Taking the clickbait

For a period of time, director Xin Yukun found himself addicted to the internet. During the evenings, he was constantly attached to his smartphone, engrossed in the trending topics on multiple social media platforms.

As a result, the filmmaker, who shot to fame with his directorial debut The Coffin in the Mountain (2015), noticed a gradual decline in his overall well-being, with his mood becoming negatively affected due to the excessive time he spent surfing the internet.

In an attempt to overcome the addiction, Xin has imposed time limits on frequently used apps, with each one set to just 15 minutes a day. However, the experience has also prompted him to look deeper into how each person is influenced by this rapidly expanding internet landscape.

"When you start paying attention to a trending online event, you may find that there are some twists and turns that make you curious: What is the truth? What impact can online public opinion exert to influence the course of an event?" Xin recalled during an interview with China Daily.

That inspired the conception of his latest directorial outing, Trending Topic, which was released domestically on Nov 30.

Currently grossing more than 62 million yuan ($8.73 million), the 121-minute movie starring actress Zhou Dongyu and actors Song Yang and Yuan Hong will also be released in theaters in Singapore and Malaysia.

The film centers on Chen Miao, portrayed by Zhou, a talented and ambitious, internet-savvy editor-in-chief for a self-media company, which independently operates social media accounts in China. Her life takes a nasty turn when an unverified video surfaces, showing a schoolgirl seemingly bullying her classmate and pushing her down a set of stairs. Chen writes an article commenting on the video, which quickly sparks a widespread condemnation campaign. Tragically, the "bully" commits suicide by jumping off the roof of her school building.

The remorseful protagonist's life is rocked further when she receives a package from the girl. It contains a book about journalism in the new-media era, authored by Chen herself. The girl, who once idolized Chen, reveals the truth behind the video: She was, in fact, a victim of sexual assault, and it was a wealthy tycoon, who financially supports the school and preys on young girls, who sought to malign the girl with the video.

Despite facing threats from the tycoon's henchman, Chen remains determined to seek justice and redeem herself, even if it means risking her reputation and her job.

Xin's other impetus for making the movie is his interest in self-media platforms and how sensational "clickbait" articles are produced purely to farm engagement and, in turn, attract advertisers.

He says that many people increasingly rely on obtaining information and staying updated through news reports from such platforms, which has already become a "trend" in itself.

After forming the idea in early 2021, he and the scriptwriters conducted extensive research and did a lot of preparation, including visiting some of these self-media companies to closely observe how public accounts on popular social platforms like WeChat are operated.

"I noticed that many of the employees at these companies are very young. The office environments are also open and free. For example, they adorn their desks according to their own characteristics and personalities, and some even raise pets in the office," he says.

"When they have editorial meetings, they are also relaxed and casual. The table is covered in snacks, and everyone drinks milk tea or coffee while discussing how to write articles that will drive engagement and create attention-grabbing headlines," adds the director.

However, Xin believes that it is the responsibility and career honor cultivated in a traditional media environment that pushes the protagonist to bravely step forward and fight for the victim.

Just like most productions, he asked the scriptwriters to write a short biography for Chen, portraying the protagonist as a graduate of a renowned university's journalism program.

"She (the character) worked in print media for a few years before leaving to launch her own media company with an older alumnus. This background, which has instilled in her a sense of responsibility as a journalist, serves as the driving force behind her quick decision to seek justice and uncover the truth," Xin introduces.

He highlights that he hopes the movie can serve as a reminder for the audience, in the current complex online environment, to maintain objectivity and a rational approach to what they see and read, while avoiding being misled by people with their own agenda.

A native of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Xin is widely regarded as a filmmaker with a strong personal style. Despite not being prolific, with only two directorial features — The Coffin in the Mountain and Wrath of Silence (2017) — he excels at delivering twist-laden suspense thrillers while exploring the complexity of the human psyche.

Already Xin's highest-grossing movie, Trending Topic has become a popular online discussion topic, with related hashtags garnering 180 million views on Sina Weibo.

Yu Jianhong, vice-president of Beijing Film Academy, regards the movie as a breakthrough in the category about internet-related cautionary tales.

"It is usually difficult to visualize dramatic conflicts and intense confrontations on the internet in a movie. A fight on social media is like a battle without gunpowder. This is why the movie is such a good example of skillfully showcasing the power of the internet and how it can affect the course of events in real life," says Yu.

Suo Yabin, a professor at the Communication University of China, says the movie also holds educational significance, as it can make the audience aware of mechanisms behind the numerous public accounts and popular articles they usually follow and read, thereby helping them become better at discerning what information on the internet is trustworthy.