The Fatal Contract (2018) [Film Review]

The Fatal  Contract; or, The Mystery of Cursed Paintings
     I saw how hurt he was. I told him to paint a few paintings to burn them to accompany her over the other side, then she will have friends. I never guessed that Bai Wei also had a bad fortune.
The Fatal Contract is a 2018 mystery thriller starring legendary Bai Ling, Tao Hong, and Zhao Yan Guo Zhang in the leading roles. It was directed by Tan Bing who stated the film was inspired by the story of an artist who only painted dead people. Let’s take a closer look at this low-key drama:

Release Info

Directed by: Tan Bing Starring: Bai Ling, Tao Hong, Zhao Yan Guo Zhang

Language: Mandarin Runtime: 90 min

Synopsis
After the suspicious death of an artist, a police detective (Xuan Miao) is looking for a suspect. She turns out to be a woman, Bai Wei (Bai Ling), who supposedly was a model for the artist. However, Bai Wei is nowhere to be found. She actually is with a local painter turned barkeeper, Tu La (Zhao Yan Guo Zhang) whom she marries. In order to avoid being arrested by the police and protect the love of her life, Bai Wei signs a contract with a wealthy art collector Lu Li (Tao Hong). Lu promises that she will help Bai Wei escape. In return, Wei has to ensure that Tu La will paint a specific piece of art for Lu. The couple is unaware that Lu Li collects very special paintings painted by special artists…

All the world’s a stage
I have to admit that The Fatal Contract has strong David Lynch undertones. The movie leaves the viewers in the dark at the very beginning, but it compensates its mysteriousness with a distinct Gothic atmosphere. Especially the lighting and production design enhance this feeling.

The story may be a bit confusing, but it makes the viewers keep guessing what will happen next. Fortunately, the twist in the finale reveals everything. The Fatal Contract interestingly examines the peculiarities of art and its importance in the present day. The relationship between an artist and his creation is the prevalent theme of the film and it should not go unnoticed.

Interestingly, The Fatal Contract marks Bai Ling’s first Chinese production in twenty years. The actress is perhaps best known to Western viewers from such movies as Crank 2 (2009), Taxi 3 (2002), and Red Corner (1997). She still looks amazing at the age of 52 and The Fatal Contract is a true showcase of her acting talent. In addition, another scene-stealer is Tao Hong as a bitter, yet mysterious art collector. It is such a shame that she mostly appears in supporting roles nowadays.

Recommendations
I recommend The Fatal Contract to anyone who is into a slow-paced and thoughtful mystery drama. I strongly hope that Tan Bing’s talent will not be wasted on straight-to-DVD flicks and that he will continue making movies as interesting as The Fatal Contract. My thanks go to TriCoast Studios for sharing the screener. They released the film under their DarkCoast label. See the trailer below:Overall score: 8/10

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