Now, I am usually ‘all in’ for a good mystery thriller with a twist and, let’s just say’ Chinese drama Beneath the Undertow‘s murder investigation looks like it may check all my quite picky boxes.
Especially as the series is only 19 episodes in total, it stars the brilliant Chen Jian Bin (The Longest Day in Chang’an) and the C-drama is part of iQIYI’s Light On series, which usually features thrillers that have generally been excellent.
With just two days to go then before Beneath the Undertow premieres on iQIYI on July 31st, I am also happy to see three new posters dropping for the upcoming Chinese crime thriller just to ramp up the excitement a bit more.
The three Beneath the Undertow posters came out via iQIYI’s Weibo account this morning with two messages.
The first commenting:
#Beneath the Undertow #Chen Jian Bin and Chen Ruo Xuan return to the suspense genre#
A female corpse connects the past and the present.
When the investigation is deliberately steered off course, the mentor and apprentice become each other’s guiding light, stubbornly navigating through the fog of crime in search of long-overdue peace and warmth.
#Beneath the Undertow premieres on July 31st — stay tuned!
while the second one, which is a main cast poster for the drama (see top of this page), arrived with the message:
#BeneathTheUndertowAnnouncement
When the dark tide of crime tries to drown hope, there are always unyielding souls guarding the dawn. Beneath the scars lies a gentle yet unshakable strength.Beneath the Undertow will guide you through the mist of darkness to touch the warmest glimmer of humanity!
Premiering July 31st on @iQIYI—awaiting the break of dawn.
Starring: Chen Jian Bin, Chen Ruo Xuan, Li Xi Rui, Cheng Tai Shen, Mei Ting, Shi Ke, and Guan Yun Peng.
Beneath the Undertow production details
The Chinese crime thriller (titled 暗潮缉凶 in Mandarin Chinese) is being directed by Chen Zhuo (Come Across Love), and was written by Lou Xiao Peng (Thirteen Years of Dust).
And yes, we have been waiting for this one for a while as filming on Beneath the Undertow ended on December 21st, 2023, and then it pretty much disappeared from our radar.
It wasn’t until January of this year then before Beneath the Undertow received a distribution license, and not until July before iQIYI announced it as part of their coming 2025 lineup.
As for the Beneath the Undertow plot, Baidu Baike describes it in this quite involved manner:
At the once-glorious state-owned Sunlight Factory, the severed body of a young woman was unexpectedly discovered in an abandoned sewage pool. The victim was Shen Xiaozhou, the daughter of a factory employee.
Veteran detective Lian Haiping (played by Chen Jianbin), outwardly calm but inwardly intense, and impulsive rookie officer Shi Qiangfeng (played by Chen Ruoxuan) are unexpectedly paired together. Though their personalities clash, they must join forces to track down the real killer.
As one suspect after another comes under scrutiny, the two gradually uncover shocking truths: beneath the innocent, pristine image of the university student victim lies a complex web of unexpected social entanglements.
Meanwhile, a cold case from the past—deeply connected to both detectives—begins to resurface. Their partnership grows increasingly complicated as secrets tied to “an old case” and “a buried past” come to light.
Just as the current case remains unsolved, more murders involving severed female corpses occur in succession, casting a dark shadow over the once-lively Sunlight Factory. Lian Haiping begins to suspect that a hidden force is deliberately steering the direction of the investigation.
Though the fog seems to lift, undercurrents have long been surging beneath the surface.
Yep, this one sounds like a helluva’n exciting ride, doesn’t it?
Enjoy the three new Beneath the Undertow posters, and check the Chinese thriller out when it hits iQIYI on Thursday, July 31st.
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