One Wacky Summer

What it’s about

Ma Fei, a young man with a criminal past and mounting debts, returns to Tianjin in the summer of 1999. Desperate for money, he decides to kidnap his sister's son, Li Jiawen, and demand a ransom. His girlfriend and an old friend become unwilling accomplices in the scheme. However, complications arise when a reckless lone criminal also wants the ransom, and the creditors to whom Ma Fei owes money lose patience. His sister and other relatives refuse to pay and try to resolve the situation peacefully, but events spiral out of control into tragicomic absurdity.

What hooks you

Directed by Cao Baoping, the film features Guo Qilin as Ma Fei and Qi Xi as Ma Hui. The cast also includes Sun Anke, Chang Yuan, Gan Yunchen, and Zhang Benyu. Set in the 1990s, it blends crime and comedy.

Who it’s for

It suits viewers who enjoy crime stories with a comedic twist, where a simple plan goes hilariously wrong and characters get in over their heads.