Lost in the Stars

Yes, this can be exhausting, but it also definitely has good qualities to it.

The two things I especially liked is how it doesn't forget to be humane and how the hints misdirect you, but in a good way.

First, the humane part: This is a mystery movie and in the western traditions this means that the human victims are forgotten and the whole plot is presented as a puzzle the detective is trying to figure out. This one reminds you what it's actually all about.

Second, the misdirections. When you've seen enough movies, you begin to identify the things that the moviemakers drop in the movie for you to notice when they become important. This one does that, but in an elegant diversion. I did not feel cheated, like I would in a less well constructed movie.

At the same time, the twists keep coming and they come often. It isn't hard to keep up rationally, but emotionally it's hard to keep invested in all of them. The movie does let you catch up with the ending, but there was a big stretch where I found myself not really interested in what was going on.

All in all, a pretty good watch. The story might have been better served in a miniseries, because that would let the twists simmer a bit longer to make the story more palatable.

I also do like it that we now have a better access to Chinese movies. They bring a bit different approach to stories and genres, which can be refreshing.