Only the River Flows
This handsome crime thriller from China has impeccable 90s period detail and swims in a compelling neo-noir atmosphere, but those who like their police procedurals with a tidy solution will be disappointed
Since the first detective stories, there has been a pact between the storyteller and their audience: a crime will be committed, and the mystery may seem unsolvable, but the culprit will be revealed in the end. Only the River Flows delights in breaking that contract, but struggles to replace the reveal with something similarly satisfying.
Wei Shujun’s film begins in a familiar fashion: a body is found by the river; seemingly incongruous items litter the crime scene; a detective (Zhu Yilong) is brought in to solve the case, and finds himself chasing red herrings and uncovering secrets best kept hidden in a small community. Inevitably there is pressure from above, and a prime suspect emerges, but the detective believes something more is afoot. So far so procedural, but Wei is more interested in mood than plot. And what mood? Everything looks cold and damp, the lighting is low, and the set design evokes 1990s China so completely that it sometimes seems like the characters have travelled back in time.
As the detective investigates, his sanity appears to start slipping. Impossible dreams haunt him. His relationship with his pregnant wife grows rocky, and he begins hallucinating. It’s more unusual than your common variety whodunnit, but not quite as satisfying. This descent into madness proves to be the meat of the film. Yet, in depriving us of a clear solution, Wei struggles to find an equally interesting climax. Only the River Flows is a deeply evocative mood piece, but fails to land the killer blow.
Released 16 Aug by Picturehouse Entertainment; certificate 15