The Time of Huan Nan – Movie Review & Film Summary

Yao Hua works at Huannan Market, the largest traditional market in Taipei, Taiwan. He spends his days delivering ingredients on his motorcycle. At home, Yao Hua lives with his father, Bao Ding. However, Bao Ding appears dazed and depressed, as if gradually losing touch with reality. Yao Hua once found his dad on the rooftop, dancing alone with a machete. Yao Hua is frustrated by his parent's declining mental health and struggles to look after him.

While rummaging through old belongings, Yao Hua discovers a few items from his father's youth. Among them is a photo of three teenagers, including his father, An Jian, and Kang Min. There's also an old army jacket with the name Youn Huei stitched on it. Yao Hua thinks the jacket looks cool, so he wears it. He goes outside on a stormy day, driving his motorcycle as usual. Suddenly, a lightning strike creates a time portal. To his shock, Yao Hua is transported over 30 years into the past.

Yao Hua is in the year 1991. He meets his father, Bao Ding, as a teenager. He's also introduced to Bao Ding's close friends, An Jian and Kang Min. Due to his army jacket, he's group mistakenly identifies him as Youn Huei, an old friend of Bao Ding. An Jian and Kang Min accept his identity without much suspicion, so Yao Hua goes along with their assumption. However, Bao Ding realizes that Yao Hua isn't who he claims to be. He's confused about why this imposter is wearing Youn Hei's jacket.

Bao Ding initially seems distant around Yao Hua. However, the sociable An Jian quickly bonds with Yao Hua, buddying up and making him feel included. After a rugby game, the three head to the bathhouse together. Their lighthearted interactions help Bao Ding warm up to Yao Hua. Kang Min, the only girl in their group, also enjoys Yao Hua's company. She gives each of her friends an amulet. The superstition is that the amulets will bring peace and good health forever. As Yao Hua accepts the gift, the others officially welcome him into their circle.

Since Yao Hua has nowhere to stay, Bao Ding invites him to live at his home. Soon, Yao Hua notices that Bao Ding and An Jian share a bond beyond friendship. Their interactions are filled with flirtation and physical intimacy, though their relationship status isn't public. Bao Ding comes from a deeply religious family with traditional beliefs. His parents have raised him as a Tongji, a spiritual medium bringing fortune and honour to their community. Knowing his parents would never accept a gay child, Bao Ding and An Jian must keep their relationship discreet.

My brain is fried trying to understand The Time of Huan Nan and its convoluted time travel plot. The lead is taken 30 years into the past, yet he doesn't react like someone suddenly thrust into a new timeline. He shows no worries about returning to the present either. The others welcome him into their group too quickly, not questioning his suspicious identity or origins. This story's logic has more holes than a golf course. The Time of Huan Nan should've excluded time travel from the narrative because it doesn't make sense.

The Time of Huan Nan begins clunkily, taking a while to transition from the present timeline to the past. This story improves once Yao Hua befriends the other characters. While it's unbelievable how quickly they accepted him into their social circle, their interactions are enjoyable. The film's best moments come from exploring the relationship dynamics among these four friends. Bao Ding and An Jian have subtle sexual tension, Kang Min feels insecure about being left out, and Yao Hua gets to know his father's past. Once the time-travel awkwardness is out of the way, the movie sets the stage for intriguing arcs.

Unsurprisingly, my favourite part is the gay romance. I enjoy watching Bao Ding and An Jian's moments of flirtation. Their relationship includes adoring gazes, intimate touches, and secret handwritten love letters between two teenagers. Even if the couple never kisses, the movie successfully conveys that they have fallen for each other. However, my least favourite plot is the straight pairing. Kang Min and Yao Hua grow close, but I don't care about these two. Stop taking away time from Bao Ding and An Jian's storyline with heterosexual nonsense that nobody wants.

As much as I enjoy Bao Ding and An Jian's relationship, it gets drowned out by constant melodrama. The movie's second half is packed with angst and arguments, disrupting the romantic vibes. The Time of Huan Nan is set in 1991, an era with less progressive views toward same-sex couples. Homophobic parents refusing to support their children is a harsh reality. Yet, the theatrics feel overdone. Even decades later, gay cinema often revisits the same tropes. I sympathize with the characters, but this storyline falls short emotionally compared to better-written LGBTQ+ films.

The cast delivers solid performances. Due to the excessive melodrama, they become less consistent toward the end, but not to the extent that it affects my enjoyment. My favourite is An Jian's actor (Chu Meng Hsuan), who plays a cheerful character with a bright smile. His relaxed demeanour on camera makes it comfortable to watch him. In addition, this movie comes with gorgeous cinematography and polished production values. Its close-up shots capture every emotion intimately. Fans may also like the eye candy, especially the nudity in the bathhouse scene.

My frustration returns in the story's final stretch, which centres on the time travel plot. The melodrama becomes unbearable, but I'm not emotionally invested enough to care. Annoyingly, the straight couple gets a happier ending than the gay leads, who are left to suffer. Maybe in the future, Taiwanese cinema will surprise us with a gay film that doesn't conclude poignantly. The Time of Huan Nan joins the ranks of many angsty LGBTQ+ movies, although it isn't well-written enough to stand out from the pack. I suspect it won't register in my memory in the long term.