The multidimensional and dynamic experiences of suspense in Chinese thriller series The Bad Kids

This article examines how Yin mi de jiao luo ( The Bad Kids ) (), an influential and critically acclaimed Chinese neo-noir thriller series, generates a multidimensional and evolving experience of suspense across initial and repeat viewings, focusing on two key sequences. Drawing on cognitive and phenomenological film theories as well as serial drama studies, the article explores how the series fuses mood and plot through registered breaks, layered narrative and a rich audio-visual palette to create a plot–mood hybrid suspense. On first viewing, suspense unfolds causally through narrative progression, heightened by mood. In contrast, repeat viewings foster a more holistic, embodied engagement, marked by heightened sensitivity to aesthetic detail and accompanied by a forensic interpretive approach. Through the frameworks of Hanich, Laine, Warner and Sinnerbrink, the article reconceptualizes suspense as a dynamic construct shaped by viewers’ growing familiarity with the narrative and aesthetic system. Situated within China’s emerging multi-viewing culture and forensic fandom – a participatory mode marked by repeat viewing, close reading and collaborative interpretation across streaming and social media – this article argues that The Bad Kids sustains a dynamic, evolving suspense construct that invites transplatform engagement and collective meaning-making. It suggests that such strategies may signal emerging directions in Chinese neo-noir aesthetics towards more interactive and interpretive modes of viewership. As such, The Bad Kids exemplifies how contemporary Chinese screen media can foster new forms of audience engagement, paving the way for rethinking suspense, aesthetics and media consumption.