Traces of Justice review – ‘Chinese Shjerlock Holmes’ at centre of arresting forensic cop thriller

*Traces of Justice* is a crime thriller inspired by forensic scientist Cui Daozhi, known as “China’s Sherlock Holmes”. Through a fictionalised version of Cui, director Chen Sicheng follows cases spanning three decades to show how forensic methods and Chinese law enforcement changed, while combining police propaganda with intricate crime stories.

The film’s cases include a child murder in the 1970s, multiple killings in the 1980s and a bus bombing in the 1990s, alongside an unresolved thread. The review highlights innovations such as using boiled potatoes to take dental impressions, Zhang Yi’s understated performance and the film’s elaborate set pieces. It also notes that the ending credits connect Cui’s work to China’s present-day surveillance systems. The film opened in the UK on 6 November, with releases in Australia on 12 November and the US on 13 November.