Rights holder / Distributor: New Classics Media / As One Pictures
Traces of Justice is a 2026 Chinese crime drama directed by Chen Suchen according to the scenario of Chen Suchen, Zhang Zhi and Hui Zijie. It will premiere in China on October 1, 2026.
The film follows the work of forensic expert Cui Xiong over more than half a century, from the time when forensic science had limited technical tools to the development of modern methods for analyzing physical evidence. The story is inspired by the real-life career of renowned Chinese forensic expert Cui Daoji and involves four major criminal cases spanning the period from 1971 to 2016. These include the serial murders of children in Harbin, a murder and robbery in 1983, the bombing of a bus in Wuhan in 1998, and a series of sexual assaults and murders in 2016.
Chen Suchen takes an unusual approach to the crime genre. Instead of turning the investigations into a series of spectacular chases, it focuses on seemingly inconspicuous details – fingerprints, fibers, fragments and other traces that gradually acquire significance. In this way, the film draws attention to the behind-the-scenes work that often remains out of focus in traditional crime stories. The historical period also matters, because the development of investigative methods goes hand in hand with technological changes in China.
In the role of Tsui Xiong Zhang Yi gets the opportunity to build an image that changes with time, while Li Xuejiang plays the role of his older version. Ma Li is the criminalist Huang Rendi, and Chen Minhao plays police officer Wang Weiguo. They are joined by Carrie Wan, Fan Chuncheng and Arthur Chen, with the veteran also starring in the film Li Xuejiang. The cast brings together different generations of Chinese actors, which fits well with the story of professional inheritance between generations of forensic scientists.
Traces of Justice has the ambition to show criminal investigation from the perspective of people who seek the truth in small physical evidence. The story spans decades and real cases, but the main interest comes from the way in which a professional and an entire system learn to work with increasingly complex methods. This is a crime film about patience, observation and accumulated experience, in which an almost invisible trace can change the direction of the entire investigation. For fans of more serious crime dramas, the production offers a different look at the genre and the development of forensics in the second half of the 20th and early 21st centuries.
