Didn't you say that we would lose money after filming?

Xia Yuan made no attempt to hide his ultimate goal: to disgust people.

He wasn't putting on an act at all. Anyone with eyes could see who the film was subtly criticizing at a glance.

However, if we set aside some sensitive issues, is this a good movie in terms of its presentation and expression?
The answer is obvious; even a top film mogul like Arcadia could answer you without hesitation.

This movie is fantastic.

Sometimes, explaining principles in the simplest way is the best way to demonstrate strength and competence.

Just like literature, if elaborate writing serves no purpose, it is merely a pile of fancy words.

Being able to complicate simple things is not a sign of skill.

It can explain complex stories in concise language.

That's what you call skill!
So what should we do with this film review? Write it or not?
Arcadia didn't hesitate at all.

He quickly demonstrated his stance through his actions.

The subtle metaphors used might be problematic.

But going for the tower is different.

There's nothing to worry about.

After all, they made no attempt to hide their disgust and loathing for you, and they were even trying to break your defenses and humiliate you.

That would be a different matter, so there would be nothing to be afraid of or worried about.

Soon, a film review appeared on the American internet.

The Beast Trapped in the Money Maze: An Existential Crisis Under a Postmodern Carnival

Hello everyone, I'm film critic Arcadia, and today I'm going to talk about a movie called "The Outlaws".

Beneath the seemingly absurd and nonsensical surface of a comedy lies a sharp allegory about the existential predicament of modern people.

I can say with absolute certainty that this movie is absolutely a movie that can be considered a masterpiece.

Director Xia Yuan is a familiar face to everyone, a legendary director known for his comedies and sophisticated techniques in presenting popular storylines.

This time, she throws six groups of people into a meticulously designed postmodern maze through a crazy treasure hunt competition. In this money-driven game, each character gradually reveals the truth of their souls, alienated by material civilization.

The film's visual language, narrative structure, and directorial techniques work together to construct a metaphorical mirror of contemporary society, allowing viewers to unconsciously see their own existence reflected in the laughter. From the very beginning, the film's visual language presents a distinctly fragmented character—the bright, glaring desert sunlight contrasts sharply with the dark, damp interior space, and this binary opposition of light and shadow suggests the characters' inner turmoil.

This is the best example of the application of Tracy's theory of light and shadow.

As the contestants stood under the dazzling neon lights of Las Vegas to receive their assignments, the flickering light on their faces foreshadowed the identity crisis that was about to begin.

Of particular note is the film's visual presentation of vehicles: from luxury sports cars to dilapidated buses, these mobile metal cages are not only physical spaces, but also symbols of modern people being imprisoned in the pursuit of material things.

The camera often shoots close-ups of people through the windshield, giving the audience the illusion of observing creatures through a fish tank—these characters have become "brains in a tank" alienated by money.

"Treasure Hunt" employs a multi-threaded narrative structure, with six groups of people making different choices under the same rules, forming a sophisticated sociological sample.

Nick Cassavetes' character, a gambler, chooses deception and betrayal with his girlfriend, representing a complete collapse of moral principles.
The pairing of Black football players with white female partners illustrates how racial prejudice can be temporarily masked by interests but never truly disappear;

What's most intriguing is that seemingly harmonious elderly couple, whose decades-long facade of marriage crumbled instantly when faced with the test of money.

Director Xia Yuan, however, organically connects these storylines through cross-cutting, creating a chain reaction at each turning point. This narrative technique not only creates comedic effects but also reveals the fragile and utilitarian connections between people in modern society.

Director Xia Yuan adopted an almost cynical, bystander's perspective to present this experiment in human nature.

The camera often uses an overhead angle, compressing the characters into a vast landscape, emphasizing their insignificance and powerlessness in the game of fate.

At crucial moral junctures, director Xia Yuan abruptly switches to handheld camerawork, creating a documentary-like realism that forces the audience to jolt awake from the comedic atmosphere and confront the sudden outburst of the darker side of human nature. Particularly noteworthy is the director's control of pacing: the frantic chase in the first half contrasts sharply with the exposure of human nature in the second half, and this shift in rhythm cleverly guides the audience from superficial entertainment to existential reflection.

The film's most biting satire lies in its revelation of how contemporary people willingly become prisoners of consumerism. When all the contestants accepted the dubious treasure hunt invitation without a second thought, they had already surrendered their rational judgment and free will.

This so-called "treasure hunt" is actually a meticulously designed disciplinary ritual that uses monetary rewards to tame participants into obedient subjects who comply with the game's rules.

The recurring imagery of road signs and maps in the film carries profound symbolic meaning—in a society with singular values, all directions point to the same destination: material accumulation. The more frantically the characters chase after these road signs, the more deeply they lose themselves; this paradox is a precise reflection of the existential predicament of modern people.

From an existentialist perspective, the characters in *The Treasure Hunt* face absurd circumstances and the freedom to choose. Sartre believed that "man is judged to be free," but these characters actively relinquish this freedom, willingly allowing themselves to be alienated by money and reduced to inhuman existence. The most philosophically profound scene in the film appears at the end: when the survivors finally reach the so-called "treasure" location, what awaits them is not the expected money, but an even greater trap.

This plot twist points directly to the essence of the modern desire economy—promises are always more valuable than their fulfillment; people are never addicted to satisfaction itself, but rather to the process of pursuing it. Like Sisyphus pushing a boulder uphill, contemporary people are also searching for illusory meaning in a meaningless cycle.

Ultimately, "The Treasure Hunt" presents a spiritual landscape of postmodern society: here, interpersonal relationships are reduced to appendages of profit calculations, morality becomes a burden that can be discarded at any time, and self-identity depends entirely on material possessions.

The film amplifies these alienated phenomena in daily life through exaggerated comedy, allowing viewers to examine their own existence from a safe distance. When the camera finally pulls back, revealing the entire treasure hunt route, we suddenly realize how similar this seemingly absurd game's rules are to the operating logic of our consumer society. Everyone is a willing player, and everyone is also a prisoner powerless to escape—this is the most poignant and precious revelation that *The Treasure Hunt* leaves its audience with.

After the laughter subsided, the film's questions lingered: In a world with singular values, do we still have the courage to find an exit from the labyrinth of money? Perhaps the real "treasure" lies precisely in recognizing the absurdity of the game itself and regaining the freedom to choose in this awakening.

Most importantly, this film reflects on Tianlong Capital. (End of Chapter)