LayarHijau – Actor Chen Feiyu has drawn widespread attention for his role as Ma Chaoyang, an antisocial criminal, in the film Traces of Justice (神探之痕跡).
Chen Feiyu landed on hot search lists 14 times within three days. The hashtag “Chen Feiyu is so scary” also sparked widespread discussion online as audiences were shocked by his dramatic transformation in the film.
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His performance has even been credited with changing some viewers’ perceptions of him. Chen Feiyu has been praised for shedding his previous labels as an actor who gets roles through family connections and as a romantic drama actor by taking on a character so different from his earlier image.
Chen Feiyu’s parents, renowned director Chen Kaige and actress Chen Hong, have also watched the film. When asked about their reaction, Chen Feiyu said, “They watched it, and they were scared too.”
According to Jimu News, Traces of Justice had grossed more than 270 million yuan (around $38 million) by its fourth day in theaters. The film also topped the daily box office for four consecutive days.
If its momentum continues, Traces of Justice is expected to have a strong chance of becoming the highest-grossing film during China’s 2026 National Day holiday period.
Ma Chaoyang has become one of the main reasons the film continues to dominate online discussions. On the surface, Ma Chaoyang is a seemingly kind and mild-mannered employee at a supply and marketing cooperative. In reality, he is a ruthless and calculating antisocial criminal.
Viewers have described Ma Chaoyang as a “gentlemanly scumbag” and a “five-star killer.” His drastic transformation has also prompted widespread discussion about Chen Feiyu’s ability to portray such a disturbing character.
One of the most talked-about scenes shows Ma Chaoyang humming the song “Tian Mi Mi,” also known as “Sweet Honey,” while trimming his fingernails after killing someone.
Another unsettling moment comes in the interrogation room, when Ma Chaoyang’s expression suddenly changes and he flashes an eerie smile. The abrupt shift has left viewers saying the scene “sent chills down their spines.”
The character gained even more attention after one of Ma Chaoyang’s lines was seen as having a connection to Chen Feiyu’s real life. In the film, Ma Chaoyang says:
“People always say I rely on my dad. I hate it when people say I’m somebody’s son.”
The line immediately caught viewers’ attention because Chen Feiyu is the son of renowned director Chen Kaige in real life. As a result, some viewers interpreted the line as Chen Feiyu using his character to prove himself while venting his feelings about the labels that have followed him.
On October 4, Chen Feiyu attended a Traces of Justice roadshow in Changsha. During the event, the film’s two leads, Zhang Yi and Ma Li, showered him with praise for his performance.
Zhang Yi said playing a villain is a challenge for any actor. He noted that when an actor who has mostly played positive characters suddenly takes on a villainous role, audiences may not necessarily accept the change.
“But with Feiyu this time, I think everyone who has watched the film will feel that he did an amazing job.”
Zhang Yi also revealed that members of the film crew had been discussing Chen Feiyu’s performance backstage before the roadshow.
“That transformation of his, in that instant, was so smooth and so fast, without any trace of acting.”
Zhang Yi then offered even higher praise for Chen Feiyu.
“When he was playing an angel, he was truly an angel. When he was playing a devil, he was truly a devil. That’s remarkable.”
Ma Li also admitted that she was envious of Chen Feiyu for getting such a challenging villainous role. She recalled watching the film with the director for the first time.
“The first time I watched the film with the director, when it ended, I said, ‘It exploded.’ What exploded? Feiyu exploded! His acting exploded. It was absolutely incredible.”
Ma Li then became curious about whether Chen Kaige and Chen Hong had watched the film.
“Have your dad and mom watched it?”
Chen Feiyu, who appeared slightly bashful, replied:
“They have. They were scared too.”
Chen Feiyu also said that on the day Traces of Justice was released in theaters, most of the reactions he saw online were from viewers saying they had been “really startled” by his character.
The experience apparently happened to Chen Feiyu himself as well.
“When I went to watch it myself, even though I knew every part of the story by heart, I still managed to scare myself. The entire team was really startled too.”
Chen Feiyu then delivered a dry joke about the contrast between himself and his character.
“I was also pleasantly surprised, because in my everyday life, I really am not like Ma Chaoyang.”
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