A FOGGY TALE (大濛) (NETFLIX) (2025)

SYNOPSIS: Yue's brother was executed by the government. Determined to bring his body back home, Yue went to Taipei alone and was almost sold by human traffickers. Luckily, she was saved by Kung-tao, a discharged soldier. Yue was poor but all she wanted was to a proper burial for her brother. Kung-tao, seeing no prospects in his own life, decided to help Yue. Two people with no relations became friends in need, embarking on a journey that could cost them their lives.

MOVIE REVIEW:

Despite being set in the 1950s, a dark period ruled by the Kuomintang, who were paranoid about the infiltration of communists, A Foggy Tale is less of a political tale and more of a heartbreaking story about a sister named Yue (Caitlin Fang Yu-ting) and the death of her beloved brother, Yun (Tseng Jing-hua).

When Yue learns that her brother has been executed by the government for his suspected involvement in communist activities, she has to travel from rural Chiayi to Taipei to claim his body from the funeral home. Being dirt poor and lacking the handsome sum of $1,000 doesn’t stop Yue from making the journey. With the help of former soldier-turned-rickshaw driver Chao Kung-tao (Hong Kong actor Will Or) and her long-lost elder sister Hsia (9m88), will Yue eventually fulfil her wish?

Directed and written by Chen Yu-hsun (Zone Pro Site, My Missing Valentine), A Foggy Tale is a long and painful road movie, especially with all the difficulties Yue faces along the way. If not for the loud-mouthed Chao, Yue would have been kidnapped and sold to a brothel. Chao becomes an unlikely surrogate elder brother figure to Yue, even though he doesn’t necessarily offer the best advice or make the appropriate decisions all the time. Still, the man has the best and most selfless intention: to help Yue raise enough money to pay for the repatriation of her brother’s body.

There aren’t particularly a lot of twists and turns in the story, and Chen, whether deliberately or not, drags out several scenes, including the subplot between Chao and an evil government agent played by veteran actor Chen Yi-wen. Hsia, meanwhile, only plays a more prominent role towards the finale of the movie.

For a period drama, the production values are often top-notch, especially with the well-dressed sets and costumes, although some scenes are noticeably let down by unconvincing CGI. The cinematography by Chen Chi-wen is also a plus point, given the overall earthy tones and visually stunning outlook of the village alleys and misty backdrops.

Generally, A Foggy Tale is light-hearted, all thanks to Or’s fantastic performance as Chao, a tortured soldier who retains an almost positive outlook on life. Caitlin Fang is excellent as the naive teenager, and her character will probably unleash your tear ducts during a heartbreaking scene involving a morgue worker trying to fish out her brother’s body.

While A Foggy Tale certainly feels heavy-handed towards the end, particularly with its lengthy story about mist and raindrops disguised as a bedtime tale, it carries a not-so-hidden political message about Taiwan and its arch-nemesis, seemingly intended to educate the younger generation about this dark chapter in the country’s history. There is also a surprise and heartwarming epilogue set in modern-day Taiwan that brings the drama to a fitting close.

While it certainly takes a bit of patience, A Foggy Tale is ultimately a well-told coming-of-age story about history, hope and more.

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee