Who Is the Murderer (2021)

Cop out.

Despite a strong start, Who is the Murderer? deflates into yet another over-hyped and ultimately mediocre production in the 2021 Mist Theatre (soon to be known as Miss Theatre) lineup. This kind of simple and straightforward plot around the hunt for a long hidden serial killer relies heavily on good execution to impress. I don't know if it is an indictment of the competence of the Chinese police force but practically every Chinese crime thriller revolves around a stone cold case and the lamentably long road to justice.

The lives of the three main characters collide when young Xiamu's foster mother is murdered by a serial killer. A fatal moment of weakness by then newbie cop Leng Xiaobing enables the murderer to escape with collateral damage. Teenage Shen Yu's father disappears without a trace after appearing near the scene of the crime. Seventeen years later, the revival of this cold case entangles Shen Yu, Xia Mu and Xiaobing, united by the scars from the past yet divided by different and at times conflicting agendas. Without a doubt all three leads deliver stellar performances as characters who all experience a shattering personal loss from this common event which shapes them in very different ways. Overall I found Xiao Yang's portrayal of the gruffly amiable but subtly guilt ridden Leng Xiaobing most natural and convincing. While both Zhao Liying and Dong Zijian delivered intense and very well acted portrayals of Shen Yu and Xia Mu, they erred on the melodramatic side with excessive posing.

One of the big issues with this drama is that the suspense does not arise from the plot itself but is heavily contrived, induced by background music that accompanies angsty and heavy dark posturing by both Xia Mu and Shen Yu that goes absolutely nowhere. While compellingly acted Xia Mu's PTSD is out of proportion to the trauma he experienced and after a lot of build up and suggestive behavior, this character just gets side-lined and he is bafflingly short changed in the final showdown even though he is on the scene. While Zhao Liying's impressive portrayal of the cold, creepily inscrutable and sociopathic Shen Yu exceeded my expectations, the plot again simply fails to rise to the occasion when it comes to her story either even though she hogs the final confrontation. At the end, I feel both characters led me on a merry chase, teasing with suggestive dialogues and actions that ultimately never fully plays out. It is very frustrating because this setup and the story could have gone down many more intriguing paths with thrilling and shocking outcomes but after setting it all up, the writer pulls a much bigger cop out on us than Xiaobing's pivotal gun shy moment.

Reminiscent of The Pavilion, the plot gets hijacked by character explorations that not only don't advance the plot, they distract from it with artificially induced suspense. This led to my greatest disappointment in the way the murderer is introduced and revealed. It completely violates the unspoken bargain of giving the viewer a sporting chance of identifying the murderer. The murderer falls far short of that lurking evil presence that creates an aura of danger around the main characters and their motive is a big yawn. This does not by any stretch of the imagination qualify as a whodunit, it is at best literally a spoiler homonym of a whodidit. Bottom line, this is little more than a very unremarkable investigative crime thriller so if you were looking forward to playing armchair detective, look elsewhere. The further extension of the mundane plot with non substantive filler episodes that introduce unnecessary characters further irritated me when I would have preferred to better understand what happened to Xia Mu's foster mother as well as Shen Yu's father. The fact that the only character I cared about was Xiaobing's (hot cop) friend at the beginning says it all about how big a fail this is.

I can only rate this a generous 7.0 out of 10. I waited to write this review because right after the ending, my very incensed mother was leaning on me not to rate this better than a 5.0.

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Whodunit

Despite the rather unimaginative title, Who is the Murderer tells you exactly what this drama is about without the need to check the genres, tags or even read the synopsis. The thing with whodunits is the less you know heading into it, the better for your overall viewing enjoyment. In fact, I would suggest that you skip the synopsis entirely to avoid being spoilered.

What I did know beforehand though was that this drama is the third entry to iQiyi Mist Theatre’s Light On series for 2021. For the uninitiated, the Mist Theatre Light On series which was launched in 2020 focuses on high quality thrillers (typically crime) presented in short format (around 16 episodes or less). At least, that is the planning intent by the Chinese OTT provider. Unfortunately the first two offerings of the year, The Pavilion and Wisher, IMHO, didn’t live up to the high standards set as far as the quality of the screenplay is concerned and in comparison with some of last year’s higher-rated productions. The good news, however, is that Who is the Murderer finally broke that trend and turned out to be the best yet, of this year's batch. How the fourth drama in the series, Gold Panning, compares when it airs later this week remains to be seen.

