I've always had kind of a love hate relationship with Chinese historical BLs. Some are genuinely excellent, but then there are others that cram in so much plot that keeping track of all the layers of betrayal and scheming gets exhausting, and I end up checking out mentally. Part of the issue is also just how much content is out there in this space, so something really has to stand out to keep me hooked. In this case, the production value is genuinely impressive, top tier stuff, but story wise, I just couldn't bring myself to actually care about these characters. There's a ton of political scheming and backstage manipulation running throughout. Somewhere in the middle of all that chaos, a hostage ends up falling for his own Prince Charming. The show runs eight episodes, each around 50 to 60 minutes long. After spending three years guarding the border, Fifth Prince Yin Qi gets called back to the capital because of a secret letter, only to end up walking straight into a deadly...
This movie is supposed to be a psychological horror about a girl who becomes totally obsessed with a gay guy and won't leave him alone. It starts off feeling like a quiet drama about a guy dealing with grief, but it eventually tries to turn into this claustrophobic look at how trauma and proximity can get dangerous. Unfortunately, it was just way too boring to actually sit through. Even though the acting wasn't terrible, there was zero thrill or tension, and I found myself yawning through most of it.
The story follows Rowan, a barista and aspiring musician who’s trying to pick up the pieces after his fiancé, Tucker, passed away. Out of nowhere, an old high school classmate named Mag shows up wanting to reconnect. They dated briefly back in the day, but now she basically forces her way into renting the spare bedroom in his apartment. Once she moves in, she starts taking over his entire life, though Rowan is weirdly blind to how creepy and intrusive she’s being. She calls herself a "fag hag" and treats him more like an accessory than a person, slowly pushing her way into his job and his friend group. When Rowan’s best friend, K.C. (who he calls his "twin"), comes to visit for a week, Mag loses it because she hates him having other friends. She also gets super jealous when a hot gym trainer starts showing an interest in Rowan and does everything she can to keep them apart. After a few more random killings, it’s finally revealed that she was the one who murdered Rowan’s fiancé in the first place.
Honestly, you’d expect this to have that cheesy "made-for-TV" movie vibe, but it just didn't work at all. The actors were clearly trying, but the whole concept and execution just fell flat. The pacing is all over the place, the tone shifts way too fast, and the scenes that are supposed to feel scary or intense just feel half-baked. It makes no sense how Rowan could be so naive and just go along with everything this girl says without seeing how much of a creep she is. The lead actress does an okay job and the guy playing Rowan is good-looking, but that’s really the only praise I can give it. All the side plots, like the stuff with his coworker or the sleazy music producer, felt totally unnecessary and didn't add anything to the story.
It’s an interesting idea on paper, but it plays out like a clunky stage play put on by beginners rather than a real thriller. (2.5/10)
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