The film follows the tale of a high school fencer, who decides to trust and assist his dangerous older brother after his release from prison, defying their mother's efforts to conceal their traumatic past.

[5] Low also incorporated LGBT elements into her story, crediting them with reflecting Taiwan's progressiveness in the context of legalized gay marriage.

[6] After five years of writing,[9] she completed the screenplay for Pierce during the Full Circle Lab in the Philippines and Talents Tokyo in 2020, where it received a special mention in the latter.

[11] Ding Ning, Tsao Yu-ning, and Liu Hsiu-fu joined the cast in September 2021, coinciding with the film's presentation at the Focus Asia All Genres Project Market.

[17] Additional shooting took place in Taoyuan City and Yangmingshan,[18] wrapping up in late February with an expected one-year post-production period.

"[15] Jessica Kiang giving positive review for Variety wrote that the film, like many thrillers, uses some predictable narrative techniques to build suspense.

[31] John Lui of The Straits Times gave the film 4/5 stars, commending its "complex dynamics of sibling relationships" that utilize fencing as both a "setting and metaphor", and highlighting its shocking third act and emotional depth regarding family trauma.