The Wasted Times (2016)

The Wasted Times is the kind of crime epic that feels carved from smoke and silk—lavish, exquisitely staged, and confident enough to let mystery and emotion share the same frame. Set in pre-war Shanghai, it pulls you into a world where loyalty is a currency, desire is a liability, and every alliance carries the weight of history, all rendered with refined formal control and a noir-tinged elegance. What makes it special is how sophisticated and multi-layered it is: the story unfolds like a puzzle you don’t just solve, you feel, with characters whose choices echo long after a scene ends. It’s not the easiest sit if you want a straightforward gangster tale, but if you’re in the mood for something complex, adventurous, and quietly devastating, this one plays like a modern masterpiece.

The Wasted Times is aiming for a smoky, old-Shanghai crime epic where shifting loyalties, wartime paranoia, and moral compromise blur into one moody fever dream. The problem is it tells that story in a heavily non-linear, subplot-stuffed way that can feel more impenetrable than intriguing, so you may spend more time orienting yourself than caring about the people on screen. Pacing is uneven and several threads feel underdeveloped, which makes the “mystery” element land as confusion rather than suspense. If you enjoy stylish period noir, political intrigue, and don’t mind doing extra homework to follow the plot, there’s atmosphere to savor—but if you want clear stakes and characters you can latch onto, this likely isn’t for you.