Overview
A haunting investigation into the past resurfaces with deadly consequences.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Slow
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- brooding
- eerie
- melancholic
- late night viewing
- rainy day
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film's atmospheric neo-noir style, carefully controlled tension, and Liao Fan's performance, while acknowledging its deliberately slow pace and divided audience response.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Coal depots, decaying urban sites, and wintry industrial surroundings shape the investigation's oppressive atmosphere.
Zhang Zili is an ex-cop whose failed case ends his career and leaves him working as a security guard with a drinking problem.
Zhang's pursuit of the recurring murders becomes entangled with his fascination with Wu Zhizhen.
Identical murders resume after the original series had ended, prompting the disgraced investigators to reopen the case.
Films like Black Coal, Thin Ice, and why
Memories of Murder
slow-burn neo-noir investigation, moral ambiguity, and bleak urban atmosphere
The Longest Nite
stylized crime mystery, emotionally damaged investigators, and nocturnal city alienation
The Third Murder
brooding detective narrative, fractured masculinity, and atmospheric industrial settings
Movie Details
- Director
- Diao Yinan
- Release Date
- 2014-06-11
- Runtime
- 106 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (320)
Cast
- Liao Fan
- Gwei Lun-Mei
- Wang Xuebing
- Wang Jingchun
- Yu Ailei
- Ni Jingyang
- Wang Liang
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Hi-YAH Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Black Coal, Thin Ice about?
- A disgraced former policeman reopens a haunting murder case in a wintry Chinese industrial city, where renewed violence draws him into a dangerous web of suspicion and desire.
- What is Black Coal, Thin Ice like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Black Coal, Thin Ice as slow, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Black Coal, Thin Ice violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Black Coal, Thin Ice as moderate.
- What did critics think of Black Coal, Thin Ice?
- Critics broadly praised the film's atmospheric neo-noir style, carefully controlled tension, and Liao Fan's performance, while acknowledging its deliberately slow pace and divided audience response.
- Which films are like Black Coal, Thin Ice?
- Films with a similar feel include Memories of Murder, The Longest Nite, and The Third Murder.
- How long is Black Coal, Thin Ice?
- Black Coal, Thin Ice runs 106 minutes.
- Where can I watch Black Coal, Thin Ice?
- In United States, Black Coal, Thin Ice streams on Hi-YAH Amazon Channel.
