The Deadly Strands (2013)

The Deadly Strands 2013 / 咒丝 2013 / Zhou Si

Lu Xian is married to radio celebrity Zhuo Zhen Tao, a relationships guru, and they have a young daughter, Xiao Qian. Zhen Tao has two grown children by his late first wife, Shen Ying, who committed suicide over his philandering: wannabe model Xiao Yi, who can't forgive her father and Lu Xian for her mother's death, and hairdresser Xiao Bai, who is devoted to young Xiao Qian. Lu Xian is depressed over her marriage and is thinking of divorcing Zhen Tao, but, as with Shen Ying, he is against it as it could ruin his reputation. Lu Xian has taken to working the nightshift at Beijing Aquarium, where her friend Jia Meng, who first introduced her to Zhen Tao, also works. One night at work, after finding a beautiful long wig in her locker, Lu Xian is strangled. Later, at her funeral, Zhen Tao gets a threatening phone call from an anonymous potential blackmailer. At home, Xiao Yi also discovers a beautiful long wig in a cupboard and finds it mysteriously helps her career to take off. Jia Meng also discovers one in a box on the metro and is murdered that same evening. Xiao Yi, who has been having strange experiences since wearing the wig, plans to go to France with boyfriend Chen Hao Yu after a forthcoming fashion show and says she wants to move out of the family flat. Xiao Bai, who just wants the family to be happy, is distraught, though his close confidante, Xiao Qian's nanny Xia, insists the family will stay together. Then Zhen Tao receives a blackmail demand for RMB2 million (US$325,000).