What Is All the Crows in the World About?
The premise of All the Crows in the World in 269 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In the neon‑lit streets of Hong Kong, an eighteen‑year‑old on the cusp of adulthood receives a puzzling invitation to a dinner party from a distant relative. The city’s restless energy pulses through the night, weaving together the ordinary and the uncanny, and the promise of an evening that feels both celebratory and oddly foreboding. It is a world where familial obligations intersect with the glittering, often bewildering social rituals of a bustling metropolis.
As Shengnan steps into the gathering, she finds herself surrounded by a circle of older men whose presence feels unsettling, their conversations humming with unspoken expectations. The atmosphere is charged with a mix of curiosity and discomfort, hinting at the subtle pressures that accompany the transition from teenage innocence to adult responsibility. The setting—a blend of sleek venues and shadowed corners—mirrors the ambiguity of the night, inviting both intrigue and introspection.
Amidst this disorienting backdrop, Jianguo appears as an unexpected point of connection. Their interaction carries a quiet, almost tentative chemistry that offers a glimpse of something genuine beneath the surrounding façade. Rather than staying confined to the party’s prescribed script, the two decide to step away, allowing the night to become a canvas for discovering the complexities of growing up. Their departure hints at a shared yearning to find authenticity in a world that often feels performative.
The film balances humor, melancholy, and a touch of surrealism, creating a tone that feels both intimate and expansive. It invites viewers to wonder what lies beyond the surface of a single night—how fleeting encounters can spark deeper reflections on identity, desire, and the uneasy passage into adulthood.
What Happens in All the Crows in the World?
The complete story of All the Crows in the World, from the first scene to the last, in 784 words (about 3 minutes). Spoilers throughout.
Spoilers ahead
Set in Hong Kong, the film opens with two girls, Shengnan Zhao, [Xuanyu Chen], and her friend Lily, [Liu Zhengyu], sharing bowls of sweet potato soup. The pair quietly observe a married man as he pays for a prostitute, and they begin timing him, placing bets with Lily on how long he will last in bed with her. The mood stays observational, almost clinical, as their casual curiosity pulls us into a world where desire, money, and performance blur together.
A sharp interruption arrives when a man with a megaphone announces that Shengnan’s cousin has invited her to dinner. The tension rises as she moves through the city streets toward the restaurant, feeling followed by three unseen men. In a moment that heightens the unease, she lets out an awkward yell and runs, seeking safety as she nears the familiar restaurant.
Inside, the table is crowded with businessmen, and Shengnan encounters Wang Jianguo, [Xue Baohe], whose stare lingers and then shifts away. Their awkward exchange creates a quiet tension that runs beneath the louder din of the room. The cousin’s introduction to the table becomes a display of empowerment and performance; she sings for the businessmen while Shengnan awkwardly participates, the whole scene turning on a ritual of validation and financial exchange. The men shower Shengnan with red envelopes, a traditional gesture of favor, but Wang Jianguo’s envelope slides onto the rotating center and spins toward her, catching the eye of the group.
The supper club atmosphere intensifies as Mr. Liu, [Ge Wu], the head businessman, leans into a more personal probe. He mentions Shengnan’s virginity and asks about her horoscope, the kind of old-world matchmaking impulse that contrasts with the modern, transactional world surrounding them. Shengnan responds with a candid history of past relationships, explaining that her academics have always come first and that her partners sometimes faltered under pressure. The businessmen laugh off the tension, and a Taoist priest, [Junjie Shi], sits among them, offering a ceremonial blessing that seems to promise luck if the stars align. The moment lands as both absurd and oddly reassuring, a ritual of luck in a room saturated with money and egos.
From the restaurant, the group moves to a space that blends a brothel and a club. The women introduce themselves to the men, playfully calling them “daddies,” while Shengnan sits beside Wang Jianguo to feel a sense of safety in his presence. The energy here is primal and almost animalistic—the men howl like beasts, and Wang Jianguo responds with a more restrained, wolf-like roar, a contrast that hints at deeper undercurrents.