Principal photography for the drama began in August 2020 with Wuxi serving as the primary filming location and the setting for Haizhou City, both of which are located in Jiangsu province. The director helming this production needs no introduction for he is none other than Sun Hao, who famously directed the much-loved Joy of Life. The plot is based on an original screenplay by Chen Wei Han and Kong You You.

A neo noir psychological crime thriller focusing on the mystery of unsolved serial murders that span a period of 17 years, from 2000 to 2017. The plot revolves around three main characters - Leng Xiao Ping, the hardboiled Violent Crimes detective who is haunted by the past; Xia Mu, the promising young police recruit with demons of his own; and finally Shen Yu, the enigmatic psychologist with her own hidden motivations. All three somehow discover an inextricable connection to the unsolved murders.

What I Liked

This drama is slow burn yet gripping where the suspense never truly lets up once it grabs a hold of you. The pilot episode starts off very strongly with frantic action and extreme urgency that establishes the background of the mystery. From the second episode on, it eases into an engaging tempo where the story transitions into the present day. The plot features a number of unexpected twists that are smartly written and delicately revealed. Utterly surprising yet makes total sense, with neither the fanfare nor suspension of disbelief. I especially enjoyed the subtle cat and mouse games that ensues between the three characters.

The roles are very well crafted, where each of the three main characters is given much depth and complexity. Merely stating that they are extremely grey with many dimensions doesn’t do justice to the elaborate characterization. The same can be said of the other characters, whether in a supporting capacity or simply guest appearance. Not a single character appears out of place in this drama.

The acting well and truly breathes life into the characters without compromising the ingenuity of the design. In Zhao Li Ying’s second appearance this year since Legend of Fei and after the birth of her son in 2019, her portrayal of Shen Yu is perhaps one of the finest in her career. Nuanced, sophisticated, calculated, and profoundly complicated. This drama wouldn’t be the same without her masterful performance.

Likewise Xiao Yang who plays the detective, Leng Xiao Bing. Aside from the brief instances of levity, the level of street smarts that he infuses into his character is convincingly smooth. His version of hardboiled isn’t overly gritty and actually comes across as quite affable. My first time seeing Dong Zi Jian and his depiction of Xia Mu is quite interesting, to say the least. He manages to convey the necessary emotions in face of challenges that his character gradually goes through, in the course of the story.

The production design is top notch, in terms of the cinematography technique and framing of the visuals, as well as the art direction. I love the application of softer colour grading, as opposed to the typical edgy darker schemes of noir productions. Additionally, the flow of the storytelling is not interrupted by the infusion of flashback sequences and references to the earlier timeline.

As far as the music is concerned, I enjoyed Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata during the stylish title sequence and the outro theme by Jin Minqi. Full listing as follows:

Moonlight Sonata
藏 Hide - 金玟岐 Jin Minqi
藏 Hide - 徐明浩 Xu Minghao
你看 Look - 金志文 Jin Zhiwen

What Could Have Been Better

In terms of the technical execution, the editing is somewhat inconsistent where certain scene transitions do not appear as seamless as it should to match the general quality of the camerawork.

The conceptual vibe of the storytelling is quite pronounced throughout the drama, which may compel viewers to strain their concentration in making the connection to certain plot points. This appears to be a stylistic choice rather than a deliberate attempt to dramatize the depiction of events. Sometimes it works and at other times, it becomes somewhat confusing.

As much as I have enjoyed Dong Zi Jian’s performance, I feel that his appearance does not suitably match his characterization at times. He looks more like a college kid than a promising police recruit or probationary detective. His mannerism as well as propensity to disregard authority and instructions are somewhat jarring compared to the other characters who appear more believable in their roles.

Finally, the ending. It did feel somewhat underwhelming. I honestly anticipated a more mind-blowing conclusion to the whole overarching mystery...

Overall

Notwithstanding the criticisms, Who is the Murderer represents a return to relative form of iQiyi’s Light On series and is one of the stronger C-drama thrillers to be released this year. It may not be flawless and while it doesn't end as strongly as it starts, I do appreciate the intricacies of the storytelling and the compelling performances of the leads, particularly that of Zhao Li Ying.

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A Dark and Gritty Drama; Worth It.

