User reviews

Burmese filmmaker Midi Z has released a new film titled The Unseen Sister, continuing to explore his recurring theme of the systemic abuse of women in the entertainment industry and the struggles faced by women on the fringes of society.

Based on Zhang Yueran's novel "Unseen Sister," the film narrates the tale of two sisters. One is officially named Qiao Yan, while the other adopts the same name but lives in a shadowy realm of illegality, always at risk of being uncovered. After switching identities in their youth, the sisters grow up in vastly different circumstances across two nations. The authentic Qiao Yan endures a life of poverty in Myanmar, while the impersonating Qiao Yan rises to fame as an actress in China. Ultimately, destiny reunites them.

From a technical standpoint, the film is well-crafted; however, the pacing, certain screenplay elements, and some unexpected directorial choices detract from the overall experience, leading to moments that feel nearly tedious.

The storytelling is disjointed, the transitions are meaningless. The main actress is probably an amateur, she often loses control of her eyes, her body language is very stiff and unnatural. 3* is for the actress who plays the older sister, although she looks like a country woman. But she shows a strong inner strength, her eyes are burning, her acting is natural and relaxed. Her aura overwhelms the other female lead of the film in the shared scenes between the two characters. Midi Z is really disappointing, he chose the wrong actor, and also told a meaningless, ungraceful story. Such a low quality film is in the top 15. This Film Festival is losing quality more and more, it seems they like Chinese money and will do anything to earn a few more bucks.

Zhao Liying is like a chameleon, she just relates with this character, Qiao Yan, so well. I'm in love with her acting skills. She's such a legendary actress. Every time she comes on screen, I can feel her powerful presence.

I also like Qiao Yan who is played by Liying. She won't disguise herself, as well as, her ambition as a woman. She will fight for her rights rather than suffering. Yes, Qiao Yan is not that perfect woman. She is sensitive, weak, suspicious, and cool. She is a difficult person to when she deals with outsiders. She's not perfect, but she doesn't need to be. She just needs to be herself. From what Qiao Yan does, you can feel the power that belongs to women exclusively. It is the power to defy unfairness.

The storyline is a bit flat and depressing.

The plot is pretty bland and makes no sense. The supposed suspense? Just average at best. I was expecting a big twist at the beginning, but is this really it? Who's going to be impressed by that plot?

The soundtrack and editing are lacking and don't match the plot at all. Sometimes, a movie doesn't need music; a poor soundtrack can be worse than none at all.

At just 112 minutes, the film feels overstuffed, trying to cram in too much without much to say. Honestly, if there's not enough content, it's better to keep it shorter. One actress portraying the celebrity is really dull, her acting skills are quite poor, and she often looks like she just rolled out of bed.

This movie does a disservice to feminism. I went with a friend, hoping for something meaningful, especially since it was directed by a Taiwanese filmmaker and labeled as art. We tried to keep our expectations low, but the film still fell flat.

The editing and cinematography were uninspired; there was nothing innovative to analyze. It felt like a generic effort that lacked visual impact. The storyline resembled a haphazard middle school project stretched to two hours. The forced feminist theme, crafted by a male director, felt contrived and shallow. It's disappointing that such a film attempts to capitalize on a significant movement without providing any real substance.

I just watched a movie that really disappointed me. The trailer was fantastic, but the actual film was completely different. The plot was disjointed, and I struggled to connect with it. It seemed more like a collection of random scenes rather than a cohesive story. On top of that, the editing was really jarring, with abrupt cuts that made it hard to follow what was going on. The absence of background music made the awkward silences even more pronounced, resulting in a rather dull experience. The dialogue was uninspiring; the actors struggled to convey genuine emotion, and Zhao Li Ying was particularly noticeable. Her performance felt flat, devoid of any expression or body language that could have brought her character to life.

This film was a complete waste of time.

Whether it is the gorgeous special effects or the exquisite scenery, the audience feels like they are in a dreamlike world. Especially at some key scenes the tune and composition of the films left a deep impression. The scene of this films are so beautiful that they are breathtaking!

In terms of character creation, the performances of the leading actresses also added a lot of credits to the drama. I felt they care about each other. The actress, Li Ying Zhao who played Qiao Yan successfully impressed me. I was touched by her excellent acting skills.

Overall, it is a good film with its high-quality visual effects, beautiful tunes, and outstanding performances by the actresses.

I just finished watching it, and I found it really suspenseful, but I have to say Zanilia Zhao acting was pretty disappointing. She had no expression the whole time and didn't seem to carry the role well. Honestly, she should stick to TV series. The promo videos were misleading-there's no real suspense or depth, just empty emotions. Overall, it felt like a pretty bad movie. Zanilia Zhao marketing really fell flat too. I hope they stop trying to cash in on these kinds of projects because it was a boring experience.

I really wanted to like it, but it just didn't deliver. Such a letdown. Don't recommend at all.

Zhao Liying's ability to market herself is undeniably impressive, but unfortunately, her performance in this film doesn't live up to the hype. Despite the relentless promotion through her seeding accounts, where her acting is often praised, her portrayal here falls flat. The film itself lacks depth, making her role seem even more underwhelming. Zhao's acting, which seems forced and uninspired, does not do justice to the character. The rest of the cast fares little better, with lackluster performances that fail to engage. Overall, the movie is a disappointment, earning a 0/10 for Zhao Liying performance and a 1/10 for the rest of the cast.

