Promotional material for Break Through the Darkness Photo: Courtesy of Hengye Pictures  

New Chinese film Break Through the Darkness, inspired by China's efforts to crack down on organized crime, will hit big screens across the Chinese mainland on Saturday. 

Starring Zhang Songwen, Jin Shijia and Li Qian, the crime thriller produced by iQIYI Pictures and Hengye Pictures, directed by Lü Yulai is based on real cases that took place during the country's three-year campaign (2018-20) against organized crime and officials who sheltered criminal organizations. 

According to the early audience reviews from prescreenings, the moviegoers have been impressed by the film's realistic presentation of these cases. 

Talking about his role as a corrupt official, Zhang told media that he had watched a number of documentaries about how they were corrupted in order to get in the right mindset for the character, who "went from a real flesh and blood person to a villain."  

Lü said that he hopes that the film will allow audiences to witness the country's efforts to tackle organized crime.