Brief History of a Family: Chinese Drama Exposes Cracks in ‘Perfect’ Family

A Film That Becomes Increasingly Surreal as It Goes On, Brief History of a Family Starts Simply Enough, as Lonely 15-Year-Old Shuo (Sun Xilun) Is Invited by Fellow Pupil Wei (Lin Muran) to Play Video Games in the Plush Home He Shares with His Strict Parents, Mr and Mrs Tu (Zu Feng and Guo Keyu).

Eternal Affair: Tony Leung and Andy Lau on Their New Movie, the Goldfinger

Lin Grew up in Southern China, in Fujian Province, and His Journey from Biology Student to Filmmaker Is an Unusual One – and Perhaps Comparable to That of Author and Filmmaker Michael Crichton, Who Studied at Harvard Medical School Before Writing Novels and Then Directing Films.

Like Michael Crichton, Lin Jianjie Went from Science to Filmmaking. Ahead of His Debut Feature’s European Premiere, He Reveals the Asian Directors He Looks up To

By Robert Thorne

• Oct 8, 2026 • 6 min read

Like Michael Crichton, Lin Jianjie Went from Science to Filmmaking. Ahead of His Debut Feature’s European Premiere, He Reveals the Asian Directors He Looks up To

Direct Answer • Key Takeaway

The Beguiling Tale of a Middle-Class Chinese Family Whose Lives Become Affected by the Arrival of a Young Adolescent in Their Midst, It’s a Story That Had Been Brewing for Year's Before Lin Committed It to Film.

Robert Thorne

Automotive & Future Transportation Editor

Robert Thorne covers electric vehicle innovations, autonomous driving systems, global mobility trends, and automotive engineering developments.

Tags: michael crichton lin jianjie went science filmmaking ahead his debut features european premiere he