Ash

A decade ago, a medical student and a steelworker become pen-friends when they chance upon the same copy of Leo Tolstoy's "Resurrection". Off the page, passion and hatred mingle and two murders are committed, and the two friends part ways. A young police officer starts to investigate, but in vain. A decade later, the young graduate student has become a renowned doctor, and has married his sweetheart. The steelworker returns to the city, bringing with him his handicapped girlfriend. Meanwhile, the police officer can't shake off the unsolved mystery of the murder cases. The last ten years have brought with them great change, each of the characters falling deeper into webs of vice and desire. They must choose the path to salvation, or the road to hell.

Directed by Li Xiaofeng, Ash leans on a strong ensemble — Luo Jin, Nie Yuan, Jiang Peiyao — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about crime titles of 2017.