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Poster for Deception of the Novelist

Deception of the Novelist

2019 · 90 min

A slow-burning, uneasy thriller that keeps you guessing as a seemingly simple affair spirals into a knot of suspicion and hidden motives.

Overview
A famous novelist receives a large inheritance after his father’s passing. He rents out one of his inherited properties to a Japanese/Chinese woman named Elaine and they embark on an affair, causing rifts in his marriage with Jeanna Ho. One night, Elaine is suddenly found dead in the balcony of the house. When police start their investigation, they realize that there are a lot of suspicious factors to the case leading them to suspect that this is not their normal kidnapping or revenge against an unfaithful husband case.

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In the UKNo streaming, rental or purchase options known.
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How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • tensestrength 2 of 3
  • darkstrength 2 of 3
  • melancholicstrength 1 of 3
Pacing
measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • betrayal
  • deception
  • obsession
  • guilt
  • mystery
Places
  • big city
  • single country house
Era
contemporary
Audience
adult
Form
  • twist ending
Content intensity
  • Gore mild
  • Language mild
  • Violence mild
  • Sex strong
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action3
Horror2
Humour2
Realism7
Romance4
Tension6
Darkness6
Complexity6
Emotional weight5

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Where to watch in the UK

No UK streaming, rental or purchase options are known.

Streaming data from JustWatch.TMDB

Details

Genres
crime, mystery, thriller
Directed by
Christopher Sun Lap-kei
Written by
Toni Shum Sek-Yin, Stephen Shiu Jr.
Starring
Justin Cheung Kin-sing, Jeana Ho Pui-Yu, Linah Matsuoka, Benny Chan Ho-Man, Danny Chan Kwok-kwan, C Kwan, Billy Luk Wing-Kuen, Gregory Wong Chung-yiu
Cinematography
Kubbie Tsoi
Runtime
90 min
Country
Hong Kong
Languages
Cantonese

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