**Cliff Walkers** centers on four Chinese spies attempting to reach Harbin, a city under Japanese control, where they are supposed to receive further instructions. However, the Japanese are aware of their plans and deploy agents to infiltrate and disrupt the mission. The film showcases spies engaging in classic espionage activities—handling information. The initial scene divides the main characters into two separate groups with no means of communication. Later, when one group realizes they’re being monitored, they must find a way to relay this intelligence to their teammates without revealing their identities. Another scenario involves arranging a meeting without direct contact. This core challenge of transmitting and receiving information drives the entire movie. Suspicion of a mole within their own ranks leads the Japanese to be equally cautious about sharing information internally. The film alternates between scenes focusing on the Chinese and Japanese teams. Every character demonstrates intelligence, employing strategies to conceal or extract information from others. The suspense begins roughly ten minutes in and persists throughout the film's runtime; **it embodies what a spy movie should feel like**. Although the writer has stated that this is a story intended to portray spies as individuals with emotions, I didn’t form a strong connection with any of them. However, I don’t consider this a flaw—in fact, I think it works well. There are moments when the tension eases and characters reveal their vulnerabilities or discuss their backgrounds, but these instances represent only a small portion of the two-hour movie. They dedicate just enough time to prevent the spies from feeling like emotionless automatons. This means that the remaining screen time is dedicated to building suspense, which I consider **the film’s greatest strength**. Unfortunately, I can't say I experienced the movie completely without reservation. There were instances where **I struggled to process new information quickly enough**. The fact that all the characters wear identical clothing makes it difficult to distinguish them, leading to scenes where the events are unclear. A diagram or chart outlining character relationships and plot points would have been helpful while watching. My research indicates this film is a prequel to the 2012 TV series "悬崖" (Cliff), also written by Quan Yongxian. He mentioned in an interview that he originally wrote the script for this prequel as a sixty-episode television show in 2015. **Had it been presented as a TV series—or even a novel—with a more relaxed pace, I would have considered it essential viewing**. **Overall, it's a very good film, and I recommend it to anyone with an interest in the genre**. Even if you occasionally find yourself confused or needing to rewind to understand what’s transpired, the movie remains quite enjoyable even without that helpful chart.

Source on TMDB