The Soul Review: Murder Mystery with Layered Sci-fi, Horror, and Melodrama Elements

“The Soul” is a Taiwanese film adaptation of the novel “The Soul Transplanting Skill” written by renowned novelist, Jiang Bo. The film, which takes the future life in the year 2032, is directed by Cheng Wai Hao, who previously won the box office success through the horror film “The Tag-Along” (2015).

This film moves forward to tell the mystery of the tragic murder of a famous Taiwanese businessman, Wang Shih Tsung (Samuel K). Cheng Wai Hao plays elements such as science fiction, melodrama, crime procedures, and a touch of horror into a complex film that can hold full attention for more than two hours.

The film with the original title "Ji Hun" opens by showing a grim murder scene, a famous businessman dies in his own house leaving behind many puzzles. There are three people suspected of being suspects in this case. Namely his young wife, Li Yan (Sun Anke), his only son, Tian-You (Lin Hui Min) who fled the scene, and Wang Shih Tsung's best friend, Dr. Wan (Christopher Ming Shun Lee).

This case is taken over by a husband and wife, a prosecutor who is on the verge of dying from cancer, Liang Wen Chao (Chang Chen) and a detective who is preparing to await the birth of their child without a husband, A-Bao (Ning Chang).

The case, which began with the pursuit of an ulterior motive for the murder of Wang Shih Tsung, moves dynamically from criminal acts, horror mysteries based on occult offerings, to the disclosure of cancer treatment experiments with RNA restoration which are still in the process of clinical trials.

The film proceeds with big chapters that are difficult to understand, but there is a magnet that seems to be able to attract attention throughout the film so that the series of complexities can be a surprising style of revealing.

For example, how the film represents the title "The Soul" which is collided with the exchange of souls between the characters, but the description is made a little vague. So this mystery will only be solved if the audience already knows the twist implied at the end of the story.

Bringing a story that is set 10 years in the future, “The Soul” appears by prioritizing technological advancements and the development of more sophisticated cancer treatments even though it is contrary to the values ​​of humanism.

Cheng Wai Hao described the future Taipei as a city full of projected video images. However his appearance was slightly gloomy and lacked warmth.

The fictitious possibilities of exchanging dead human souls into living human bodies with medical methods and procedures are still quite impossible, even though the story is not yet fully successful, but Cheng Wai Hao bravely brought this narrative forward in only a decade.

This film is also enriched with scenarios about paranormal activities such as fellowship with mystical things through sacrificial offerings and so on. Although it doesn't include much in the storyline, this element makes "The Soul" more realistic than the complicated narrative of scientific soul conversion.

"The Soul" is supported by the brilliant performances of all the actors, it's no wonder this film can take home the Golden Carp Film Award in the Best Ensemble Performance category for most of its supporting actors, such as Samuel Ku, Hui-Min Lin, Baijia Zhang, Christopher Ming- Shun Lee, Anke Sun, Janine Chang, and Chang Chen.

The role of prosecutor Liang Wen Chao, Chang Chen, even reduced his weight by 20 kg and shaved off his hair to deepen his role as a cancer patient.

One of the characters who also stole the attention was Li Yan, the wife of the mysterious Wang Shih Tsung, Sun Anke was able to portray the multi-layered character very well, this amazing performance was then used as a marker of the complicated relationship between the characters and the twist in this film.

This slow film with a twisty narrative has won several nominations for the 2021 Golden Horse Award in the Best Leading Actor category for Chang Chen. Currently "The Soul" can be watched on the streaming service Netflix.