1999. A body part is found in a coal cart in a mining quarry in northern China. Inspector Zhang opens an investigations into the body, found in pieces dispersed throughout Manchuria, which ends in a bloodbath when the principle suspects are questioned. Five years later, when two new murders are committed, Zhang, now a security guard, decides to pick up the trail again, which leads him to the mysterious wife of the first victim …

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In many respects, Black Coal, Thin Ice follows the Asian thriller genre as defined by I Saw the Devil, A Touch of Sin and Memories of Murder. Characters limited by over-expressive silence, a pulsating rhythm tinged with mystery, slick photography enhanced by stylized sets: Diao Yi'nan’s film brings nothing new or passionate to the genre, despite an exciting beginning. Even so, this investigation through familiar territory will satisfy really big fans of tortuous thrillers. The nightmarish odyssey won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival.