User reviews

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.

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.

I don't know why there are some bad reviews; perhaps it is not as thrill as they expected but I gotta say it's much better than some normal action thrills.

Multiple twists that you won't predict and they make the movie interesting. The plots are good; the acting mostly is good.

Some lines may be weird but they won't matter.

The time setting is reasonable; though it may not be as fancy as some other movies depict about the future.

Parts of the story did not explain well until later.

I gotta say MANY scenes the leading actors acted so well. You should be moved.

May feel a bit draggy in the beginning but you can survive this.

I just wrote a short scathing review of Stowaway.

This in comparison is how sci-fi drama should be done.

A plot seemingly simple yet twisting and surprising to the very last second and I usually spot the twists miles ahead... It even manages to blend woke elements without being ostentatious.

The cast is natural, the emotional drama is good even when a little over the top.

Mainland China and Taiwan are becoming heavy hitters in the film industry...way to go...

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

This is more a typical asian TV drama with over-the-top acting and artless attempts to pull your emotional strings than it is a future hightech thriller, as advertised. All underlaid with sappy music and filmed in toned down colors, assumingly to show "its the dark near future". Some good acting, but hard to watch because of bad direction and the less than appealing script.

Not recommended unless you love asian (taiwanese/korean) tear-jerker TV shows. Nothing new to be found here.

An intriguing Taiwanese sci-fi mystery thriller revolving around a complicated murder case in the near future. I'll keep things short this time; this is a plot-heavy film that might be better the less you know going in. It is a skilfully made police procedural with philosophical underpinnings, sometimes flirting with melodrama but rarely in a corny, sentimental way. That might be because its core themes revolve around losing one's identity and facing death, and as such they are universal and easy to comprehend while giving the film more weight than you'd find in a standard police procedural. There's a whole lot of twists and turns here combined with some fast paced exposition so you need to be on your toes while watching this one, but in the end it mostly pays off.

So, in conclusion, this is a rather solid genre film with pretty good production values and a lot to chew on, but you also have to be able to suspend your disbelief a bit more than usual. Let its cool atmosphere and thought provoking ideas wash over you and you'll probably find yourself glued to the screen more often than not.

Man from starting till finish this film is completely different twist and connecting film. They've made a feature film with the concept of RNA. (In this film RNA is like DNA, but it can be used in treatment for cancer cure). Everything in this film is connecting accurately. There's a reason why writer made the protagonist a cancer final stage patient cause it plays a important role. This film is way more interesting and the story telling is completely becomes more and more depth. The highlight is the hero's never give up mind and visual creation on crime.

Highly recommended if you're onto crime thriller films.

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.

Chang Chen portrayal as a spine cancer patient is outstanding and although I haven't watch the other nominee.. I felt a well deserving Golden Horse Actor.. but the story line and script writer or the way he adapted the screen play came crumbling down... after half way through the first act... too much plot without substances... too much sciences at work..,furthermore the ending is nonsensical...

The city depicted in the movie is just not futuristic yet the world that they are living is too futuristic... it's just does not match at all

Too long winded although I managed to finish up the film... it is just not good... period.

Plot were tight, doesnt seem to have much loop hole, and all the actors were doing a great job

I wasn't saying it's copy cat but the idea is quite alike. I would say black box is not in a detective story but using the perspective of the victim As a start. This movie too early to let audience have clue that what direction the movie will go to end but black box is more suspicious and exciting. Still good this one.

A brilliant work of art. A completely different Genre. Mind blowing. A must watch.

Compared to other movies, this is too ordinary and average. No interesting stories nor any new elements.

The conclusion is total nonsense, thats why I reduced another star. I will not reccomend to pay to watch.

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.

It takes a while to figure out how much sci-fi is embedded here. It isn't overdone nor amped up, and it isn't employed to fix holes.

No way you've seen anything like this.

I may never see anything better; for sure I never have.

Prep some tissues.

Great movie!

Great acting (and even better characters gosh can they act), amazing plot, beautiful scenery and a lovely soundtrack make this movie a must see :D.