When commercial cinema examines forensic investigation, it usually leans into digital wizardry and instantaneous laboratory matches. Director Chen Sicheng, the architect behind the lucrative Detective Chinatown franchise, has taken an entirely different route in his latest crime thriller, Traces of Justice.
The film led the mainland Chinese box office on its opening day on 1 October 2026, pulling in $10.5 million and capturing nearly forty per cent of all cinema admissions during the National Day holiday rush.
UK distributor Trinity CineAsia has acquired distribution rights for the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Malta from Beijing-based sales outfit Blossoms Entertainment. The distributor has scheduled preview screenings starting on 17 October 2026, followed by a wide theatrical release on 30 October 2026.
Five Decades of Clues and Cold Cases
Produced by As One Pictures, the film takes inspiration from the real-life career of Cui Daozhi, a pioneering forensic scientist widely celebrated as the “Sherlock Holmes” of Chinese criminal investigation.
The story follows investigator Cui Xun, portrayed by Zhang Yi (Full River Red), as he works alongside a forensic pathologist and a detective across five decades.
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Starting in the 1970s, an era when forensic technology remained rudimentary, Cui pieces together physical traces—microscopic fabric fragments, tooth impressions, and tyre marks—to crack cases that baffled local authorities.
The thriller dramatises four genuine criminal inquiries that shocked the country: a 1971 serial child murder in Harbin, a deadly robbery and murder in 1983, a 1998 bus bombing in Wuhan, and a string of sexual assaults and murders committed in 2016.
The ensemble cast features Ma Li (Yolo), Chen Minghao (Scare Out), Karry Wang (Mr. Six), Fan Chengcheng (Pegasus 3), and Chen Feiyu (My People, My Country), with an appearance by veteran actor Li Xuejian (The Wandering Earth II).
Bringing Asian Genre Cinema to British Screens
The acquisition strengthens Trinity CineAsia’s relationship with Chen, having previously brought Detective Chinatown 2, Detective Chinatown 3, and Detective Chinatown 1900 to British screens.
Cedric Behrel, managing director of Trinity CineAsia, highlighted the appeal of pairing a major commercial filmmaker with grounded procedural history.
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“Trinity has been a long-term supporter of Chen Sicheng, whose Detective Chinatown franchise has built a strong audience and delivered impressive box office results in the UK and Ireland,” Behrel stated. “With Traces of Justice, Chen turns his attention to a very different chapter of China’s crime and forensic history, and, for the first time, bases a feature film on a living figure — a veteran of forensic investigation. The combination of Chen’s established commercial appeal with four real-life extraordinary cases that once stunned the nation promises a gripping and immersive cinematic experience for UK and Irish audiences.”
Behrel added that the release appeals to both dedicated followers of East Asian cinema and wider procedural audiences: “We see clear potential to reach both existing Asian cinema audiences and fans of true-crime and detective-thriller stories.”
Traces of Justice is heading to cinemas across the UK and Ireland on 30 October 2026
