Sheep Without a Shepherd

A great, original, brilliantly imagined and atmospheric thriller from China that almost took my breath away, and probably the Chinese too when it won the Best Picture award. A relatively poor family is thrilled when their daughter is accepted into a school they can't afford, but they have no idea that one of her classmates is a notorious bully, he is the son of the town's police captain, and will rape their daughter and film it on his cell phone at the first opportunity. When the bully comes to blackmail the daughter an unexpected horrific act happens and from that point on a crazy ride full of twists and turns, shocking surprises and script tweaks begins, and I was downright excited about the film. The father will try to protect his family from the dark side of the law and since he has watched a little over 800 movies (mostly crime and thrillers), he decides to use his knowledge to create the perfect bullet proof alibi that the will have Police literally shitting themselves. Out of nowhere, China debuts a crime drama that is entertaining, suspenseful, superbly acted and literally packed with twists and turns. Pros: excellent premise, great actors, decent pacing, striking atmosphere. Cons: not very brutal, slower pacing. 8/10. (20/02/2021)