Shuo silently infiltrates the family of his classmate Wei, driven by enigmatic and somber motives. Like a subtle parasite, he gradually usurps Wei's role as the only child by surpassing his parents' expectations. A gloomy tension builds as the very fabric of the family's structure is violently called into question. Lin Jianjie's debut feature, which had its European premiere at the 74th Berlinale, is a stark metaphor for the biology of parasitism; propelled by thrifty cinematographic microscopy, it challenges the conventional institution of the middle-class family. (GR)