Before the night ends, Shengnan receives a red money packet from her cousin and contemplates offering it to Wang Jianguo, but he declines, sharing something of his own burdens. He reveals life struggles, including a hair transplant, a humanizing detail that makes him more than a caricature of a successful businessman. Shengnan, in turn, offers him money once more, and something about the exchange loosens the edge between them.
A shocking turn unfolds in a parking garage, where Wang Jianguo and Shengnan witness her cousin in a car with a partner, their loud cries and the command to call her “mama” and “grandma” echoing in the space. The moment is electric and disorienting, a stark reminder of the film’s overlapping worlds of desire, family ties, and danger. They flee the scene, a shared breath of fear giving way to a return to their earlier location.
Back at the soup spot where it all began, Shengnan and Lily sit with the remnants of their day. Shengnan senses something like recognition in the air as two men appear to connect, a moment of what could be love at first sight. She discreetly offers money to the man she senses may be the right match, but keeps the exchange tentative, aware of how quickly these moments can unravel. The scene returns to the simple ritual of timing — a quiet, almost clinical habit that began the night — now reframed as a way to measure something more human than luck or fortune.
As the film circles back to its opening image, the threads of curiosity, power, and longing interweave into a larger meditation on how desire moves through a crowded city. The cast and setting create a mosaic of moments where attraction collides with commerce, where people seek meaning in fleeting encounters, and where the ordinary act of sharing soup becomes a stage for a strange, shifting drama. The final impression is both intimate and expansive, a quiet reflection on connection, risk, and the unpredictable paths that follow when two strangers meet, time and again, under bright lights and in the shadow of a bustling city.
All the Crows in the World Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
12 key events in the order they happen, from “Opening: soup and bets” to “The timing motif recurs”. 12 events name a place, across 9 locations.
- 1
Opening: soup and bets
Two girls, Shengnan Zhao and Lily, sit in Hong Kong eating bowls of sweet potato soup. They overhear a married man purchasing a prostitute, and Shengnan begins timing him, betting with Lily on how long he will last. The scene sets up Shengnan's talent for timing men's behavior.
Where:Hong Kong – soup stall
- 2
Megaphone invitation to dinner
A man with a megaphone informs Shengnan her cousin invited her to dinner. She sets off to meet her cousin.
Where:Hong Kong street toward cousin's dinner
- 3
Three men follow; restaurant encounter
Feeling watched, she yells and runs to meet her cousin. At the restaurant she sees Jianguo Wang across the room, and they share an awkward stare. Shengnan zips up her hoodie as she approaches the table.
Where:Restaurant in Hong Kong
- 4
Dinner table with envelopes and fortune talk
Shengnan joins the table as her cousin boasts about academic success to impress the businessmen. The men crowd around and hand out red envelopes, while Jianguo slides his toward Shengnan. Mr. Liu teases her about virginity and asks about her horoscope to be matched with his son. A Taoist priest at the table dispenses a blessing, claiming luck and horoscope alignment will suffice.
Where:Restaurant dining area with businessmen
- 5
Transition to club/brothel; Lily appears
The group moves to a combined brothel and club, where the women introduce themselves to the men as 'daddies.' Shengnan spots her friend Lily among the workers.
Where:Brothel/club area
- 6
Club scene: Jianguo's performance
Shengnan sits with Jianguo for support as the crowd hollers. The businessmen howl like monkeys, while Jianguo's howl comes out wolf-like.
Where:Club interior
- 7
Cousin's red packet; Jianguo refutes
Shengnan receives a red money packet from her cousin as she prepares to leave. She notices several male workers leaving Jianguo's room and remarks that he seems picky. She tries to give Jianguo another money packet, but he refuses.
