As the May Day holiday approaches, the suspense thriller Vanishing Point is already generating buzz, rising to become the second-highest-grossing film on the country's box-office presale charts for May 1, just behind Hong Kong tentpole Cold War 1994.
Adapted from Haikui (Anemone), the debut novel by animator-turned-writer Bei Kebang, the film is written and directed by Taiwan filmmaker Cheng Wei-hao, and stars actor Zheng Kai and actress Liu Haocun.
Set on the winter solstice, the story begins with the unexplained disappearance of a young boy in a seemingly quiet residential compound — a case that leaves no trace even on surveillance footage. At the same time, two other cases unfold nearby: a gambling addict attempts to hide his father's death to claim pension money, while a woman living alone is sexually assaulted in her home. The film gradually links these seemingly disconnected threads into a single unfolding mystery.
The source novel, first serialized on the digital publishing platform Douban Read in 2019, quickly drew attention for its layered storytelling and unsettling premise.
Bei revealed in an earlier interview that the idea stemmed from an ordinary moment turned ominous. "One morning, I was waiting for my son to come downstairs for school, and I suddenly thought: what if he didn't come down?" he recalled. The author spent over eight months refining the structure, with more than two months devoted to the opening alone.
Despite its dark subject, the story carries a deeper focus. While its characters are mostly adults, the narrative ultimately centers on children and the idea of growing up — a theme that becomes clearer toward the end, according to Bei.
Speaking during the opening ceremony of the 16th Beijing International Film Festival earlier this month, actress Liu described her character as "restrained, yet strong and clear-minded", adding that the role's determination to pursue the truth and seek justice reflects "a kind of strength all women can have".
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