Dedicated police detective Ma Zhe (Zhu Yilong) is assigned the case of a series of horrific murders in a rural Chinese town. As the investigation progresses, pressure from his superiors to find the suspected serial killer mounts, leading to a hasty arrest. But while his colleagues rush to celebrate, several clues push Ma Zhe deeper into a desperate investigation of his own - leading him into a dark world where mystery hangs over his every lead.

A gripping crime thriller, Only the River Flows will take you on a journey into one man’s obsession with finding the truth whatever it takes.

The Garden Cinema View:

Working from a novella by the legendary Yu Hua, Wei Shujun combines a (modern) period setting with a police procedural to evoke memories of Memories of Murder. Only the River Flows is extremely rich in atmosphere: 16mm photography captures a crumbling town in winter, with buildings, and police detectives alike, battered by perpetual rain. There’s a lot here for fans of noir, but as Captain Ma’s mind frays at the edges, so does the film begin to fall apart around him. A COVID disrupted production might have impacted on what is a curious but flawed final act.

Cast:
Zhu Yilong, Chloe Maayan, Hou Tianlai