Where:Club vicinity
- 8
Jianguo reveals his life struggles
Jianguo opens up about his life, including undergoing a hair transplant. Shengnan hands him money, and he reacts with a sudden flare as he performs an expressive dance while wearing wings to the song "Disappointing" by John Grant ft. Tracey Thorn.
Where:Club interior
- 9
Parking garage reveal and escape
Jianguo offers to show Shengnan something fun and takes her to a parking garage where they see her cousin having sex in a car, with her partner told to call her mama and grandma. They flee the scene after the discovery.
Where:Parking garage
- 10
Police shout and Jianguo's outburst
They flash a light and shout 'Police!', then they run. Jianguo lets out the line 'all heterosexuals must die' as he escapes.
Where:Parking garage exit
- 11
Return to soup spot and unexpected connection
Shengnan returns to the soup spot where she began; Jianguo joins them, and they eat soup again. Jianguo notices a man nearby, and it appears to be love at first sight.
Where:Hong Kong – soup stall
- 12
The timing motif recurs
Two men take deep breaths, taking in each other's scent, and Shengnan times the moment the same way she timed the couple at the film's beginning. The scene reinforces her unique instinct for measuring intimate exchanges.
Where:Hong Kong – soup stall
Who Are the Main Characters in All the Crows in the World?
13 characters, among them Wang Jianguo, Zhao Shengnan and Cousin / Woman in Car: who each one is and the part they play in the story. Every profile links to the actor’s page.
- WJ
Wang Jianguo
Played by Xue Baohe
A wealthy, discerning businessman who exerts control at the dinner and club, revealing a colder, calculating side beneath his charm. He shares a moment of vulnerability about his life, including hair transplant surgery, which humanizes him but does not erase his power. His behavior embodies the film's exploration of wealth-driven desire and predatory social dynamics.
- 💼 Wealthy
- 💬 Manipulative
- 🧠 Calculating
- ZS
Zhao Shengnan
Played by Chen Xuanyu
The film’s central figure: an academically ambitious young woman who times men and navigates seductive encounters with composure and grit. She uses her skills in timing as a means of agency, while also revealing vulnerability and moral complexity. Her interactions test the boundaries between autonomy and exploitation.
- 🪪 Female lead
- 🧭 Strategist
- 💡 Calculated
- C/
Cousin / Woman in Car
Played by Shujun Huang
Shengnan’s cousin who invites her to dinner and participates in the network of sex work and money that underpins the night’s events. She orchestrates parts of the evening and embodies the transactional nature of the environment.
- 👤 Cousin
- 💸 Facilitator
- 🗝️ Connector
- SL
Sir Liu
Played by Ge Wu
A head businessman who presides over the group, specifying social hierarchy and expectations. His presence anchors the dinner’s power structure, and he embodies the commodified gaze that defines Shengnan’s value in the room.
- 🏛️ Elite
- 🧭 Gatekeeper
- 🧪 Arbitrator
- TP
Taoist Priest
Played by Junjie Shi
A mystical figure who blesses the gathering and offers seemingly magical assurances about luck and horoscopes. He legitimizes the patrons’ beliefs and adds a layer of superstition to the power dynamics at play.
- 🔮 Mystic
- 🗝️ Believer
- 🧭 Guide
- LF
Lily from Guizhou
Played by Liu Zhengyu
Shengnan's friend who appears in the narrative as part of the group; she is present in the club scene and connected to the broader network of workers and clients. Her presence reinforces the shared experiences of those navigating the sex-work economy.
- 👭 Friend
- 🧭 Ally
- 🗺️ Local
- P
Pimp
Played by Chunxiao Liao
A figure in the club who operates within the sex-work ecosystem and helps coordinate the workers and the clients. He embodies control and the logistics behind the night’s encounters.
- 🕴️ Manager
- 🗺️ Organizer
- 💬 Negotiator
- G
Guest
Played by Guanying Xian
An unnamed patron among the businessmen who attends the dinner and contributes to the dynamic balance of power and desire. His presence adds to the collective mood of the room.
