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Only the River Flows

Now Playing 1h 41m Drama Crime Mystery & Thriller List
83% Tomatometer 24 Reviews
1990s small town China. A woman's body washes up in the local river. The chief of police, Ma Zhe, is tasked with heading up the investigation. An obvious perp leads to a hasty arrest, though the mystery lingers in Ma Zhe's mind. What kind of darkness is truly at play here? Director Wei Shujun's murky throwback film noir, gritty, textured film grain captures the pulpy proceedings. Torrents of rain envelop the characters as they descend into madness in pursuit of the truth. Equal parts atmospheric tour-de-force and beguiling puzzler, Only the River Flows is a masterfully styled ode to a bygone cinematic era and a sharp-edged portrait of provincial paranoia. The film, starring Zhu Yilong, is based on Yu Hua's popular short novel Mistakes by the River. Read More Read Less
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Critics Reviews

View All (24) Critics Reviews
Ben Kenigsberg New York Times Wei’s film increasingly blurs the line between the real and the imagined. The filmmaker has a gift for disorientation that partly compensates for the muddiness of the plot. Jul 25, 2024 Full Review Zachary Barnes Wall Street Journal As “Only the River Flows” follows its winding course, the movie seems to lose its grip not merely on the mystery but on its protagonist, becoming less psychologically penetrating and more haphazardly hallucinatory. Jul 25, 2024 Full Review Steven Nguyen Scaife Slant Magazine The craft brought to bear on Only the River Flows is captivating, but when it comes to matters of story, it cultivates a frustrating air of disinterest. Rated: 2.5/4 Jul 22, 2024 Full Review Diane Carson KDHX (St. Louis) Wei Shujun’s murder mystery “Only the River Flows” upends the familiar investigation plot, for his Chief of the Criminal Police Ma Zhe will follow one frustrating lead after another. Aug 7, 2024 Full Review Amber Wilkinson iofilm.co.uk No matter that the plot development is deliberately murky, it’s the mood that catches you in its tides. Rated: 4/5 Aug 2, 2024 Full Review Paul Emmanuel Enicola The Asian Cut The film’s plot becomes a little muddy at times, exacerbated by a runtime that frankly could have used some reduction to make for leaner pacing. Rated: 3/5 Aug 1, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews
Only the River Flows

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Movie Info

Synopsis 1990s small town China. A woman's body washes up in the local river. The chief of police, Ma Zhe, is tasked with heading up the investigation. An obvious perp leads to a hasty arrest, though the mystery lingers in Ma Zhe's mind. What kind of darkness is truly at play here? Director Wei Shujun's murky throwback film noir, gritty, textured film grain captures the pulpy proceedings. Torrents of rain envelop the characters as they descend into madness in pursuit of the truth. Equal parts atmospheric tour-de-force and beguiling puzzler, Only the River Flows is a masterfully styled ode to a bygone cinematic era and a sharp-edged portrait of provincial paranoia. The film, starring Zhu Yilong, is based on Yu Hua's popular short novel Mistakes by the River.
Director
Wei Shujun
Producer
Xiaohui Tang, Xufeng Huang
Screenwriter
Chunlei Kang, Wei Shujun
Distributor
KimStim
Production Co
KXKH FILM, Hangzhou Dangdang Film
Genre
Drama, Crime, Mystery & Thriller
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 26, 2024, Limited
Runtime
1h 41m
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)