This was my first ever Light On series to watch because though I do like the whodunnits and CSI type series, they never spoke to me before. But because I follow and highly respect Zhao Liying, plus this was such a different role for her from what she'd previously done, it intrigued me even more. The only other actor I have seen previously was Geng Le (Li Lan) but he only had a bit part and was killed off in the first episode.

Pros: I knew this was only a 16 episode series though these Light On ones were usually 12, so I felt that 4 extra episodes were a bonus. I loved the richness of the actual story and how within the first 3 or 4 episodes, all 3 characters had come into there own. I think this genre really suits ZLY because she fits the creepy sociopath very well. She was so convincing at times that, it honestly almost made your skin crawl. I've done my share of research (close to a decade) on serial killers, their psychopathy, and crimes and each had different Modus Operandi. I was very interested in which angle they would take with this one.

Episode 12 gave a serious shock but a very, appropriate cliffhanger that shifted the entire case and story in a completely different and unexpected direction. I think that was my favorite part. As a novelist, I've written many cliffhangers, so getting one that was that well written and executed was rare in cdramas.

I loved the interconnections with the leads and those in their everyday lives. They were all portrayed as very flawed and at times quite selfish individuals. It spoke of the rawness of humanity at our bad or worst times and yet at some moments they showed the best of us. Every emotion from fear, anger, sadness, despair, obsession, helplessness, determination, and so forth was shown in nearly every episode. Even if all three were in a sense going towards the same goal; finding the truth, they still managed to do it separately which many a time worked and other times seemed a bit off.

One thing that the series never lacked was just rawness; whether it was in emotion, action, or dialogue. The simplest "how are you" like when XM visits SY in jail in the last episode carried with it a seemingly 17 year burden of truth both characters must forever carry, though they both found out their own versions of truth. The series was powerful and nothing could be taken away from that.

Cons: For starters, there were several inconsistencies and disconnections that were never answered or corrected. Like why did SY's father get so angry at Hu that he beat him up, making the latter leave the hospital and than when little SY asked her father who Hu was in the library, her father was very angry that she asked and that was just left alone. SY's friend in the wheelchair seems to be important but he appears and disappears without fanfare and we literally know nothing about him, which is quite odd considering how SY literally had no other friends.

Both SY and XM seemed to have very lackadaisical schedules where they could walk in and out of their respective places of employment whenever and do whatever they wanted. It was rather strange how much a rookie cop was able to get away with during his own private detective work. Why had SY been able to get away with everything else she had done aside from sending the poor man falsely accused into a coma? Also, the very much unneeded psychological warfare on XM and how doctors just handed out patient information without notifying the patient for consent. Another point, how did SY's father know where the murderer was during the XJ murder? Out of the entire city he just happened to walk by him there and recognized him in a mask and cap after not seeing him for many years? Zilch cohesion.

The reveal of the actual murderer was a bit underwhelming because there was this huge lead up after the bombshell at the end of 12 but it didn't deliver the wham of the killer. His confession was typical obsessed psychopath with a one sided relationship with his victims story; a rookie profiler fresh out of Quantico (school for future FBI agents) could have done better. Even his reasoning wasn't imaginative, though he made it sound very sinister (hats off to the actor). Now I'm not saying all serial killers look like monsters; as a matter fact more often then not, they look like your next door neighbor. It wasn't about the looks, but about how he was cornered, in a restaurant that allowed a random stranger who'd slept amongst their trash the night before cook dishes in their kitchen? Come on now, that's not even soap opera writing. It felt like the writers were just tired of this story and wanted to add just random components into it and hope something clicked. It could have been done so much better to make for a satisfactory ending.

Lastly, there were times in the middle that the episodes did get draggy but then they righted themselves. This series could have stood to explore the pathology of criminals a bit more to make up for the inconsistencies and lack of cohesion in many places.

Still though, I think this is a very strong series and I would recommend it to both people who enjoy crime dramas and fans of ZLY who want to see her do really well in this dark and gritty role.

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went along for the rollercoaster ride but instead found out the rollercoaster has no slopes

I'm a huge fan of the light on series and love watching crime/thriller shows that can wrap everything up within 16 episodes as I love bingeing them all in one sitting, however, this one truly fell flat.

