New thriller continues Sam Quah's crime franchise

The Fire Raven, the latest film from Malaysian director Sam Quah, is scheduled for release on New Year's Eve.

The third installment in Quah's crime thriller franchise — each bearing the Chinese character "sha (killing)" in its title, following Sheep Without a Shepherd (2019) and A Place Called Silence (2024) — extends the director's signature approach to aestheticized violence.

Laced with twists, the story unfolds in the fictional city of Duma, where a shadowy web of power and corruption operates underground. A murder reopens a cold case: the sexual assault and killing of a female student on a train 15 years earlier. As a witness and his older sister, a police officer, embark on an investigation, they uncover a truth more shocking and brutal than expected.

Quah, who shot to fame with his 2014 directorial debut, The Free Man, hopes the film will provoke reflection among audiences with its many symbolic and metaphorical elements.

For instance, the raven — a symbol of foreboding — is featured in the film. Initially used by villains to conceal their identities, it later becomes a mark of the avengers.

According to industry tracker Beacon, as of Tuesday, the film has grossed over 33 million yuan ($4.7 million) from cumulative preview screenings and presales, ranking second among new releases on Dec 31, behind Louis Koo's time-travel film Back to the Past.