The Chinese action drama TOUCH OF SIN (2013, 2h 10min) by Zhangke Jia focuses on four people, living in four different provinces, who are driven to violent ends. An angry miner, enraged by the corruption of his village, decides to take justice into his own hands. A rootless migrant discovers the infinite possibilities of owning a firearm; a receptionist working at a local sauna is pushed to the limit by a wealthy client; and a young factory worker goes from one discouraging job to the next, only to face increasingly degrading circumstances. The portrait it paints of modern China, and much of the modern world by extension, is not a pretty one, but where nihilism is often an easy resort for the cynical, Zhangke’s is considered, thoughtful, and inconclusive.