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After you hit play on Cities of Last Things, a Chinese-language film now streaming on Netflix, prepare to be confused for the first 30 minutes or so. The film—a drama written and directed by Taiwan-based filmmaker Ho Wi Ding, who also directed Pinoy Sunday—is told entirely in reverse chronological order, meaning you start at the story’s end. On top of that, it is also told in three entirely different genres: science fiction, film noir, and melodrama. (The film is split into three segments, one for each genre.) But be patient, and the story will reward your confusion.
Cities of Last Things was co-produced by companies from Taiwan, China, France, and the United States and premiered in September 2018 at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it won the Platform Prize for artistic merit and strong directorial vision. The reviews out of the festival were positive, and the film was shortly after acquired by Netflix for distribution. The film may be a tough watch, particular for American viewers, and a bit of background knowledge before you go in will undoubtedly make it easier. Here’s what to know about the Cities of Last Things plot and cast before you watch.
WHAT IS THE CITIES OF LAST THINGS PLOT? WHAT IS CITIES OF LAST THINGS ABOUT?
It’s not a spoiler to tell you that the main character of City of Lost Things, a man named Zhang Dong Ling, dies by suicide in the movie, because that happens in the very first scene. The rest of the film moves backward through Zhang’s life, focusing on three key incidents that led him to that fatal decision. The first one the audience learns about—and the last one that happened, chronologically—involves Zhang’s violent confrontation with an old friend in a hospital. The second features a younger Zhang learning something terrible about his wife, Yu Fang. The final—and therefore earliest—segment shows Zhang as a child, and his earliest encounter with grief.
WHO IS IN THE CITIES OF LAST THINGS CAST?
In the first part of the film, the older Zhang Dong Ling is played by Jack Kao, a Taiwanese actor who’s had a long career. In the second part, a younger Zhang Dong Ling is played by Hong-Chi Lee, best known for his starring role in the Taiwanese drama, Thanatos, Drunk. Other supporting cast members include Louise Grinberg, Huang Lu, Ning Ding, Stone, Shin Yiu and Liu Juei-Chi.
IS CITIES OF LAST THINGS GOOD?
Good news: The reviews are positive! Cities of Last Things currently has an 89 percent rating on the review aggregation site, Rotten Tomatoes, and most critics who saw the film at TIFF agree that though it requires extra brain power, the payoff is ultimately worth it. You just might want to put down your phone while you watch.