- 🎩 Patron
- 💼 Businessman
- 🗨️ Participant
- G
Guest
Played by Ming Sen
Another unnamed patron who participates in the night’s arrangements and the broader social ritual around Shengnan. He embodies the ordinary, yet complicit, side of the power structure.
- 🧭 Patron
- 💼 Businessman
- 🗨️ Participant
- G
Guest
Played by Haihau Li
A further unnamed patron who contributes to the atmosphere of wealth and appetite that frames Shengnan’s experiences.
- 🎲 Patron
- 💼 Businessman
- 🗨️ Participant
- G
Guest
Played by Dashu Li
An additional unnamed patron present in the scenes, amplifying the sense of a crowded, transactional environment.
- 🎯 Patron
- 💼 Businessman
- 🗨️ Participant
- G
Guest
Played by Xiao Zhou
A final unnamed patron seen in the club and surrounding spaces, part of the ongoing social economy of the film’s setting.
- 🎯 Patron
- 💼 Businessman
- 🗨️ Participant
- G/
Guest / Guy in Car
Played by Zifa Mu
An unnamed patron identified only as a member of the crowd or a quick participant in the scene outside the car and in transit.
- 🚗 Car presence
- 🗝️ Enabler
- 🎯 Patron
Where and When Is All the Crows in the World Set?
All the Crows in the World is set in Hong Kong. Here is why the place matters to the story.
Where
Hong Kong
Set in the dense urban landscape of Hong Kong, the film moves between a street soup shop, a high-stakes dinner, a club/brothel, and a parking garage. The city functions as a backdrop where money, desire, and status intersect, exposing power imbalances. The environments are saturated with crowds, bright neon, and the tension between public performance and private motives.
- 🏙️ Urban setting
- 🌃 Nightlife
- 💼 Commerce & power
What Are the Themes of All the Crows in the World?
4 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Power & Money, Performance and Surveillance & Judgment.
-
01
Power & Money
Money controls access and treatment within the dinner and club scenes, shaping who is heard and who is dismissed. Shengnan negotiates with a blend of practicality and vulnerability. The businessmen's interest in her future and her horoscope underscores commodification and the market logic fueling their interactions. The film critiques wealth-driven power and its impact on intimate and professional exchanges.
-
02
Performance
Appearances are performances—dinners, horoscopes, and blessings—masking uncertain motives. Shengnan and Jianguo reveal personal vulnerabilities in moments of candor amidst the spectacle. Dance numbers and transactional encounters blur the line between entertainment and coercion. The film uses these performances to question authenticity within transactional relationships.
-
03
Surveillance & Judgment
Glares, leers, and the watchful gaze of a room full of patrons frame Shengnan's experience. The ritual of blessing and the consumerist facilitation reinforce social judgment and control. Power is sustained through public spectacle as much as through money, shaping how the characters perceive each other.
-
04
Urban Isolation
Despite the crowded city, emotional connection remains fragile and fleeting. Shengnan's timing of men mirrors the initial soup scene, highlighting a cycle of surveillance and calculated encounters. The film suggests that urban life breeds alienation even as it offers opportunity.
What Kind of Film Is All the Crows in the World?
Melancholic in tone, with slow pacing and a moderate story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Melancholic
- Pacing
- Slow
- Story
- Moderate
- Intensity
- Medium
- Ending
- Ambiguous
An intimate and melancholic drama that observes its young protagonist navigating the awkward complexities of adult social rituals against the backdrop of Hong Kong, with moments of quiet connection emerging from an atmosphere of transactional unease.
- observational
- awkward
- anxious
- melancholic
- intimate
- uneasy
- coming of age
- transactional relationships
- urban loneliness
- adult disillusionment
Content notes: power imbalance, sexual themes, exploitative situations.
Quiz
How well do you remember All the Crows in the World? Test yourself on the story.
