Synopsis
Based on actual events, a Chinese university student responds violently when his chances for a Nobel Prize are dashed by school politics.
Scores
Overall Score
38.5
Popularity Percentile (Year)
46.8%
Box Office Percentile (Year)
23.8%
Review Aggregate
45.4
Critic Consensus
Critic reception is mixed, with 41% of 37 logged reviews marked Fresh. Across reviews, critics repeatedly emphasize dark, emotional, character-driven. Common reservations focus on execution consistency, even when reviewers praise standout elements.
darkemotionalcharacter-driventragicgrittysuspensefulvisually strikingpsychologicalthought-provoking
Cast
| Cast | Year | Reported Salary | Inflation Adjusted | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liu Ye | 2008 | $1,000 | $2,000 | (est) |
| Aidan Quinn | 2008 | $1,000 | $1,000 | (est) |
| Meryl Streep | 2008 | $1,000 | $1,000 | (est) |
Aggregated Reviews
Rotten Tomatoes critic score41.0
RT critic review count41
Rotten Tomatoes audience score40.0
RT audience rating count10,000
IMDb rating6.0
IMDb votes3,732
Box Office ?
| Category | Year | Reported | Inflation Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | 2008 | $30,591 | $44,572 |
| International | 2008 | $38,788 | $56,516 |
| Worldwide | 2008 | $69,379 | $101,088 |
Earnings / Profitability
| Category | Year | Reported | Inflation Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues | |||
| Theatrical Net Revenue | 2008 | $30,811 | $44,892 |
| Digital Rentals ? | 2008 | $294,000 | $428,369 |
| Digital Purchases ? | 2008 | $105,000 | $152,989 |
| Physical Rentals ? | 2008 | $2,441,000 | $3,556,627 |
| Physical Purchases ? | 2008 | $5,057,000 | $7,368,235 |
| TV & Streaming Revenue | 2008 | $75,000 | $109,278 |
| Total Revenues | 2008 | $8,002,811 | $11,660,389 |
| Expenses | |||
| Budget ? | 2008 | $250,000 (est) | $364,259 (est) |
| Print & Advertising (P&A) ? | 2008 | $80,000 (est) | $116,563 (est) |
| Participations | 2008 | $320,000 | $466,252 |
| Residuals ? | 2008 | $565,000 | $823,226 |
| Interest & Overhead | 2008 | $50,000 | $72,852 |
| Total Expenses | 2008 | $1,265,000 | $1,843,151 |
| Movie Net Profit or Loss | 2008 | $6,737,811 | $9,817,238 |
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 | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | 2001 | Shared genres: 1 | 98.2 | $290,786,010 |
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