Across the Furious Sea 2023

Jin, a dedicated Chinese fishing trawler captain, embarks on a journey to Kyoto after receiving devastating news about his daughter, Nana, played by Zhou Yiran, who is a student at Kyoto University. When Jin arrives, he is overwhelmed with grief and shock upon discovering Nana’s body. An autopsy reveals a brutal and tragic series of events: Nana had been gang-raped and stabbed, though the wounds were not fatal, her injuries led to her death from blood loss. This finding sets off a chain of intense and emotionally charged confrontations. Jin’s anger and desperation lead him to confront Miaomiao, Nana’s boyfriend, played by Zhang Youhao, but Miaomiao manages to escape, fleeing back to China to evade Jin’s fury.

Once in China, Jin dedicates himself to tracking down Miaomiao, who is being hidden by his own mother, Jing Lan, played by Zhou Xun. Jing is portrayed as a cautious and cunning woman, attempting to secure a German visa for Miaomiao while deceiving Jin about her son’s whereabouts. She hides Miaomiao in a safe house to protect him from Jin’s wrath. However, Miaomiao’s attempts to stay hidden are thwarted when he unexpectedly escapes during a cosplay convention. This leads to a tense and chaotic chase between Jin and Miaomiao, culminating in a comical yet tense fall onto an inflatable figurine. Miaomiao then seeks refuge at his father’s mansion, but the situation quickly escalates when Jing locks Jin in the basement of the mansion. In a dramatic turn, Jin manages to escape by setting a fire, and Jin’s resilience and determination are displayed when he is saved from smoke inhalation by Jing during the chaos.

The narrative intensifies with a gripping car chase amidst a fierce storm, where Jing tries to reach the airport in an attempt to meet Miaomiao and keep him safe. The pursuit ends dramatically with a collision that leaves everyone involved incapacitated except Jin. Despite this, Jin kidnaps Miaomiao and refuses to reveal his location, asserting his own terms by bargaining for three days of freedom to attend Nana’s funeral in Kyoto. During the funeral, Jin’s grief transforms into fury as he tracks down and attacks the three students involved in Nana’s assault, either killing or severely injuring them. In a shocking revelation, Jin exposes Miaomiao’s betrayal of Nana, claiming that Miaomiao was responsible for her injuries and ultimately her death. As the story unfolds, Jin returns home to find that Miaomiao is indeed alive but has been chained in a lighthouse, which Jin releases in the final moments.

In the aftermath, Jin is arrested and later convicted for kidnapping and trespassing on the mansion’s grounds, while Miaomiao faces charges for injuring his sister, a result rooted in family resentment and a recent prank gone wrong. Officer Dai, who mishandled the case, also faces consequences. Jin, reflecting on his actions and the tragic events, donates the proceeds from selling his trawler to a charity dedicated to adolescent mental health, seeking some form of redemption. The film ends with a poignant depiction of Jin’s complex and troubled journey through grief, rage, and ultimately, a tentative hope for healing.