Wei Chenggong, a working actor with big dreams, finally appears to get his big break when actress Milan invites him to play the lead role of "Killer Karl" in a new play. Little does Wei Chenggong know, he has fallen into a perilous conspiracy where all the villains are real, and only through his acting skills and good deal of luck will he be able to make it out alive.
Acting
Wei Xiang's desperate commitment to playing 'Killer Karl' is genuinely hilarious.
Writing
Script layers fake scenes inside real danger with gleeful Chinese New Year energy.
Director
Xing Wenxiong
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Released during 2022 Chinese New Year, this became a surprise hit by leaning into holiday crowd-pleaser chaos when prestige dramas dominated pandemic-era box offices.
The theater-within-the-movie structure mirrors actual Chinese repertory traditions, with director Xing Wenxiong borrowing from his own stage background.
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