Lyncis Niu’s ‘Before Fireworks’ is a short film that shines with emotional intelligence and cinematic polish. Shot in Los Angeles with a Mandarin-speaking cast, it’s the story of a break-in that doesn’t lead where you expect. Instead of escape, we watch the slow formation of a fragile, unexpected bond between a would-be thief and his intended victim.
The film opens mid-crime: Ziyuan (Qi) is rifling through the home of a wealthy elderly woman, Mei (Qian Wang). But something startles him – she’s lying motionless on the floor. Compassion flickers, and the scene becomes a quiet moral turning point. What follows is not redemption in the usual cinematic sense, but something more grounded. He becomes her paid caregiver. The relationship that develops between them is beautifully rendered, never sentimental, and delicately shaped by the performances. Wang and Qi have genuine warmth together – watching them connect is both comforting and heartbreaking.
Zehua Yang’s cinematography is pristine – the framing and lighting is flawless.The sound design leans toward suspense in the early scenes, but the original score by Josué Vera gently softens the tension as the emotional core unfolds. But things take a turn when Mei’s son returns, and the family life Ziyuan has slipped into begins to crumble.
What begins as a thriller quickly blooms into a layered character drama. It’s about loneliness, guilt, human decency – and how we sometimes find belonging in the strangest ways. This is refined, deeply felt work from a director who clearly understands people, not just plot mechanics.
‘Before Fireworks’ is rich, moving and impeccably crafted. Unmissable.
