Black Coal, Thin Ice 2014 detective movie

Black Coal, Thin Ice 2014 detective story

Black Coal, Thin Ice (2014, China)

Original title: Bai Ri Yan Huo

In 1999 detective Zhang Zili, who just got through a painful divorce, was part of the team that investigated a gruesome case - in different depots around the province of China parts of a human body were found. Police quickly established that is was impossible for one man to deliver those body parts to places so far apart, so they adapt different approach - they check where the coal was dispatched from and check if body was linked to the coal industry. Soon they discover a name badge of coal worker Liang next to piece of uniform covered in blood. All of their efforts lead to a one suspect - a dispatcher, who seems to be the only person that was able to dispose of the body on the coal trucks. Unfortunately when police came to arrest him he pulled out gun and shot two policemen before being fatally wounded by Zhang, who was also injured.

Five years later Zhang is no longer a policeman - the divorce and the wounds made him a bitter man, now he works as a security guard and sinks his sorrows in alcohol. When he accidentally stumble upon a colleague he learns that they still investigate the 1999 case, since another body was recently disposed in similar way. They suspect the widow of Liang is involved somehow since she knew both victims. Zhang offers to help with the investigation and tries to get close to woman hoping to learn something more about her. Unfortunately he falls in love with her and from that point he is in difficult position, especially when the widow opens up to him and confesses that her husband wasn’t the 1999 victim.

Chinese mystery movie that has all the elements of film noir - the washed-out detective, femme fatale, complicated case and people with dark secrets.

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