Who Killed Cock Robin (2017) by Wei-Hao Cheng

There are more and more Taiwanese movies try to do thriller genre, but most of them fail. Immature scripts, fake acting, or poor special effects make them unable to attract people’s attention. However, "Who Kill Cock Robin" manages to avoid  the flaws and cliches of other movies. 

Wang Yi-chi (Hsiao-chi) accidentally finds out that his second-hand car had a serious car crash before. This accident happened on a mountain nine years ago, causing one death and one serious injury. What’s more, he seems to remember that he was there too. As he tries to understand more about that night, more mysteries show up.

With the experience of former film "The Tag-Along", director Wei-Hao Cheng knows how to handle the tempo of "Who killed Cock Robin" well. With the fast pace editing and storytelling, the film keeps the audience excited and thrilled all the time. Without any sloppy plots, the screenplay gives viewers plenty information, but not enough for them to guess the ending. The multiple layers of storyline successfully leave suspense in the  audience’s heart, as they create mind-blowing moments when different aspects of truth are revealed.  In other words, it perfectly fits every standard that a good thriller story should have.

What’s more surprising, it only cost 40 million NTD (1.3 million U.S dollars) to make. It seems that the budget doesn’t limit the feeling of this film. The atmosphere, art works and visual effects are so astonishing that the fact is not discernible at all, although the limited budget affected some scenes. For example, in the car accident sequence, the director used only one take with nine cameras to shoot that scene because he couldn’t afford more stunt cars.

Even though "Who Killed Cock Robin" is a high quality thriller, there are still  some flaws. The main theme of this film is that “everyone is involved, and no one is innocent.” This theme connects protagonists deeply, and that’s the reason this film is so interesting. However, the topic also lets the plot twists seem so artificial that sometimesend up being unconvincing. Furthermore, the use of music is also too easy to guess, and it becomes a kind of interruption. 

"Who Killed Cock Robin" opens up a new prospect for Taiwanese cinema. There are more new young directors trying to shoot different topics in Taiwan, and most of them still try to figure out what the audience loves.  This film shows the possibility of bringing the new atmosphere to the Taiwanese film market. It’s very good for both local filmmakers and audience.