The Way of Cunning Talents Society

Synopsis

Bolin Chen and Sandrine Pinna star in a horror comedy where everyone only cares about whether the haunting is scary, but no one cares if the ghosts are tired from haunting. A 6-point underworld rat race allegory.

Overview

Talents Society (Chinese: 诡才之道) is a 2024 Taiwanese horror-comedy film directed and written by John Hsu, with co-writer Tsai Kun-lin. The film stars Bo-lin Chen, Sandrine Pinna, Gingle Wang, Yao Yi-ti, Bai Bai, and Shou Shou. It was released in Taiwan on August 7, 2024, and in mainland China on February 22, 2025.

The film centers on urban legends, telling the absurd story of ghosts striving to develop their acting careers in the underworld. Everyone only cares about whether the haunting is scary, but no one cares if the ghosts are tired from haunting.

The film received a rating of 7.6 on Douban. This tear-jerking yet humorous tale of survival in the underworld has been praised as a masterpiece that blends horror with humor and warmth.

Plot

In Room 414 of the infamous haunted site, "Wanglai Hot Spring Hotel," the faded ghost diva "Catherine" (Sandrine Pinna) and the third-rate underworld agent "Makoto" (Bo-lin Chen) are working hard to train the rookie ghost "Classmate" (Gingle Wang).

After people leave this world, they become ghosts, but these ghosts seem to be even more caught up in relentless competition than humans. In the underworld, ghosts also need to work hard to develop their "acting careers," proving their worth through haunting.

Catherine was once a diva in the underworld but is now past her prime. Makoto is a third-rate underworld agent with no impressive ghosts under his management. After meeting, they decide to work together to mold "Classmate" into the new generation's haunting diva.

Cast

Production & Reception

Director John Hsu, known for previous works like Detention, has extensive experience in horror and fantasy genres. In 2021, starting from a simple inspiration, Hsu and Tsai Kun-lin self-funded millions to shoot a preliminary teaser short film.

The film's creative concept stems from a simple idea: "Everyone only cares about whether the haunting is scary, but no one cares if the ghosts are tired from haunting." This absurd premise constructs an underworld version of an "involution" allegory.

Cultural Impact

Talents Society uses absurd allegory to satirize the absurdity of the "involution" culture in real society. Through the ghosts' "acting careers," it reflects the anxious pursuit of success and value in human society.

References

1. Douban Movie: https://movie.douban.com/subject/35364691/
2. Baidu Baike: https://baike.baidu.com/item/诡才之道/65338322
3. Wikipedia: https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-cn/诡才之道
4. 1905 Movie Database: http://www.1905.com/mdb/film/2256463/