I have to say, I'm really disappointed with this film. The plot seems to drag on forever, and the character development is quite lacking. It attempts to explore the lives of modern women, but the way it's done feels so shallow that it just doesn't resonate. Zhao's performance falls flat-her emotional expressions come off as stiff, making it difficult to connect with her character. Everything feels so one-dimensional, which makes the whole experience rather dull. I had high expectations but ended up feeling let down. I really hope Zhao can improve in her future roles. Overall, I wouldn't recommend spending your time on this one.

I was genuinely surprised by how disappointing this movie turned out to be. From the very beginning, it was clear that the plot twist was far too predictable, lacking any real depth or suspense. As the story unfolded, it felt like the tension was never really there, leaving me disengaged and uninterested in what was supposed to be a thrilling narrative. The atmosphere of the film also fell flat-there was no sense of suspense or excitement, and the pacing didn't help either.

The main character's performance was particularly baffling. The actor seemed to have a vacant expression throughout the entire film, constantly staring around with dull, lifeless eyes, as if disconnected from the action or the emotion of the scenes. To top it off, the character's attempts at 'coolness,' like fake smoking, felt forced and out of place, rather than adding any depth to the role. It's hard to understand how a film could miss the mark so completely in these areas.

I couldn't help but wonder how a project like this could even get made-was there some sort of financial motivation behind it? The entire production felt almost like a vehicle for money laundering rather than a legitimate film. It's disheartening to think that a story with so much potential could end up like this, especially when the effort to craft something meaningful or even entertaining seemed completely absent. All in all, it was a missed opportunity, and I can't help but feel let down by what could have been.

I honestly struggled to stay awake while watching this movie, it's just that dull and poorly made. The plot seems to drag on endlessly without any real depth, making it difficult to stay engaged with what's going on. Regarding the performances, Zhao Liying's acting was a huge disappointment. It felt wooden and unconvincing, and she was completely overshadowed by Xin Zhilei, who, in my view, was the only standout in this film. Xin Zhilei gave a much more authentic and captivating performance. If I could, I'd give one star just for her, because she truly outshined everyone else. I wish I can take my money back.

Qiao Yan and her sister are not defined by a generalized group of characteristics. They both display prominent aspects of their personalities, whether they are considered positive strengths or negative weaknesses. Even though Qiao Yan is in the glamorous entertainment industry, she is constantly weighed down by fear and pressure. Her sister, who is pregnant faces a lot of difficulties in life, but she has a strong desire to survive. They try to survive in a difficult living environment and they try to break free from the chains of fate.

Liying and Zhilei's acting are amazing. The story is a little dry, but it's okay to watch.

Stop exploiting the "feminist theme"! Feminism and female friendship are not just trendy topics to profit from; they deserve real representation and respect. It's incredibly frustrating to witness such significant issues being reduced to cheap marketing strategies. This movie had the chance to delve into meaningful stories, but instead, it comes off as a superficial effort to cash in on current trends. It's disheartening to see a brilliant idea wasted like this. These themes are far too important to be treated as passing fads-let's honor them rather than using them as a gimmick to sell tickets!

I watched this film over the weekend. And I knew the film was made to be a serious thoughtful work, rather than for commercial profit. It may aim at a limited audience. While watching, I was struck by Liying Zhao's acting skills. I have watched some of Liying's dramas before. She was cute in this drama. I think she made a significant shift from TV to Movies. Her appearance looked so charming on the screen. Her act was impeccable. I was truly mind-blowing in her acting performance. I felt realistic. She brought the character to life. Her performance was powerful and convincing.

I'm expecting to see her in more films, and I really hope that she will play more characters/roles in them.

Honestly, this is just another disappointing movie that says it's all about women but completely misses the point. It claims to focus on women's stories, but it doesn't actually start from a real female perspective. Instead of diving into what women really think, feel, or experience, it just goes through the motions and gives us a very surface-level take on the subject. It's like they tried to check off a box for being "women-focused" without putting any real effort into making it authentic or meaningful. So frustrating! If you're going to make a movie about women, at least make sure it actually feels like it's coming from their point of view.

Zhao Liying really needs to reconsider her approach to acting in this film. Throughout her performance, her eyes are lifeless, and her face is completely devoid of any emotion. It's as if she's just going through the motions, delivering lines without any real connection to her character or the story. Watching her on screen, I couldn't help but wonder: what exactly is the point of her acting in this role? There's no depth, no subtlety, and no emotional resonance in her portrayal-just a blank expression and a lack of engagement with the material. It's hard to see the role as anything but a missed opportunity, especially given the potential of the story and the other performances in the film. If this is the level of acting we can expect from her in the future, it's hard to imagine her being taken seriously as an actor.

Mysterious story line makes me feel excited. Plus 10 points for the scripts! Excellent!

The light and shadow suit well every scene. Plus 10 points for the director and cinematographer! Great job!

The acting skills of the 2 main leads are also excellent.

Zhao Liying is the spotlight here. Look, how she transformed amazingly. I'm very surprised of her acting skills. She's a super star now. Plus 10 points for Zhao Liying! Great job!

The ending is a surprise to me.

This is the movie for the real fans of artful movies. Highly recommend to watch this.

I'm very disappointed of the anti-fans here to downgrade this movie. I believe good prevails evil!