The Wasted Times

The Wasted Times is a Chinese crime drama set in Shanghai in the years before the Japanese invasion, where underworld figures must weigh personal ties against the shifting demands of a coming war. Mr. Lu, played by Ge You, is a gangland boss whose household and business interests become entangled with a Japanese officer named Watabe, played by Tadanobu Asano. Around them, characters including Xiao Liu, played by Zhang Ziyi, and the killer portrayed by Du Chun are pulled between desire and loyalty as the alliance with the enemy's military forces reshapes the city's criminal order.

Cheng Er directed and wrote the film, which was released in December 2016 and runs 123 minutes. It was produced by Xiaofeng Hu for Huayi Brothers Pictures and Emperor Motion Pictures. The cast also includes Gillian Chung as Xiao Wu and Zhao Baogang as the Northern Guest. The film sits before Cheng Er's later directorial work Hidden Blade in his filmography.

Made for a budget of about 13 million US dollars, the film took in roughly 18 million dollars worldwide, a modest return. It carries a rating of 6.9 out of 10 on TMDB from 57 votes.