A memorable crime thriller is not easy to pull off. You need an engaging case that ropes in the audience, relatable protagonists to root for, and a well-paced, well-executed plot that keeps viewers on the edges of their seats as it all comes together.

With this in mind, how does Netflix’s “The Abandoned”, which premiered on Dec 31, fare?

The Taiwanese thriller starts, appropriately enough, on New Year’s Eve, with police officer Wu Jie (Janine Chang) attempting to end her life in the same car in which her fiancé had taken his own a year ago.

As she’s about to pull the trigger, she’s alerted to a corpse that has washed up ashore close by. Before she knows it, she’s assigned to the case – despite her fragile mental state – alongside rookie cop Cai (Chloe Xiang).

It turns out the victim is an illegal female migrant worker whose ring finger and heart are missing. In light of this, the woman’s ex-boyfriend Lin You-sheng (Ethan Yuan) immediately becomes a prime suspect.

As the film progresses, the number of missing women increases and Wu has to catch the killer, before time runs out and he or she claims more victims!

So, what works here? Performance-wise, Chang is a solid actress who effectively plays the part of a flawed and traumatised person of authority. The 41-year-old takes full advantage of her talents and charisma to convey Wu’s struggles and resilience in the face of unspeakable horror and tragedy.

Yuan, too, is compelling as a questionable agent for illegal Southeast Asian migrant workers: his Lin may seemingly be devastated by the victim’s death, but are his reactions genuine?

The ambiguity as to whether Lin is an ally or the killer in plain sight will leave you guessing early on, allowing you to play detective alongside Wu.

Then there’s Xiang, who is competent in her role as an eager sidekick to Wu’s seasoned, jaded lead cop, even if hers is a supporting character at best. The two bounce off of each other well enough to make the audience enjoy – or at least not cringe at – their interactions.

Visually, “The Abandoned” is shot well, the setting of rainy and gloomy Taipei conveying a sense of foreboding that fits the story to a tee, invoking “Se7en” (1995) vibes.

These aside, what the film suffers from is a lack of originality. This is a real shame, given how the plot provides ample opportunity for it to explore the lives of illegal foreign workers and their plight.

Alas, this is dealt with only superficially; instead, viewers are subjected to a typical buddy-cop movie that leaves you feeling like you’ve seen it all before.

Indeed, the elements that allow the performers to shine are precisely what make these characters tired. The experienced pro is partnered with a fresh-out-of-school rookie – a combination seen a thousand times by now – who has to learn, the hard way, that the ins and outs of the actual job can’t be taught in a classroom.

Meanwhile, the lead character is saddled with a traumatic backstory and has to rise above it. It’s not so much inspirational as uninspired.

Also frustrating is how incompetent the two detectives actually are in the field. Case in point: when the two officers, one of them armed, fail to take down a cornered suspect, it’s enough to make you throw your hands up in exasperation.

Ultimately, “The Abandoned” suffers when it comes to execution, but its capable cast makes the film a passable effort. With its 105-minute runtime, it’s not the best, but not the worst, way to kick off a new year.

‘The Abandoned’ is streaming on Netflix.