Long Day’s Journey Into Night

(Not rated)

A lost soul searches for answers.

Watching the radical new feature from Chinese director Bi Gan “very often feels like dreaming with your eyes open,” said Glenn Kenny in The New York Times. Following up on Kaili Blues, a 2015 debut that played to raves in art houses the world over, Bi has made a noir-inspired mystery culminating in a one-hour scene that appears to be a single continuous shot and is meant to be viewed with 3D glasses. The plot, if there is one, centers on a man haunted by his past, a friend murdered years ago, and the search for an ex-lover. But, starting with a title taken from a 1950s play that has nothing to do with this story, Bi’s Long Day’s Journey is a puzzle “that will require multiple viewings for audiences to untangle,” said David Sims in TheAtlantic.com. Instead of trying to follow a linear narrative, “the viewer should soak up Bi’s gift for stark imagery.” That final hour is “a feat of visual acuity that’s astonishing to behold, even though it’s as enigmatic as the rest of the film.” ■