White Night

Synopsis

"Day and Night" is a 2017 suspense web series with a Douban rating of 8.9, directed by Wang Wei. Pan Yueming plays twin brothers Guan Hongfeng and Guan Hongyu. The older brother suffers from a fear of darkness, and the two brothers alternate between day and night to investigate the truth behind a massacre. Netflix acquired the global broadcasting rights, making it a benchmark for domestic web series.

Overview

"Day and Night" is a suspense crime web series released in 2017, directed by Wang Wei and written by Zhiwen and Gu Xiaobai. Pan Yueming plays the twin brothers Guan Hongfeng and Guan Hongyu, with actors Wang Longzheng, Liang Yuan, and Lü Xiaolin joining the cast. The series consists of 32 episodes and holds a Douban rating of 8.9, making it a benchmark for domestic web series. In November 2017, Netflix acquired the global broadcasting rights, making it the first mainland Chinese web series to be streamed on the platform.

The series begins with a brutal family massacre and follows the twin brothers Guan Hongfeng and Guan Hongyu as they alternate between day and night to uncover the truth behind the case. The tightly woven script, brilliant deductions, and fast-paced storytelling have earned it the reputation of being the Chinese version of "True Detective." Pan Yueming delivers a textbook-level performance, masterfully portraying the distinct personalities of the two brothers, which became a career-defining role for him.

Plot

A brutal family massacre turns the carefree Guan Hongyu into a fugitive suspect. His twin brother, Guan Hongfeng, the captain of the criminal investigation team, vows to uncover the truth but is forced to resign due to the principle of familial recusal. To continue investigating the case, Guan Hongfeng returns to the team as a consultant.

However, Guan Hongfeng suffers from a unique fear of darkness, rendering him unable to function normally at night. He devises a bold plan: his identical twin brother, Guan Hongyu, will take his place in public during the night. The brothers alternate between day and night, working together to uncover the truth behind the massacre while facing threats from both the police and criminals.

During the day, the calm and composed Guan Hongfeng leads the team in solving various cases; at night, the free-spirited Guan Hongyu secretly gathers clues. The brothers must seamlessly switch personalities, habits, and knowledge, as any slip-up could lead to disaster. Meanwhile, Zhou Xun (played by Wang Longzheng) within the criminal investigation team grows suspicious of Guan Hongfeng's true identity, adding suspense and tension to the story.

Cast

Cultural Impact

"Day and Night" is a milestone in the development of Chinese web series. Before this series, web series were often considered low-quality, hastily produced content. "Day and Night" shattered this stereotype with its film-level production quality and refined script, proving that web series could also produce high-quality suspense works.

Pan Yueming's performance is the highlight of the series. He masterfully portrays the calm and wise older brother Guan Hongfeng and the free-spirited younger brother Guan Hongyu as two entirely different characters, relying on subtle differences in micro-expressions and body language to help the audience distinguish between them. This dual-role performance is extremely challenging, and Pan Yueming's outstanding portrayal has been praised by audiences as a "masterclass in acting."

The acquisition of global broadcasting rights by Netflix marked the first time a Chinese web series entered a top-tier global streaming platform, signifying the international reach of Chinese film and television works. In the years that followed, domestic suspense web series experienced a creative peak, with "Day and Night" playing a pivotal role.

References

1. Douban Movie: https://movie.douban.com/subject/26883064/
2. Baidu Baike: https://baike.baidu.com/item/白夜追凶
3. Wikipedia: https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-cn/白夜追凶_(网络剧)