A period comedy suspense film “A Windfall Trap” hit cinemas across China over the festive period.

Directed by Chen Jianyong, the movie is the first big screen collaboration between actress Huang Shengyi and actor Nie Yuan and is adapted from a true historical event that occurred decades ago.

Set in 1944 during China’s turbulent War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), the film is centered on small western town folk who suddenly find themselves showered with money.

The film provides a close insight into the complexity of humanity when people become rich overnight using a creative and black-humored way of storytelling. It also shows the different choices and destinies of ordinary folk set to a war background.

Nie, known for his impressive acting in the popular period drama “Story of Yanxi Palace,” plays a cop who is in charge of recovering the money and escorting it out of town.

The comedy movie genre has become increasingly popular in China cinema in recent years with more and more original stories appearing on the silver screen.