Synopsis

Cast & Crew

Episodes

Reviews (5)

In the wake of his boyfriend Bao's tragic death, Lin escapes to Taipei seeking a fresh start, taking solace in a quiet flower shop. There, he crosses paths with Josh, a wide-eyed newcomer working as a waiter at The Stone, a pulsating gay bar in the iconic Red House district. What begins as a tentative friendship slowly blossoms into something deeper, but their fragile connection is shadowed by secrets, lingering grief, and the presence of Sean, a charismatic figure with his own ties to Lin's past. A modern reimagining of the classic Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber, this film strips away romantic gloss to explore love, loss, and survival within Taipei's queer nightlife. Dense with symbolism and raw emotion, it refuses to offer easy answers, instead immersing viewers in a world where beauty and brutality coexist—and where every character carries their own invisible stone.

Cao Xue Qin

Cast

Chien Hsiao Ju

Cast

Aric Chen

Cast

Adam Lin

Cast

Sky Li

Cast

Daniel Tsai

Cast

Dean Tong

Cast

Stephen Rong

Cast

Alan Song

Cast

Liu Kuang Hui

Cast

Nash Zhang

Cast

Jay Kao

Cast

Episode data is coming soon.

5.5

out of 10

283

212

496

425

logic_over_fluff

September 12, 2024

3/10

I went in blind and spent the entire movie lost. The plot is a muddled mess—characters appear and disappear, the love triangle barely registers, and the constant parade of cheap underwear shots feels more exploitative than artistic. The only highlight was the soundtrack, but even that couldn't save this from feeling like a disjointed fever dream. Unless you enjoy piecing together a puzzle with missing pieces, skip it.

cinematic_bl_fan

March 5, 2025

8/10

I admit, the first viewing left me baffled, but after reading about its literary roots and rewatching, I'm in awe. The cinematography deliberately uses darkness and cramped frames to mirror the suffocating grief of the characters. The Red House setting is captured with an almost documentary-like realism, and the modern update of Dream of the Red Chamber is genius. It's not a typical BL; it's a piece of art that demands patience.

vegas_pete_shipper

January 18, 2025

4/10

I came here for a touching love story, but there's barely any romance. Lin and Josh have zero chemistry—they just orbit each other while other characters hook up randomly. The emotional beats are buried under so much bleakness that I couldn't root for anyone. If you want a sweet, coherent BL, look elsewhere. This is just sad people being sad.

purist_bookworm

October 30, 2024

6/10

As a huge fan of Dream of the Red Chamber, I appreciated the ambitious attempt to transpose its intricate web of relationships and tragic fate into modern Taipei. The parallels with Jia Baoyu, Lin Daiyu, and Xue Baochai are cleverly hidden. However, the execution stumbles—too many side characters feel underdeveloped, and the pacing is erratic. I'd call it a noble failure that rewards those who already love the source material.

social_consent_watcher

June 22, 2024

5/10

I appreciate that the film refuses to sanitize gay culture—it shows the good, the bad, and the ugly. But it also leans into harmful stereotypes: the body-shaming comment about 'if you're fat, you're fucked' is casually thrown around, and there's a troubling lack of consent discussion around the drug-fueled sex scenes. It's a necessary conversation starter, but not a comfortable watch.

The Story of the Stone