Although, the plot started out strong, with the showing of the past and connecting it to the present and introducing the characters, it kind of just played out. The killer surfaced in the last few episodes, finally met up with the traumatized "daughter" and then got caught by the regretful cop and the revengeful young boy. It seemed like everything just played out like it should have in the face of trying to solve a cold case. If any of you have watched criminal minds or CSI, basically any type of american crime show, this exact plot with all the different characters can be summed up in a 40-42 min episode. Just with less background info and development of the characters.

I'm mainly just focusing on the plot line and how the story was developed, as other parts of the show, like the acting and music, were indeed good. Overall, not a bad show!! (but basic)

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so intense

This is one of the best of Zhao Li Ying work. This drama full of suspense from beginning to the end, really makes us wondering from the beginning. Among all Thriller, Mystery & detective drama I've watched so far, this is one of the best of its genre. And Zhao Li Ying makes this drama better with her acting, with every glanze and every mysterious smile of her makes this drama really interesting to watch.

At first don't know what Shen Yu role in this drama. I'm already prepare my brain for the worst plot that involve her as the helper of the murderer. The other character also played perfectly by other actor. We can see the struggling of each character with their own demon.

What I really like of this drama is we can see that every one is not so perfect, even our main lead, which is police. Usually when they tell police story in c-drama or any drama, we seldom see imperfect police. Here our main lead all have mental issues or trauma from the past experience. But what ever happen in the past, just like our life, live must go on... ;)

for u who like suspense drama, this is one drama to watch. c-drama seldom have only 16 ep with 45-60 min per episode, for you who prefer to watch short episode drama, this is also one drama to watch

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Decent basic story and acting, but the series falls short of the expectations it leads us to have

I won't summarize the story, but if I were to do so, it is likely to sound like a fairly good story with a good measure of suspense and a nice twist. Yet, there is something underwhelming about the series.

To be fair, the basic story of a serial killer out on the loose is quite good. The actors have also done quite a good job overall. Shen Yu is probably the most complex character, and I appreciate the ambiguity in her character, which helps with the building of suspense.

On the other hand, the ambiguity in Shen Yu, which does not go away even at the end of the story, may not be handled very deftly. At times, she seems almost psychopathic, like how she smiles when she deliberately gets a woman (who has killed her husband after years of abuse) agitated. Perhaps because she a main character, there was a decision not to make the character tilt too much to the dark side eventually, but there is a need for more overall coherence even if there is ambiguity in the characterization.

Then there are also the peripheral cases that don't seem all that relevant to the main story about the serial killer. The case of the murder of a pet killer does not appear to have been resolved very fully. In the end, it seems to have been written in solely for the purpose of showcasing Xia Mu's sleuthing ability (something that is emphasized at the start but ultimately does not play such a huge role) and casting doubt on Shen Yu's character. This is an instance of how the details in the telling of an otherwise decent basic story lacks finesse.

Somehow, the story also contains distractions that border on the implausible and they don't even qualify as red herrings (which can sometimes be impressive if done properly). The way one of the characters is (almost) scapegoated by the serial killer stretches one's ability to suspend one's disbelief. The sheer number of coincidences, the arrangements that need to be made and the psychological tactics that need to be employed with the exact effects intended (when there is no way to be sure of their effectiveness) weaken the story as a whole.

The serial killer is supposed to be someone really intelligent, meticulous, resourceful and probably has plenty of free time on his hands to watch some of the characters. Then when the identity of the killer is revealed, it is a bit of a letdown. He seems delusional (though inconsistently so) and does not exude the aura of a killer who has been able to conceal his crimes for almost three decades. The extent of his cruelty (such as placing a clock in front of his victims so that they see the clock ticking as they die slowly), the chosen method of killing (using a mix of anesthesia and muscle relaxants) and how he obtains the material needed for the killings are all unaccounted for. (To make matters worse, what does get explained, like how he learnt to give injections, can be rather bizarre if you think about it.)

Finally, although there is supposed to be a lot of emotional intensity, I somehow don't feel it. I know the cop (Leng Xiao Bing) who misses a chance to shoot the serial killer is supposed to be guilt-ridden, and the actor does a good job portraying it, but the scenes don't really convince me of it. We don't really see the psychological depth behind his inaction; neither do we really see much of his struggles with guilt over the years. Xia Mu is supposed to be suffering from PTSD firstly due to the murder of his teacher (who is like a mother) and later due the fact that grandfather is killed, but we get too few glimpses of how attached he is to these two people in his life. (In fact, he doesn't even seem to have witnessed the grandfather being killed, but it triggered a relapse of the PTSD?)

