THE FALLEN BRIDGE

When the bones of Wen Xiaoyu’s long lost father are discovered in the concrete of a collapsed bridge, she is catapulted into a quest for vengeance, aided by a mysterious local mechanic named Meng Chao. This promises to be a dark crime thriller, full of grimy back alleys, litter-strewn riverbanks, and miserable weather. The main pull is Wang Junkai, swapping his usual boyish look as former captain of preppy boy band Tfboys for Meng’s greasy overalls. There’s been much media coverage of Wang’s attempts to get into his grimy role—losing 20 pounds, tanning his skin, and practicing repairing cars on set in advance of filming—perhaps to assure viewers that he is a serious actor of talent, rather than a big name to draw an audience. Based on mixed receptions of Wang’s acting skills in the past, let’s wait and see.