Taking the clickbait

Already Xin's highest-grossing movie, Trending Topic has become a popular online discussion topic, with related hashtags garnering 180 million views on Sina Weibo.

Yu Jianhong, vice-president of Beijing Film Academy, regards the movie as a breakthrough in the category about internet-related cautionary tales.

"It is usually difficult to visualize dramatic conflicts and intense confrontations on the internet in a movie. A fight on social media is like a battle without gunpowder. This is why the movie is such a good example of skillfully showcasing the power of the internet and how it can affect the course of events in real life," says Yu.

Suo Yabin, a professor at the Communication University of China, says the movie also holds educational significance, as it can make the audience aware of mechanisms behind the numerous public accounts and popular articles they usually follow and read, thereby helping them become better at discerning what information on the internet is trustworthy.