Chongqing Hot Pot

Three childhood friends open a hot pot restaurant in a former air raid shelter in Chongqing. Breaking through a wall to expand, they find something unexpected on the other side: the vault of the bank next door. While they argue about what to do, they run into a former classmate who works at the bank. Then an actual robbery is staged there and the four of them are caught in the middle. Yang Qing combines crime construction with a story about friendship. Chongqing's vertical geography, its tunnels and shelters supply the physical ground of the narrative; the city is not background here but the plot itself. The register shifts quickly between comedy and thriller. Chen Kun and Bai Baihe lead. The action is staged in tight spaces, tunnels and stairwells. Who it's for: Viewers who like Chinese crime comedy, films with strong use of location, and genre built on friendship. Who it's not for: The violence hardens abruptly in the final section and the tonal shift is jarring. Character depth is also limited.