He Fei (Zhu Yilong) is on the Southeast Asian island of Barlandia when his wife Li Muzi (Kay Huang) goes missing. After more than two weeks, and with the local police seemingly disinterested, He wakes up one morning with a strange woman (Janice Man) sleeping next to him; a woman that claims to be his missing wife.

Lost in the Stars was a massive commercial hit in China last year, and now comes to Australia via Imprint Film’s new bluray label Imprint Asia. It is easy to see why the film has been so successful. It is a slickly produced and shot paranoid thriller. It is high on tension and energy, and – as if often the case with Chinese thrillers – knowingly ridiculous. Any viewers expecting a grounded and realistic narrative here are honestly setting themselves up for failure.

Directors Cui Rui and Liu Xiang do an excellent job here, presenting a colourful and dynamic picture and keeping what is a twisting plot and a large supporting cast clear and easy-to-follow at all times. They keep the film firmly anchored on its two protagonists. First is He Fei, a diving instructor who married into a rich family and now seems the subject of an extortion racket. He is paired with Chen Mai (Ni Ni), a hugely talented local lawyer who takes over investigating Li Muzi’s disappearance when the police refuse to help. There is a good chemistry between the two actors, and Ni Ni in particular develops a hugely entertaining character to watch.

Janice Man makes for a nicely insidious villain, shifting her physicality and demeanour based on who is watching her. For the most part she forms the classic femme fatale; one of many elements to the film that call back to classic Hollywood thrillers. It is arguable that the film’s plot twists a few too many times, but they are for the most part inventive and surprising. For me, the incredulity is all part of the film’s appeal. Revelations do stretch the film’s premise for sure, but it is always in a self-aware and deliciously enjoyable fashion.

There is a slight flaw in the film’s presentation. The English subtitle tracks lacks captions for any on-screen text. While this is not too big a deal for occasional TV headlines or text messages, it does mean that some text concluding the feature goes untranslated. It is a minor annoyance, but some consumers may want to know before picking the film up.

This is a great debut for Imprint Asia: mainstream Chinese cinema often struggles to get much in the way of Australian distribution beyond limited theatrical runs. Lost in the Stars is a hugely enjoyable thrill ride. One hopes that more contemporary Chinese films are coming down the line (Imprint are releasing The Wandering Earth II in June; after that we have to wait and see).