‘Girl on Edge’ Review: A Mother and Daughter Hit Thin Ice in Zhou Jinghao’s Alluring but Unsatisfactory Skating Drama

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Zhou Jinghao’s “Girl on Edge” launches powerfully. We see a young woman gliding in a dimly lit rink, completing her performance and halting directly before the lens. Her face is unveiled, marked with deep crimson bruises. This initial striking image sets the tone for this psychological drama that echoes “Black Swan”. Similar to that suspenseful film, “Girl on Edge” revolves around a high-pressure athlete wrestling with her internal struggles. The movie hints at an engaging experience, but unfortunately, it doesn’t live up to its promise, as the subsequent events lack the same clarity and intensity as the opening scene.

In the story, the main character is Jiang Ning (Zhang Zifeng), a highly competitive ice skater who’s been struggling during her training sessions. She can hardly complete a routine without stumbling. Her harsh coach, Wang Shuang (Ma Yili), expresses her displeasure frequently. Jiang’s mother often criticizes her for the poor performance on the ice, as she herself had to abandon her skating career due to pregnancy. The already strained relationship becomes more complex when Wang takes on a new trainee, Zhong Lind (Ding Xiangyua). Unlike Jiang, Zhong is not a professional skater but shows remarkable talent. Now, Jiang finds herself both with a friend and a rival in this challenging environment.

On the Verge” delays revealing its central narrative, which centers around the complex bond between two younger ice skaters, Jiang and Zhong. Throughout the film, it leaves one pondering whether Zhong is intent on sabotaging Jiang or if Jiang’s relentless pursuit of success will lead to her own downfall. As they train and perform together, their partnership appears to bring out each other’s best qualities. One might wonder if the mother/coach deliberately introduced Zhong as a means to motivate her daughter to strive for excellence.

Despite the movie not fully wrapping up the storylines, viewers generally find the time spent considering them quite enjoyable. However, Zhou’s film struggles to maintain its storyline coherence due to a sequence of confusing twists. It appears that it aims for both a deep, thought-provoking conclusion and an unexpected twist to strengthen its thriller aspect.

Despite its vague plot, ‘Girl on Edge’ leaves a lasting impression through its striking visuals. The narrative is conveyed primarily through vivid, symbolic imagery. Jiang’s training sequences suggest confinement, as if she’s trapped within an iron grip or controlled like a puppet by a hidden power. The blue-toned skating rinks and dance clubs portrayed in the film are both captivatingly eerie and serving dual purposes as dreamscapes and nightmares. The skating scenes brim with tension, each fall and turn captured in dramatic, quick succession by close-ups on faces and skates. Cinematographer Yu Jing-pin skillfully crafts a visually enticing environment for these characters to navigate. Moreover, the three lead actors excel at delivering powerful performances through their expressive close-ups.

The film titled “Girl on the Edge” initially offers a psychological exploration of the bond between mothers and daughters, but unfortunately, it becomes disjointed in its execution. Rather than delving deeper into the characters’ struggles, it gets lost in a confusing mix of flashbacks, explanations, and inconclusive conclusions. If only the script could match Zhou’s powerful visuals, the film might have been more impactful.

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2025-05-28 04:46