This movie should be viewed only after completing the TV series of the same name. You still may not find the narrative satisfactory unless you have invested much time and thought in the TV series to understand its message and plot, including the time travel mechanics, to a degree that you accept to be sufficiently rational for a dramatic fiction. Such method of viewing is only practical with modern network streaming services.
I left this review after watching the original TV series a 3rd time, before binging the Korean remake (A Time Called You), and then watching this movie for a 2nd time, while pausing and rewinding frequently during the latter half to think through what was being shown. I agree that the production deliberately avoided making it a sequel to the TV series. There were probably many decisions driven by commercial and marketing concerns. But I must rate this film highly because it showed an elegant way to eliminate the possibly only flaw in the TV series that had prevented it from becoming a piece of art - the deus ex machina that gave an excuse for blaming the characters' misfortunes on "evil". Note that the scriptwriter of this movie is different from the pair of scriptwriters for the TV series.
Also note that my understanding benefited from the many discussions and interviews about the original TV series and this movie that were available in Chinese. Viewers who do not read Chinese may have to spend more effort.
The solution offered by this film can be incorporated into a modification of the entire story originated in the TV series to make it into a long form (TV) drama that might be rated 10/10 in my opinion. On top of this, the movie in its current form stayed true to the spirit, message, style and mood of the original TV series, and they were just right for the story. If you have already invested time and thought in the TV series and taken its message to heart, you must not miss this movie!
