A serial arsonist and a student with tinnitus. What do they have in common? They find themselves embroiled in a grueling fight that is bound to end in chaos. A killer (Xie Ying Zhi) is afoot on the outskirts of town, setting a group of homeless people ablaze in their sleep, while the disturbed but intelligent YingZi (Shen Wei) makes plans to punish her fellow pupils upon realizing something shocking. Part campy coming-of-age drama, other part gritty urban thriller, The Blind Zone is an ecclectic genre mashup that somehow just works.
YingZi’s dedication to her studies appears to have paid off, as the country’s most highly regarded school has just accepted her. Dealing with a severe case of tinnitus, her everyday life can feel a touch more reclusive than what her rowdy bunch of classmates experience. Discipline is fleeting, and she recognizes firsthand how far things can go inside the classroom. Bad behavior eventually leads to malice, and YingZi finally sets out to course-correct those who have done wrong around her. On that list is the cunning XiaoXiao (Cheng YaZhao), whom YingZi eventually confronts, unaware of the mysterious arsonist closing in on them.
If all this sounds like a lot to process, you’re not mistaken. The Blind Zone is very much an in-your-face affair that pulls no punches and keeps the plot rolling with urgency. Sometimes it can feel like it’s trying to cram too much into its 31-minute runtime. However, the sheer magnitude of the production quality completely offsets this bloat. From the cinematography to the sets and special effects, everything looks fine-tuned, with visual flavors shared with the hyperrealistic undertones of Asian cinema. Federica Marchese and Vinusha Sundaresan, the directing duo, masterfully direct The Blind Zone, even incorporating inspired flourishes such as hand-drawn animation.
Wei herself is very capable in the leading role. Her evolution from an outsider position feels very rewarding to witness unfold, even if the dialogue can feel a touch cartoonish at times, especially when she shares scenes with YaZhao’s XiaoXiao. However, at times, this only contributes to The Blind Zone’s exaggerated feel, akin to a graphic novel coming to life. Yet there’s something profound about all these strange elements coalescing into a fascinating conflict. If you’re in the mood for something a little bonkers that doesn’t play it safe and takes creative risks, The Blind Zone will more than suffice with its unique characters and twisted storyline of two sociopaths locked in a battle of wits.
