Plurality (film)

Starring Tony Yang, Sandrine Pinna, Frederick Lee, Chen Yi-wen, JC Lin, and Gingle Wang, the film revolves around a death row prisoner (Yang) whose body is implanted with five personas of deceased abduction suspects by a scientist (Pinna) and a detective (Lee), in hopes of rescuing the abducted children.

A man boards a bus heading toward a remote wetland, accompanied by driver Qiu Chun-sheng, spoiled runaway Wang Ting, businessman Liao Tsi-hui, and university student Lin Zi-ping.

Dr. Shen and Detective Wang, in charge of the case, reveal that they have died and their consciousnesses have been implanted into Subject 193, a body originally belonging to death-row inmate Chen Kuang-hsuan.

Observing 193 use his left hand to kill the thugs on the surveillance footage, while all known personas are right-handed, Wang concludes that the true culprit must be Lin Zi-ping.

Also appearing in the film are Duncan Chow as Hsu Ming-ze, one of the five passengers on the wrecked bus and the mastermind behind the child abductions;[5] Liu Hsiu-fu as Lin Zi-ping, one of the five passengers on the wrecked bus and a university student;[6] Fu Lei as the chief inspector;[7] and Lung Shao-hua as Big Head, a thug leader connected to Liao.

[1][9] Lin proposed to Hung that director Aozaru Shiao, who had just risen to prominence with the medical drama series Wake Up (2015), helm the production.

[1] Shiao joined the project and co-wrote the screenplay with Hung the following year, rewriting the storyline to revolve around an abduction investigation to legitimize the character motives and develop elements of suspense.

[10] Yang began a diet to reduce weight prior to the announcement in April to prepare for his character, and he and Lee underwent combat training with action choreographer Scott Hung.

[1][16] Another recurring backdrop, the wrecked bus, was shot on a replica set built in the studio, with moving scenery added during post-production.

[20][16] Phuong Le of The Guardian gave the film 2/5 stars, criticizing Plurality for abandoning its initial promise and complexity in favor of a lackluster narrative filled with random twists and poorly executed production design, which ultimately makes it feel one-dimensional despite its intriguing premise.

[3] James Marsh of South China Morning Post gave the film 1/5 stars, bashing on its illogical and chaotic narrative, which fails to effectively explain its premise or deliver coherent storytelling, resulting in a nonsensical climax that leaves both the characters and viewers bewildered.

[21] Han Cheung of Taipei Times lamented the film for its flawed script, one-dimensional supporting characters, reliance on clichés, and similarity to M. Night Shyamalan's Split (2016), despite an engaging premise and strong potential from Tony Yang, Chen Yi-wen, and Gingle Wang, suggesting it lacks the depth of more successful thrillers, while still representing a positive step for Taiwanese cinema.

[22] Huang Shin-hui, writing for EBC News, offered a rather positive review, calling the film a bold and creative exploration of genre filmmaking in Taiwan and praising its intriguing premise and strong performances.