Silent Cutting in Oak Town

The United States in the mid-1980s was an era full of contradictions. On the surface it was the optimism of the Reagan era, economic recovery, neon-lit malls and perfect suburban living. But underneath all this beauty lies unresolved trauma (such as the aftermath of Vietnam), fear of the "other" (such as the Satanic Panic, the shadow of the Cold War), and the profound hypocrisy of the adult world. The protagonist group (young detective group) represents the youthful force that tries to maintain innocence and pursue the truth. Each of them is fighting the hypocrisy of the adult world in their own way (sports, studies, subcultures). The villain (Ted Vance) is the darkest embodiment of the shadow of that "perfect town". On the outside, he is a librarian who represents knowledge and order, but on the inside, he is a butcher with a God complex who is twisted by war. Through sophisticated "surgery" and complex puzzles, he attempts to peel away the hypocritical surface of the town and expose the festering underneath. The nature of the conflict: This is not only an intellectual game, but also a rite of passage for a group of children who have not yet obtained their driver's license and are forced to face the cruelest truth of the adult world early.