( that should have been credited in the description as well).
Do watch this film and ignore the trailer that is irrelevant and almost made me skip it.

9,5/10

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"Explore the ruthless cycle of betrayal and karma's vengeance on the noble."

This is awesome in it's cinematography of night shots and whole movie is taken in red and black themed shots. Which will keep you hook up to the story till the end. For me, the plot is ok because i am a big fan of thrillers so i can except this kind of twists. If you are new and does not watch the thriller genre, you can give it a try! Everything is great in the movie like acting, as i said cinematography, Ost's everything is epic. Which will make you immerse in the ML's world, ML's guy acted so nicely because he is the hero as well as the villain too so to pull of both the characters is amazing. As i said in the headline, Karma is a Bitch, why i said that you will understand that by watching the movie. I believe that the most dangerous thing in whole world is "Betrayal". This movie also gives the reality of the society, which i personally loved it. The movie starts off nice, as the story progress it became predictable as a viewer , i feel this a drawback in the whole movie. The actors they have casted perfectly suited for that role, I have to give big round of applause to our hero and director selected the hero for this movie is the one of the perfect choice i have to say it.

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Almost identical to the Spanish movie The Invisible Guest

Ok.... the movie is highly "inspired" by the Spanish movie The Invisible Guest(2016) which was very popular in China, the plot twist is almost identical. I'm very disappointed as I was expecting something different from this Chinese movie. Acting wise...IMO except for the main male actor the rest felt awkward and unnatural, this is the feeling I usually get from many Chinese actors, maybe their acting is different. Please make sure to watch the Spanish movie before watching this one, even better don't watch it at all. Is this a remake? Hope so, because I personally hate copycat movies.

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Dumbed down version of Gone Girl

Premise is interesting enough and it starts off fairly strongly. Then the story becomes more and more outlandish... and then everything is revealed and explained down to the very last detail. Why??? Do the filmmakers think the audience are 5 year old kiddos? I would have appreciated for more details to be omitted and the audience be free to come up with their own conclusions for some plot points... and this is coming from someone who hates unexplained endings.

Acting wise it is decent, Zhu Yi Long is great and so are Ni Ni and Janice Man. Would have loved to see more of Huang Zi Qi but her role was quite small in the show. Unfortunately the side characters aren't great and broke the immersion a little. Cinematography wasn't good, plenty of zoom ins and closeup shots that are reminiscent of Indian drama serials lol.

Overall was a really meh movie that was somehow vaguely entertaining but at the same time quite forgettable.

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