The team surrounding "Ma Zhe" (Zhu Yilong) displays considerable loyalty as he guides them through an inquiry initiated by the discovery of “Granny Four’s” body near a riverbank. The initial focus of suspicion lands on her adopted acquaintance, referred to only as the "madman," but the detective isn't entirely persuaded that the situation is so simple. His work is further complicated by demands from his ping-pong enthusiast superior for a swift resolution and by the impending arrival of his child with his wife—a process proving more difficult than anticipated. Throughout the film, persistent rain accompanies him as he meets unusual local people who seem to obscure rather than illuminate the truth. A sense of clarity feels somewhat lacking in this narrative. "Ma Zhe" finds himself increasingly struggling, and additional deaths occur, ultimately jeopardizing his own perception of reality. Will he manage to maintain composure long enough to crack the case? The film begins with a standard acknowledgment of communist ideals regarding teamwork before transitioning into what becomes a fairly conventional police story mixed with some underdeveloped psychological elements that Zhu Yilong attempts to keep unified. However, by the end, I felt an excessive amount of the storyline was artificially constructed in an effort to delve into the minds—both his and the audience’s—and it didn't ultimately succeed. Despite this, he delivers a solid performance, and there's a palpable sense of his methodical approach being gradually undermined by the circumstances confronting him. Unfortunately, beyond "Ma Zhe," the other characters are thinly drawn, and director Wei Shujun appears more preoccupied with presenting a realistically portrayed glimpse of 1990s rural China, somewhat neglecting the narrative’s detail and character development in favor of dreamlike sequences that increasingly blur the distinction between what's real and imagined. The pacing is adequate, but I found it to be rather insubstantial—lacking substance upon closer examination.

Source on TMDB