2/5 stars
Wu Kang-ren reveals a new side to his talents as he bares all in erotic drama The Chronicles of Libidoists. Wu plays one of four lonely souls living in present-day Taipei who search for meaning to their lives by engaging in extreme sex.
The film has courted considerable controversy for its prolific nudity and explicit sex scenes, but proved a box office success in Taiwan.
Writer-director Yang Ya-che, whose previous features include the acclaimed GF*BF (2012) and The Bold, the Corrupt and the Beautiful (2017), is apparently aiming for something more than mere titillation.
His screenplay bursts with allegory and symbolism, and alludes to philosophical questions about love, life, and identity; his protagonists hope to screw their way to happiness or possibly enlightenment.
Wu, the star of Abang Adik and Fly Me to the Moon, plays Single Pa, a writer who failed to capitalise on the success of his anonymously written debut novel. His family has fallen apart because of his prolific womanising, leaving him estranged from his teenage daughter, who now studies overseas.