Ji hun

The Soul: Taiwanese SF/Horror Thriller which is also a murder mystery and several love stories, set in 2031. The Billionaire owner of a BioTech company is murdered, apparently by his own son. But it's no ordinary murder, Occult Sigils were painted on walls and the killer acted out a ritual as he carried out the deed. The boy's mother had committed suicide 2 years before whist also carrying out a ritual, believing she would return to curse her husband. The dead BioTech mogul's new wife is acting strangely as if possessed, saying she sees the dead woman's (angry) ghost. A family all unhappy in their own ways. The investigating magistrate leading the search for the guilty party has terminal cancer (this is crucial to the unfolding of the narrative). But it's not all Occult and murder, radical RNA transfer techniques are also mixed up in this SF Neo-Noir conundrum. Flashbacks are crucial to understanding what really occurred and with changing identities you will have pay close attention to the story. More than one viewing may be necessary to appreciate the fine details of the plot. There are also several twists and reveals as the intrigue develops. An intricate but engaging film. Written & Directed by Cheng Wei-Hao. On Netflix. 8/10.

This movie is on my top 5 list of best movies in 2021. The sound score, cinematography, scenery, acting,script, storyline.. it aced it.. Don't worry about its length.. you will not feel the time passing. You will stay engaged till the last shot! It will not let you down with all its unexpected twists and turn of events.

What an unexpected gem. Great slow-burning story; excellent characters; elegant script; solid plot-twists and flawless acting across the board. I'm so happy to have just watched this.

Ideological nuances aside, the film conveys a message of love, honor, and justice (a bit skewed), but with a smart ending nonetheless.

One-of-a-kind Chinese sci-fi that sets itself apart by combining Chinese tradition, belief, science, love and crime. The solemn mood, use of color, futuristic setting are all gutsy attempts by the director, and somehow it works. Even more difficult is combining the protagonists' own love story with the main flow of the film. The casts were also chosen correctly, as a film like this, especially in the Asian market must be led by more "serious" actors. The ending to me is a little questionable, while it makes sense, but seems a bit out of character as well. Nevertheless, an impressive accomplishment of piecing together a believable future. Love the analogy of this science to Chinese concept of "soul", there seems to be a lot more than what meets the eye to this film.