It should go without saying that relationships are hard. And once you add in a marriage, children, and a connected life, the level of difficulty can only climb. But despite these unassailable facts, many people feel comfortable judging relationships when imperfections exist, and imperfections always exist. This judgment is necessary for the melodrama of romance, break-ups, infidelity, and a score of other conflicts in the world of cinema. I won’t bother listing the examples because likely they are already swimming around in your head. But, in Elizabeth Lo’s documentary, Mistress Dispeller, much of this is absent, to the film’s ultimate benefit.
Out of necessity, the film opens with text, explaining that, in China, there is an entire new industry designed to keep married couples together. Essentially, this job is to maintain these relationships and stop infidelity, by whatever means they deem necessary, in this case, rampant dishonesty. Wang Zhenxi is a mistress dispeller and is hired by Mrs. Li through a brother. Mrs. Li is aware that her husband has been seeing another woman by going through his text messages. Though this is a thoroughly modern way to uncover this information, everything after this moment, particularly to a Western audience, may feel a bit like stepping back in time.
The amount of access given to director Elizabeth Lo is frankly stunning and almost feels too intimate. There is an uncomfortability hanging over these rooms, along with a clinical eye from the dispeller that seems devoid of the high emotion expected from the circumstances. If you are looking for a documentary that features screaming matches, throwing household objects, and declarations of anger and love, this is not the one to seek out. However, if intimacy, both pained and otherwise, is your focus, then Mistress Dispeller gives you plenty to chew on.
Of note, most of the interactions, whether between the married couple, the dispeller and another person, or even those involving Fei Fei, the mistress, mostly take place in homes or in places devoid of others. This decision, likely made for the comfort of everyone involved, also forces the audience to lean in and experience the difficulty alongside them. Additionally, the fact that the betrayal of marriage vows has already happened by the time the cameras roll is a distinct advantage. We do not have the opportunity to judge. The bad thing has already happened, and the dispeller (along with the film) makes every effort to avoid moral judgment. What has occurred is a fact, and it cannot be undone.
And that leaves us, and the dispeller, to look at things in a different way. She goes to great lengths to detail the fact that everyone in the situation is in pain. And this is where the work really begins. She does not immediately say yes, we must break up this relationship. Instead, she slowly builds relationships with all three of them. Only one of these relationships is purely honest, as she first poses as Mrs. Li’s friend, and then later as Mr. Li’s cousin. This dishonesty is uncomfortable to watch, but becomes understandable as we see her orchestrate situations to be alone with each of the affected parties. And yet, she manages to never feel like a pure manipulator. These manipulations of the intricacies of relationships do seem under her control and as if she has the best interests of everyone at heart.
Mistress Dispeller manages to draw in its audience, even without the standard practice of breathtaking reveals or high levels of emotionality. It brings forth important questions, all about the seemingly understood nature of relationships. Is every family worth saving? Can you come back from a deep betrayal like infidelity? The film has its share of confrontations near the end, but it is easy to walk away from watching it feeling more curious than comfortable. As in nearly all relationships, and especially marriages, there are no easy answers.
Mistress Dispeller will debut in theaters in New York on October 22nd and in Los Angeles on October 24, 2025, courtesy of Oscilloscope Laboratories. The film will expand to additional markets in the following weeks.
Mistress Dispeller manages to draw in its audience, even without the standard practice of breathtaking reveals or high levels of emotionality.
-
GVN Rating
Dave is a lifelong film fan who really got his start in the independent film heyday of the 90’s. Since then, he has tried to branch out into arthouse, international, and avant garde film. Despite that, he still enjoys a good romcom or action movie. His goal is to always expand his horizons, through writing and watching new movies.
