Black Coal, Thin Ice
Seen it?2014 | 106 min | Drama, Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Sunday Safe BetWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
Critics loved it (96% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had almost no lasting buzz. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for crime-drama fans and anyone who likes to be kept guessing. If you loved Fargo, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Tense, dark and gritty.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 46 min.
- What might put you off
- It's in Chinese, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
Two former cops start investigating the series of murders that tanked their careers when the killings begin again.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
96% on Rotten Tomatoes, 75 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
6.5 out of 10
- AwardsSolid
Won 1 Berlin award: Golden Bear.
- Reach & staying powerSolid
Streaming release that reached a modest audience; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactWeak
About 18K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Diao Yinan
- Liao FanZhang Zili
- Gwei Lun-MeiWu Zhizhen
- Wang XuebingLiang Zhijun
- Wang JingchunRong Rong
- Yu AileiCaptain Wang
- Ni JingyangSu Lijuan
- Wang LiangBus Thief