Killing Zhong Kui

Zhong Er (Fan Jiaqi), an ordinary young man, but with a paradoxical birth: no one in his family has ever lived past the age of 24. And in a few days it will be his 24th birthday.　　On an ordinary working day, Zhong Er is pursued by two forces: a group of demons, led by the female demon king Blood Demon (Zhang Luyao), who tries to kill him, and the goddess Meng Lulu (Wu Tong), who comes to his rescue and tells him that he is the descendant of the Heavenly Master Zhong Kui and has the important task of reviving him.　　Confused, Zhong Er eventually accepts Lulu's and his grandfather's training and fights against the blood demons, growing into a hero who subdues the demons and gradually enters the goddess' inner world in the process.

Directed by Zheng Quan, Killing Zhong Kui leans on a strong ensemble — Fan Jiaqi, Zhang Luyao, Liu Weiming — 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 screen titles of 2016.