Chen Sicheng, one of China's highest-grossing directors, returns with the crime film Traces of Justice, starring veteran actor Zhang Yi. Set for an October 1 release, the film is positioned as a major contender in China's National Day box-office race.

Inspired by the remarkable career of Cui Daozhi, one of the Chinese Ministry of Public Security's first specially invited criminal investigation experts and a renowned trace evidence specialist, the film draws from real criminal cases. From its director and cast to its script and subject matter, the production carries clear ambitions of vying for the holiday box office crown.

So what makes Traces of Justice worth looking forward to?

As one article on Chinese portal Sohu points out, the film's most compelling strength lies in its screenplay rooted in real-life cases, offering audiences a higher degree of authenticity and credibility, while steering clear of far-fetched, overly stylized plotting.

The name Cui Daozhi itself carries legendary weight. Over a 52-year career in law enforcement, he examined more than 7,000 pieces of trace and physical evidence, with virtually no misjudgments. In an era when forensic technology was still underdeveloped, a single investigator armed with sharp observation and an eye for detail could uncover the key to cracking a case from the faintest clues – a nearly mythic figure.

The film turns its lens on the behind-the-scenes technical work of criminal investigation, recreating how predecessors in an age of limited forensic resources and scarce evidence managed to identify suspects through the minute physical traces. It weaves breakthroughs and developments in investigative techniques into the case-solving narrative, meticulously reconstructing the historical backdrop and technological evolution spanning several decades.

Film critics note that amid growing aesthetic fatigue, moviegoers may have lost interest in films overly reliant on plot twists. They crave real cases, meticulous detail, and real characters. And, if Traces of Justice delivers, the market will offer its most honest verdict.