Watch at Home 03.17.2023

Are You Lonesome Tonight?

Directed by Wen Shipei
Film Movement
2021
95 Minutes
China
Chinese
Crime, Mystery, Drama, Asian
Not Rated

On a dark night, Xueming hits a pedestrian with his car and flees the scene. Desperate to escape his feelings of guilt, he decides to approach the dead man's wife, Mrs Liang. Meanwhile, the body is discovered - riddled with bullets. Chen, the detective in charge of the investigation, becomes obsessed with the case. Years later, all three remain caught in a tangled web of memories and lies, desperately searching for a truth that refuses to be revealed.

Director & Cast

  • Director: Wen Shipei
  • Starring: Eddie Peng
  • Starring: Sylvia Chang
  • Starring: Yanhui Wang
  • Starring: Peiyao Jiang

Trailer

Photos

Reviews

  • "A striking, impressive debut from an up-and-coming talent."
    Louisa Moore, Screen Zealots
  • "First-time director Wen Shipei demonstrates a ... flair for heightened atmospherics and off-kilter details. "
    John Berra, Screen Daily
  • "Part exploration of the ravages of guilt, part homage to the stylish Hong Kong gangster flicks of the 1990s, “Lonesome” (written by Wen with Noé Dodson, Wang Yinuo and Zhao Binghao) wears its influences on its sleeve but is a stylish and sophisticated debut feature."
    Austin Considine, The New York Times
  • "Director Wen Shipei strikes an oddly satisfying balance between broody Neo-noir and simmering romance with his debut Are You Lonesome Tonight?"
    Nicholas Bell, Ion Cinema
  • "Combining the enigmatic manner and lush visual stylings of Wong Kar-Wai with a number of classic film noir tropes, this works both as a thriller and as a character study and shows Shipei to be a director with a lot of promise."
    Peter Sobczynski, eFilmCritic.com
  • "Great subtle performances from Eddie Peng and Sylvia Chung."
    Jack Cameron, One Room with a View
  • "Director Wen Shipei makes an impressive debut with this short neo-noir thriller set in Guangzhou in the 1990s.. "
    Kate Taylor, Globe and Mail
  • "Are you Lonesome Tonight? is a brilliant exercise in aesthetics. "
    Meredith Taylor, Filmuforia
  • "10/10; Are You Lonesome Tonight? is a masterclass of cinematic storytelling. Every element works together to enhance and build up each other. This might be Wen’s first feature film, but it heralds a top-notch director with a lot of swagger and much to say. "
    Bobby LePire, Film Threat
  • " It’s a dazzling neon-noir that packs plenty of panache...."
    J Paul Johnson, Film Obsessive
  • "[A] five-star, smart and elegant, bloody and intriguing, outstanding socioeconomic thriller."
    Roger Costa, Brazilian Press
  • "[T]he picture looks beautiful, and at its best recalls the genre-bending, uniquely personal work of Wong Kar-wai."
    Noel Murray, Los Angeles Times
  • "[O]ne of the most invigorating debuts you’re likely to see this year."
    Randy Myers, The Mercury News