Beyond Atmosphere: How Drunken Woman Uses Sound to Shape Psychological Suspense
Producer Ziyuan Ma
While Backrooms explores psychological tension through unconventional environments and altered perception, Chinese suspense thriller Drunken Woman approaches psychological storytelling from another perspective by using sound as a central narrative element. Produced by Shanghai Dianduidian Culture Media and jointly produced by ESK (Guangzhou) Film Co., Ltd. and Shinshot Media Inc., the film integrates layered auditory design—including white noise, heartbeat rhythms, distorted cassette sounds and fragmented melodies—to reflect characters’ emotional changes and reveal aspects of their psychological states.
According to producer Ziyuan Ma, one of the creative challenges of Drunken Woman was developing a sound design approach that could support the film’s complex narrative structure while maintaining emotional tension. Built around elements such as time loops and psychological manipulation, the film required the creative team to use sound not only to establish atmosphere, but also to provide narrative cues that guide audiences through shifts in character perception and emotional states.
During the production process, Ma led the development of the film’s sound design approach and worked with the creative team to integrate auditory elements with editing, visual expression and narrative rhythm. Through the adjustment of background noise, environmental sounds, breathing patterns and musical motifs, the production team created a layered soundscape that corresponds with the protagonist’s changing psychological experience.
Following the completion of production, Drunken Woman was released on major Chinese streaming platforms. The film was selected for the main competition section of the Macau International Film Festival and received the Best International Feature award at the Sanctuary International Film Festival, further highlighting its recognition within international film festival circuits.
Director Tang Shuo noted that the film sought to balance narrative complexity with the atmospheric demands of the suspense genre. He attributed the film’s final presentation to the collaboration among the creative departments, whose combined efforts shaped the film’s storytelling, sound environment and visual expression.
As high-concept genre filmmaking continues to evolve, Drunken Woman represents one example of how filmmakers are exploring new ways to combine psychological storytelling with immersive audiovisual expression.
Julian Ward
Ocean Vista Productions
mediainfo@oceanvistaprod.com
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