The Soul (film)
The Soul | |
---|---|
缉魂 | |
Directed by | Cheng Wei-hao |
Screenplay by | Cheng Wei-hao, Jin Bailun (金百伦), Yen-Chi Chen (陈彦齐) |
Based on | Yihun Youshu by Jiang Bo |
Produced by | Bernard Yang (楊庭愷) |
Starring | Chang Chen Janine Chang Sun Anke Christopher Lee |
Cinematography | Kartik Vijay |
Edited by | Shieh Meng Ju (解孟儒) |
Music by | Lu Luming (盧律銘) |
Production companies | TMZ Media 霍尔果斯众合千澄影业有限公司 Rise Pictures Pon Pon Pictures |
Distributed by | QC Media Taopiaopiao China Film Co., Ltd. Vie Vision Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 124 minutes (mainland China) 130 minutes (Taiwan) |
Country | China/Taiwan |
Language | Standard Chinese |
Budget | TWD160 million |
The Soul (simplified Chinese: 缉魂; traditional Chinese: 緝魂; pinyin: Jī Hún) is a Chinese-Taiwanese neo-noir sci-fi mystery crime film based on Jiang Bo's (江波) novel Yihun Youshu (移魂有术). It is directed by Cheng Wei-hao and stars Chang Chen, Janine Chang, Sun Anke, Christopher Lee.[1]
Plot[]
Set in a futuristic East Asian country, the film is a whodunit that follows the investigation of the murder of businessman Wang Shicong.[2]
Cast[]
- Chang Chen as Liang Wenchao
- Janine Chang as Bao
- Sun Anke as Li Yan
- Christopher Lee as Wan Yufan
- as Tang Suzhen
- Erek Lin as Wang Tianyou
- as Wang Shicong
- Lü Hsueh-feng as Zhang
- (張哲豪) as Liang[2]
Production[]
Director Cheng Wei-hao asked male lead Chang Chen to lose 10 kilograms and shave his head for his role as cancer patient Liang Wenchao. Chang lost 12 kg within three months.[3][4] Janine Chang changed her hairstyle for the film, cutting her hair short for her role as a police officer.[4] In preparation for filming, Cheng Wei-hao and Janine Chang visited police stations to talk to female officers about their work and observe police officers' uniforms and behavior on the job.[4]
The film began shooting on 20 November 2019 and began post-production in early 2020.[5]
Six minutes of the film were cut from the mainland Chinese version due to censorship,[6][7] mainly of violence.[2]
Release[]
The Soul was released in mainland China on 15 January 2021 and grossed RMB111 million.[8]
The film was released on 29 January 2021 in Taiwan and grossed TWD50.9 million.[9]
The film was released internationally for streaming on Netflix, on 14 April 2021.[10]
Reception[]
On Douban, The Soul initially reached an average rating of 7.3 out of 10, which fell to 7.1 soon after its release. It received an average score of 8.0 on Maoyan and 8.1 on Taopiaopiao.[11]
Critic Sean Aversa praised the film for its intricate and unpredictable plot, saying that it was "exceptionally well written" and the cast's performance was excellent.[12] Decider called it "a dark, dense film that’ll reward attentive viewers and turn away those looking for light entertainment",[13] while Han Cheung of the Taipei Times lauded its "suspenseful, nuanced storytelling".[14] Jiang Bo, author of the original novel, said that the adaptation was extremely successful.[15]
On the other hand, Derek Elley panned the film, calling it "relentlessly downbeat" and describing the plot as "convoluted and outrageous".[2]
See also[]
References[]
- ^ "张震新片《缉魂》深度解析!从头到尾捋一遍,你得看懂细节才行". 腾讯网 (in Chinese). 2021-01-21. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
- ^ a b c d Elley, Derek. "Review: The Soul (2021)". Retrieved 20 June 2021.
- ^ "张震为《缉魂》剃光头减肥12公斤 被赞拍一部电影学一项技能". 新浪. 2021-01-19. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
- ^ a b c "【電影時刻】張震、張鈞甯主演懸疑燒腦《緝魂》上映!劇情一再反轉飆豆瓣評分7.1". VOGUE TAIWAN (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 28 June 2021.
- ^ "张钧甯电影《缉魂》官宣 短发造型干练帅气". ent.ifeng.com. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
- ^ "张震、张钧甯《缉魂》今日公映,删掉了6分钟血腥镜头". 网易. 15 January 2021. Retrieved 2021-02-28.
- ^ "张震主演的《缉魂》获业内力挺,但为什么票房不行?". 澎湃新闻. 2021-01-20. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
- ^ "艺恩-数据智能服务商_影片详情". www.endata.com.cn. Retrieved 2021-03-19.
- ^ "張鈞甯「白目行為」報應來了!張震冷看笑話:想當初⋯". ETtoday新聞雲. 2021-02-06. Retrieved 2021-02-09.
- ^ "Best Netflix movies: Why Did You Kill Me and more (April 14, 2021)". Netflix Life. 2021-04-14. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
- ^ "业内好评的《缉魂》为什么市场表现平平?|界面新闻 · JMedia". www.jiemian.com. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
- ^ "'The Soul': A Winding Thrill — Netflix's Chinese-Taiwanese Mystery Film A Real Mindbender - Hollywood Insider". www.hollywoodinsider.com. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
- ^ "Stream It Or Skip It: 'The Soul' on Netflix, a Taiwanese Potboiler Blending Elements of Horror, Sci-fi, Mystery and Melodrama". Decider. 2021-04-15. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
- ^ "Film Review: The Soul". www.taipeitimes.com. 2021-02-04. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
- ^ "悬疑犯罪电影《缉魂》发布口碑特辑 震撼人心直击泪腺好评不断_YNET.com北青网". 北青网. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
External links[]
- The Soul at Douban (in Chinese)
- The Soul (film) at Mtime.com (in Chinese)
- The Soul at IMDb
- 2021 films
- Censored films
- Chinese-language films
- Chinese science fiction films
- Chinese mystery films
- Chinese crime films
- Taiwanese crime films
- Taiwanese science fiction films
- Chinese films
- Taiwanese films