Promotional material for Homesick Photo: Courtesy of Douban

The suspense genre has always been an enduring part of China's film and TV productions. Be it Chinese-style horror or layers of suspense that put people on edge, these works have seen great ­success in the Chinese film and television market in recent years.

The new 12-episode crime mystery TV series Homesick just ushered in its finale on December 30, 2022, setting a new high for Chinese viewers' passion toward crime dramas.

The TV series, streaming on iQiyi, tells the story of Chen Youxi, who is played by young actress Zhang Zifeng. An orphan seeking clues about her missing good friend Xiaoxiu, Chen infiltrates the house of her "older brother" Li Wenzhuo (Du Yusen) by pretending to be his long-lost sister Li Wenwen. Before Xiaoxiu disappeared, she worked as a nanny for the Li family, who accused the young woman of stealing. 

Certain that her friend is not a thief, Chen becomes very suspicious of the secrets the family seems to be hiding. 

Pretending to be the daughter of the Li family who disappeared many years ago, Chen is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery taking place at the Li family home. 

However, during her days with the family, Chen is surrounded by the warmth of this big family and gradually lets down her guard. Yet the lies and sins are hidden behind this warmth, and she comes to realize this entire family is far more complicated than she imagined. 

The show's director of photography, Duan Chunyu, said in an interview that he was greatly inspired by the photography collections of US contemporary photographers Gregory Crewdson and Stephen Shore while working on the show.