There are elements of the story that can make for a relatively good sales pitch. A serial killer is on the loose. A cop wants to correct the error he has made as a rookie. A young man becomes a cop to nab to solve a cold case because his loved one is a victim. A doctor who may or may not be abetting or even instigating crimes. Unfortunately, the series makes one expect so much only to deliver so little.

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somewhat different ending from what I expected

Before watching this drama, I have not watched dramas with crime, suspense or thrillers often. This was also the first time I watched this genre of dramas produced by China.

So I will just say my opinions based on my little experience with Chinese crime, suspense dramas.

You keep wondering who the murderer is throughout the drama. The suspense was there, heightened by the music, dim lights (actually, I wonder why the houses in China all look so dim inside with creepy rooms and corners), the characters' behaviors and body language, all the various clues discovered here and there, etc. So much so that you start suspecting almost every possible character in the drama, but the ending was a little different from what I expected after all the suspense, as one reviewer pointed out, not mind-blowing, didn't go, what? it was him/her (all this while)??!! I just went, ok, this was the murderer, hmm.

Nevertheless, the drama is good overall, it is not slow-paced, because new clues are discovered almost every episode so you will not feel bored, new clues only draw you nearer and nearer to the identity of the murderer and this makes you want to keep watching the next episode and the next, although there are some illogical acting (like how could one person still walk normally after being stabbed several times and then instantly fell flat on the ground after one shot on the leg?), but these can still be overlooked if you look at the drama as a whole. The acting of the main leads is good, especially Zhao Li Ying. You see a different her here. And each episode is about 36 mins on average, so it is good if you do not want to sit down for too long. The music is good, bring out the suspense, the ending is wrapped up well, loose knots tied.

All in all, I still enjoyed this drama, though I will not consider this a super good suspense crime drama.

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same as other light on series,, twisting confusing but feel stupid for the worst detail and editing scene, and shuddely statement change and shuddenly new evidence


actually i really dont understand what they do, its still ok at the first half part, but the evidence ,scene and the statment come out very suddenly ,really crazy and look stupid,
very scurry and they think the watcher is stupid? i think the chain of the statment still not connect,,

1. if shenyu curious about the package sender why she didnt check the cctv in her apartment? in the lift? rather than
Very exaggerated dismantle the package?

2. ep 9, shenyu ask the hacker to anonymous warning xiamu that someone is following him and causing themself being exposes?

3. ‎if the last murder do by the killer how can shenyu know about that? and lure her patient to be scapegoat?,

4. ‎the killer kill them because he think they betray him, so why he write in the journal and ask shenyu to wait,and said this is the last? ? like saying he already targeting them long long time ago for some other reason, and they should die

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Great Acting. Just wish it wasn't as draggy

I watched this for Zhao Li Ying and I felt that she and the cast have delivered in terms of acting. The story was great at the beginning then slowly dragged on, as the story progressed, so I took me a while to finish it.

I love how each character is flawed and kudos for the acting crew - they are able to convey this quite well.

I was just disappointed it wasn't really a "mystery". The plot could have used a bit more of a punch to it, but they developed the characters well. I think it was more character driven than plot driven. I was hoping to watch a murder mystery - and it was one but it wasn't very... mysterious.

This is why I gave it a 7.5. The plot was draggy at the second half, but the acting was great.

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Who is the Murderer? A promising start …. Intrigue, Suspenseful, Mystery and Tension ….

Who is the Murderer? A promising start …. Intrigue, Suspenseful, Mystery and Tension …. all the ingredients necessary in a thriller, unanswered questions leaving viewers wanting more …. is one where the outcome is in doubt and the viewers discovers the leads to the resolution at the same time as the protagonist. There are unanswered questions in the plot that are vital to a possible conclusion and the protagonist (and viewers) must use their wits to unearth the truth before dire circumstances occur. Those circumstances can be physical, emotional, or spiritual and often have bits of all three.

The viewers well might be aware of every single danger, in fact, s/he typically knows the challenge, the stakes, who’s doing it, and sometimes why. The unanswered question arises through obstacles to achieving the goal. Will the protagonist succeed at accomplishing XYZ and how? The odds seem overwhelming. These are edge of your seat novels/movies because you know what’s coming, you just don’t know if the protagonist can best the villain in what’s coming and have a positive outcome. Simply leaving the viewers anticipating more …

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