Sheep Without a Shepherd 2021

Internet technician Li Weijie, along with his wife Ayu and their two daughters, Ping Ping and An An, lead a middle-class life in northern Thailand. Their tranquility is shattered when Ping Ping is sexually assaulted at a summer camp by Su Cha, the son of the corrupt mayor Du Peng and police chief La Wen. Exploiting the situation, Su Cha blackmails Ping Ping for further sexual favors, ensnaring her in a web of fear.

In a harrowing turn of events, Su Cha arranges a secret meeting at the family’s property but is confronted by Ayu, who is determined to protect her daughter. When Su Cha turns violent against her, a struggle ensues, resulting in his accidental death at the hands of Ping Ping. In a desperate bid to cover up the crime, Ayu and Ping Ping hastily bury Su Cha’s body in the grave of Weijie’s uncle, located in a nearby cemetery. However, their actions do not escape the watchful eyes of An An, who witnesses the concealment of the body.

As the news of the murder reaches Weijie, he takes immediate action to shield his family from impending police scrutiny. He disposes of crucial evidence, including Su Cha’s car and mobile phone, while fabricating a weekend getaway in Hua Lamphong to establish a solid alibi. To further bolster their defenses, Weijie meticulously trains his family on how to respond during potential police interrogations, ensuring they maintain their composure.

The family’s fate takes a nosedive when local officer Sang Kun, who has a personal grudge against Weijie, catches him behind the wheel of Su Cha’s car. While Sang Kun’s credibility is initially questioned due to his checkered past, his accusations raise suspicions in La Wen, particularly when Weijie displays a peculiar reaction to the discovery of the car in a nearby lake. Despite intense interrogations of Weijie and his family, La Wen struggles to dismantle the carefully crafted alibi.

A breakthrough occurs when Sang Kun mentions Weijie’s enthusiasm for crime films, prompting La Wen to direct the police to investigate Weijie’s shop. There, they uncover a list of movies that Weijie has binge-watched, leading La Wen to realize he carefully orchestrated a misinformation campaign involving key witnesses like Song En and digital manipulation, perfectly leveraging his skills as an internet technician.

Feeling the pressure of proof but unable to substantiate her theories, La Wen resorts to unthinkable methods, pressuring An An to extract a confession. As a last-ditch effort to link Weijie to the crime, La Wen orders an exhumation of Su Cha’s body, only to discover it contains a goat’s corpse—previously buried by Sang Kun in an earlier confrontation with Weijie. This debacle ignites outrage among the local populace, who rally behind the perceived innocence of Weijie and his family.

The fallout from this incident is catastrophic for La Wen, leading to her suspension over allegations of corruption, and Du Peng resigns in disgrace. Ultimately, Weijie and his family are vindicated, but plagued by guilt, Weijie confesses to La Wen and Du Peng about his involvement in the crime, resulting in a prison sentence. It is heavily suggested that Su Cha’s body had been relocated to a construction site where Weijie had worked, casting a shadow over the entire tragic ordeal.