Text | An Qing
Editor | 9527 Miao Gujun
The first hit drama to be launched in 2024 is Wong Kar-wai's " Flowers ". When period dramas basically focused on the plateau of northern Shaanxi and the Gobi in the northwest, a " "Flowers" truly depicts Shanghai in the 1990s, where every inch of land was rich and flowers bloomed everywhere, and the stories staged there were full of ups and downs and legends.
"Flowers" is undoubtedly a high-quality hit, and compared to Hu Ge's Abao, the most surprising character is actually Li Li played by Xin Zhilei .
Because of this drama, Xin Zhilei's acting career has reached a turning point. Her recent high exposure indicates that she has embarked on the road of film and television with good resources.
No, less than a month after "Flowers" ended, there is news that Xin Zhilei will star in another suspense drama "In the World".
01
hit theme + gold medal configuration, "In the World" has become a dark horse
The themes of film and television dramas in the past two years have shown a flourishing attitude, but the most outstanding one is definitely the suspense theme. Starting from "The Hidden Corner", the suspense market has completely opened up. Looking back at the representatives of domestic dramas in 2023, " The Long Season " is the only work that has both good reputation and popularity.
In such a market environment, suspense dramas have become the "main theme" of online dramas.
TV series "In the World" happens to be the hottest suspense theme at the moment. This drama is scheduled to have only 8 episodes. The plot is unknown and the script is original. It aims to explore human nature and highlight more social issues. In the poster information that the drama has given, it focuses on "the quagmire of multiple personalities and the struggle of self-salvation." Glory".
Let’s take a bold guess. The most interesting elements of “In the World” are “multiple personalities” and “self-salvation”. These elements are highly suitable for suspense dramas, but if you want to shoot with high quality, you need reliable configuration.
At present, Xu Bing, the director and screenwriter of "In the World", has shouldered the important task. Prior to this, Xu Bing's masterpieces "The Sea in Dreams" and "Happy Face" both had outstanding textures.
From period dramas to suspense dramas, Xu Bing’s biggest feature is his high-end aesthetic and delicate picture style. In particular, "Happy Face", which was rated 7.8 on Douban, almost displays the ultimate suspense aesthetic, and all the shots amplify the graininess of the actors' acting skills.
And before "In the World" officially recruits all the actors and starts filming, the cast is certainly the most eye-catching feature of the show.
02
Zhao Liying strikes again, with a luxurious and eye-catching cast
Starting from "Happiness to Ten Thousands of Homes", Zhao Liying's transformation path has been steady and steady. Compared with ancient puppets and fairy tales, Zhao Liying is currently the only one among the 85 flowers from the traffic Successfully transformed into a powerful actor.
In "Article 20", which will be released on the first day of the Lunar New Year, Zhao Liying once again challenges herself and portrays a deaf-mute disabled person. Judging from the trailer alone, she is already on the next level.
In fact, "In the World" is not Zhao Liying's first challenge to the suspense style. In the online drama "Who is the Murderer", Zhao Liying plays Shen Yu, a psychiatrist who is full of wealth and scheming. She played the character's yandere and madness. Even though the plot is a bit unfinished, the audience still remembers her sinister eyes.
There is no problem with Zhao Liying's performance. As long as the script of "In the World" passes the test, her portrayal is bound to be good.
Xin Zhilei, who stars with Zhao Liying, is even more eye-catching in "In the World". In "Flowers", Xin Zhilei's portrayal is full of mystery. She is beautifully advanced and sexy, allowing the audience to see unprecedented charm in Wong Kar-wai's aesthetics.
In fact, Xin Zhilei may not be suitable for suspended and luxurious plots, but she can definitely act well in more realistic suspense dramas. Her acting skills have always been on the strong track, and her grasp of character details is not even inferior to that of Zhao Liying, who came from the traffic industry.
The key is that Xin Zhilei's facial features have always had a Southeast Asian flavor. Her thick lips are smooth and her highly recognizable appearance is full of high intelligence. This visual effect will make Xin Zhilei more suitable for suspense dramas.
In addition, objectively speaking, Li Li in "Flowers" is a charming character with high IQ and emotional intelligence. If Xin Zhilei's advantages in "In the World" are not highlighted, it can only be said that there is something wrong with the setting of the character itself, because Xin Zhilei's image and performance are impeccable.
Of course, when I learned that Zhao Liying and Xin Zhilei would partner up in this drama, my first reaction was that the two would challenge each other and set up each other's rivalry scenes. In a market environment where female roles in suspense themes are extremely weak, the partnership between Zhao Liying and Xin Zhilei directly maximizes the functionality and enjoyment of women in suspense dramas.
In addition to the two, there are several online actors in "In the World" that are exciting.
Actor Yin Fang has outstanding performance in movies and TV series. While most male stars with similar routes to him are still trying to become idols, Yin Fang has already proved it in "The Long River" and "Changsha Nightlife" My own acting skills.
And when the plot is unknown, Yin Fang's temperament has the tenacity of being stuck in the quagmire. As for whether he is a ruthless person who is criticized wildly, or a positive character struggling in the quagmire, it all depends on how the screenwriter plays it.
Another actor Zhang Yishan is also a powerful actor that the audience is familiar with. Zhang Yishan, who started his career as a child actor, has a very clear positioning. The character he portrays most often on the screen is the energetic Beijing boy.
Regardless of whether it is a youth emotional drama, a costume drama, or a spy drama, Zhang Yishan's positioning has a sense of intimacy that makes people inexplicably trustworthy. The suspense drama "In the World" is a certain challenge for Zhang Yishan, but I don't know why. I always feel that Zhang Yishan is likely to break the previous role types in this drama and try to play a hidden character. Villain.
Generally speaking, the intentions of the showrunners can be seen just from the cast of "In the World". And being able to code such a cast configuration is enough to show that the original script and character charm of "In the World" are enough to attract actors.
Any doubts and hesitations I had about this drama disappeared under the filter of the cast.
Of course, whether a suspense drama can become a hit depends on quality and luck. There are many domestic dramas with luxurious lineups but disappointing performances. The final focus of "In the World" is the plot and texture.
In terms of plot, "In the World" must not only be logically closed, but also must be high-powered in plot. The scale of criminal investigation dramas next door is getting bigger and bigger, and "In the World" must also produce impactful scenes. , can make people’s eyes bright.
In terms of texture, aesthetics is the most important. Good lens aesthetics can turn a TV series into a work of art, such as "Flowers" and "The Long Season".
Finally, the profound meaning displayed by the work itself determines whether the work can be sublimated. "Flowers" is about the sophistication of human nature and the ups and downs of destiny, while "The Long Season" is about the changes of the times and the healing of spiritual difficulties.
Audiences are waiting for a high-quality suspense drama. Whether "In the World" is worth the audience's expectations, let's see how it kicks off the world.
