‒Overview‒

Escape from Trilateral Slopes is a pulse-pounding thriller that's also a valiant departure from the usual CDrama genres. Set in the notorious Golden Triangle of Southeast Asia known for all kinds of illicit trades‒drugs, gems, weapons, and people‒Trilateral Slopes breaks new ground in delivering the raw brutality of the criminal world. For those not squeamish about violence, the show is an exemplary showcase of superb visuals, acting, and storytelling. Definitely a top show well-worth checking out.

‒Review (minor spoilers)‒

Set in the tropical jungle of Southeast Asia, our happy go-lucky main lead Shen Xing, played by Guo Qiling (of Joy of Life), is trying to explore this exotic new country while earning some money working for his Uncle's construction company. But it didn't take long before his uncle goes missing trying to retrieve money and Shen Xing is thrust into the criminal world of Trilateral Slopes where he must find money and his Uncle while trying to dodge death at every turn. His saving grace came in the form of Uncle Cai (or Cai Shu), a calm, calculated, and charismatic criminal mastermind who operates a key logistics service in Trilateral Slopes. Seeing Shen Xing as an useful subordinate, he soon began mentoring and dispatching Shen Xing to various jobs, taking him through a guided, but still deadly tour through the various criminal enterprises of Trilateral Slopes. In the process, Shen Xing is confronted with the moral dilemmas from his dealings with the people, the gangs, his crew, and his own conscience.

The show is an invigorating escape from the triple failures‒bad visuals, bad acting, and bad story‒that plague so many cookie cutter Chinese idol dramas. Rather than waterboarding you with tropes, it serves up exquisite film-like sets and visuals that evoke the quality of blockbuster cinema. The jungle landscape, exotic animals, the blend of languages, and range of people from the downtrodden populace to the psychotic criminals create an experience of being dropped into a war-torn dystopia. Forget the cheesy-looking fake blood and soft punches, the criminals here punch, stab, explode things with concussive force and sadistic glee. Moreover, the show does a great job to make the world feel expansive as you are taken through a variety of regions and locations, each with its profitable trade and deadly secrets.

But the world of Trilateral Slopes can only feel so alive thanks to the excellent actors that simply embody their characters. We have one of the most decorated HK actors in Francis Ng, whose portrayal of Cai Shu effortlessly oozes charisma and gravitas. The other criminals leaders are also deftly portrayed by veteran actors. Other younger actors such as Jiang Qilin (Dan Tuo), Jiang Qiming (Wang Anquan), Zhao Runnan (Guo Liming), and Qi Xi (Liu Jincui) also left spectacular performances. Even the random background actors were a sight to savor. The show not only uses live-recording, but the actors even deftly employ a language constructed just for the show, contributing greatly to the immersion.

Unfortunately, the excellent all-around acting comes with a unsightly caveat, which is the male lead. Despite his crowd pleasing comedic performances in shows such as Joy of Life, Guo Qilin delivers some of his most nuanced performances here, but is still outclassed by the stellar cast around him. While he's able to comfortably portray the frightened, naive Shen Xing in the early parts of the show, his limited range and subtlety makes his character growth and moral struggles less than compelling. In an average drama he'd suffice, or even be praised for his acting, but here he sticks out like the lone actor in a documentary. To a lesser degree, this is also true for Wang Yuwen and Jiang Peiyao, two actresses who continue to improve by taking on challenging guest roles in this drama. While they have great scenes, there are still brief moments that betray them as actors.

The storytelling was another major highlight as the writers methodically guided the viewer through the land with themed episodes traversed not only locations, but criminal enterprises and moral questions. As your horizon expands, all the illicit puzzle pieces get assembled together and all the moral dilemmas culminates in a moment of life and death, for Shen Xing, his crew, and his friends.

This was an excellent story that kept me engaged from start to finish. However, there are aspects that can be nitpicked and improved. First, while the show aimed for a climactic finish, some chapters in the second half lacked the urgency and intensity of the earlier episodes. The usual brutal assortment of drugs, greed, and conflict served as a pacemaker that went silent before the eventual climax. Second, Shen Xing’s character development could have been better. A more complex Shen Xing would have balanced his decency with the shrewdness and occasional callousness required to survive in Uncle Cai’s world. At times, his simplicity stretched believability. In such a brutal environment, where only the strong and vicious survive, I often wondered how someone so green could serve as a trusted lieutenant of Uncle Cai rather than road kill for all the predators that roam the jungles.

Finally, the show could have been more defiant about what kind of story it wanted to tell. If it was about confronting the brutality and evil in a chaotic world, the show could have built up to a different kind of dramatic ending of loss and betrayal, perhaps by those who are the closest to Shen Xing. If it wanted to focus on the moral complexities and inner struggles, we could have created a road to perdition for Shen Xing where he must struggle more furiously against moral dilemmas and inner demons, perhaps leading to a journey of discovery, reflection, and redemption. Alternatively, if the show wanted to make commentary on how we are powerless victims swept up in a world of chaos, or about the complex cycles of crime, poverty, and instability in war-torn countries, it could have done that as well with a greater focus. Instead we are seduced with pieces of each of those themes, but not given the full meal. Perhaps censorship is part of the problem as a morally compromised Shen Xing may not pass review. Yet the show has pushed enough boundaries that leaves me wondering about what could be made if the crew had a completely free hand, or had done more to portray complex themes in such a fascinating setting.

Despite these critiques, Escape from Trilateral Slopes offers a compelling narrative and a visually stunning experience, with standout performances that elevate it above many other shows in its genre. Whatever criticisms I have arise from thoughts inspired by such rich and visceral worldbuilding. My overall rating is 8.3 (‒> 8.5 MDL), likely landing this as one of the 10 best CDramas of 2024.

--Category Ratings--

- Overall - 8.3
- Plot - 8
- Theme / Concept / Impact - 8.5
- Acting - 9
- Visuals - 9
- Audio / Music - 9
- Rewatch - 8
- Accessibility - 7.5
- Subtitle quality - 8