Looking for a wonderfully suspenseful whodunit movie to watch this weekend? Look no further than The Devotion of Suspect X. Come join Kmuse & Clkytta as they review this Chinese thriller so you can decide if this is the date night movie for you.
Trailer:
SYNOPSIS: Murder is never a simple equation. How far will one man go to protect the true murderer? A brilliant mathematician devises a scheme to save the woman he loves from being accused of murder. His former classmate, now an equally brilliant detective, relentlessly picks apart the crime to discover the truth.
THE PLOT:
Kmuse: I kept thinking I knew where this movie’s plot was heading and it constantly surprised me. I won’t go into detail since the fun of this movie is the roller coaster ride of finding out all the details. But it was wonderfully done.
Clkytta: I loved the twists and turns in this movie. Both men are geniuses and their actions reflect that; you can almost see them plotting every move and countermove. This isn’t your typical perfect murder case, it’s so tangled up that you really lose a sense of right or wrong sometimes. I will admit that I wished Wang Kai’s character wasn’t so relentless and that he would just let it go. Kmuse: I thought the same thing. My support on who I wanted to be the winner switched back and forth through the whole show.
CINEMATOGRAPHY:
Clkytta: This movie had a dark and foreboding feel almost all the way through, except in the scenes with the mother and daughter. I liked how everything in their room and their clothing was bright and cheerful, while everything next door was all dark and sad.
Kmuse: This drama was so dark. There were almost no lighter plot points and even the friend bromance moments had a sense of impending disaster to them. It was a very interesting decision and worked beautifully to set a sinister mood.
CHARACTER OBSERVATIONS:
Kmuse: There was not a ton of character development for any of the characters than the two men. Both men played against each other perfectly and I found their voices very relaxing despite the super intense story.
Clkytta: Wang Kai was brilliant as usual, he plays detective roles so well. I really liked both actors though. The casting in this movie was really spot on.
OVERALL REACTION:
Kmuse: I really enjoyed this movie. It was the perfect amount of suspense and mystery without it being gory. If you are looking for a thriller movie that you don’t have to worry about content than this is a great choice. I give it an 8.5/10 all around but a 9.5/10 when it comes to plot twists.
Clkytta: I love a movie that makes me feel conflicted. Who is the real villain and who is the real hero? The plot twists in this one are very well done, Kmuse texted me during one plot twist and I just told her to keep watching. I’d give this a solid 9/10.
Til our next movie adventure,
The Fangirls
Dramas With a Side of Kimchi
Oooh, I watched this on a long-haul flight last year and enjoyed it. I’d read the novel, though, so I knew what to expect (more or less), but the suspense was kept up well. I thought the actors did a great job, and the younger versions of the main characters were so much like their older counterparts!
I didn’t quite like the ending (which deviated from the novel, as always seems to be the case), which was a tad too sentimental for my liking.
On the same flight, I watched ‘The King’s Case-notes’ and really enjoyed it! I recommend it highly 😎
I will look for The Kings Case-notes. Thanks for the suggestion.
This story started as Japanese Book – “The Devotion of Suspect X” by famous author Keigo Higashino. Then it was used in a drama movie for the Galileo series. It’s a fascinating story and it’s no wonder other countries continue to remake it. Korea has their own version called “Perfect Number.” I’ve seen that and it was good.
This was adapted from the Japanese novel The Devotion of Suspect X by Higashino Keigo. There was a 2008 film version with Tsutsumi Shinichi and Fukuyama Masaharu. I recommend reading the novel, which has been translated into English.
I will check it out. Thanks!