Watch UK Trailer For Chinese Noir Only The River Flows

Some mysteries run deep like in stylish Chinese noir thriller Only The River Flows. Ahead of next month’s cinema release, Picturehouse Entertainment have released the UK Trailer which asks ‘what type of darkness at play here?’

The film made it’s world premiere at Cannes Film Festival in 2023, part of Cannes Un Certain Regard Official Selection. Directed by indie filmmaker Wei Shujun and stars Zhu Yilong, the detective who’s assigned to investigate a small-town serial killer case.

Only The River Flows is set in 1990’s rural China, we follow a detective in charge of finding a serial killer. As things progress, he’s put under pressure by his superiors to find the killer. His obsession to find the killer pushes him to some dark realms of humanity and the truth.

The film played last year’s BFI London and this year’s Glasgow Film Festivals. This looks to pay homage to the classic crime thrillers and noirs of days gone by (Chinatown, Jean Pierre Melville, etc…).

1990s, Banpo Town, rural China. A woman’s body is found by the river. Ma Zhe, Chief of the Criminal Police, heads up the murder investigation that quickly leads to an obvious arrest. As his superiors are keen to communicate their success, several clues push Ma Zhe to delve deeper into the hidden behaviour of his fellow citizens.

Masterfully directed and filmed on 16mm, Wei Shujun creates a brooding, enigmatic movie filled with dark humour and social commentary.

Picturehouse Entertainment will release Only The River Flows in UK and Irish cinemas from 16th August. The film also stars Chloe Maayan, Hou Tianlai, and Tong Linkai.