The Shadow Play

The Shadow Play follows a young police officer named Yang Jiadong who investigates the death of Tang Yijie, a construction director who fell from a rooftop during a demolition riot. As Jiadong digs deeper, he discovers a connection between this death and a case from several years prior. After being framed and suspended from his duties, he continues his search for the truth, eventually traveling to Hong Kong where he seeks help from the daughter of the deceased man.

Directed by Lou Ye, this 2019 crime thriller is the fourth film in a chronological sequence of his work that includes Suzhou River, Summer Palace, and Love and Bruises, followed later by An Unfinished Film. The movie was produced by Dream Factory and features a cast including Jing Boran, Ma Sichun, Song Jia, Qin Hao, Michelle Chen, and Zhang Songwen. The screenplay was written by Mei Feng, Ma Yingli, and Qiu Yujie.

The film holds a 6.6 rating on IMDb based on 1,800 votes and a 6.7 on TMDB from 62 votes, suggesting a generally positive reception from audiences. In contrast, film critics gave the movie a lower rating of 4/10 based on 5 reviews.