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Shadow

Play trailer 1:51 Poster for Shadow 2019 1h 56m Action Adventure Play Trailer Watchlist
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94% Tomatometer 103 Reviews 80% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
To finally achieve victory over a rival kingdom, a brilliant general devises an intricate plan involving his wife, a look-alike and two kings.
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Shadow

Shadow

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Critics Consensus

Beautifully filmed and inventively choreographed, Shadow is a thrilling and visually sumptuous wuxia epic that finds director Zhang Yimou near peak form.

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Critics Reviews

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Chris Stuckmann ChrisStuckmann.com 06/15/2019
A-
A masterpiece, one of the best martial arts films I've ever seen. See it in theaters, it will not be the same at home. Go to Full Review
Sara Michelle Fetters MovieFreak.com 05/22/2019
3/4
Shadow is a masterful spectacle of human frailty and intellectual dishonesty that only grows in resonance as it goes along. Go to Full Review
Randy Myers San Jose Mercury News 05/21/2019
You've gotta see it to believe it. Go to Full Review
Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review 02/12/2022
4/4
Palace intrigue and ornate martial arts duels are just the surface of Shadow, Zhang Yimou's stunning 2018 period epic of doppelgangers, zither duets, double-crosses, and monochrome colors splattered with blood. Go to Full Review
Carolyn Hinds Atom Insider 07/30/2021
The fight choreography in the third act is unique and beautiful. Go to Full Review
Dennis Harvey 48 Hills 10/15/2020
Building rather slowly towards climactic action, this is a corpse-strewn sort of Jacobean revenge drama, its violence staged with considerable panache. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Kyle M Dec 15 Movies like this restore my faith in cinema. This would have worked even as a silent movie, the visuals are that strong. See more Donald A Jan 17 Still trying to digest what I just watched. Came here to read reviews after the fact and it appears I’m not alone in feeling this was a near masterpiece. Plot, cast, twists, action and the cinematography… the light vs shadow, the subtle sounds to the and acting and moments had me entranced nearly the entire film. This might be the best martial arts film I’ve ever seen. Titling it that honestly feels like a bit of a crime. It’s much more. See more Alec B 02/21/2024 There is a lot of set-up for the first hour or so but the imagery is always engaging even when it relies on obvious symbolism. Hard not to love those umbrella weapons. See more Bluecam68 02/19/2024 The techniques for battle in this movie were unlike anything I've seen before. It was captivating. Definitely great visuals. See more Andrei D 12/06/2023 Some solid fights but kinda dumb See more Jim S 03/31/2023 VisuLly dull therfore disappointing. Almost completely devoid of color, with exceptions being severely muted. The choice makes no sense since the lighting is shadowless, no pun intended. So, capitalization on the potential virtues of a gray scale for cinema. All falls flat with foreground, mid, and background without dimension. Every exterior is shot in pouring rain to no discernible purpose. The story is uninspiring and the rendering of on screen is painfully slow. Needless repetitios shots to over-tell the action. The hero is conflicted but not heroically so. The acting by the hero and his mentor is overwrought rather quiet and dignified. Nothing to see here; give this one a pass. See more Read all reviews
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Movie Info

Synopsis To finally achieve victory over a rival kingdom, a brilliant general devises an intricate plan involving his wife, a look-alike and two kings.
Director
Yimou Zhang
Producer
Jun Liu, Catherine Pang, Xiaozhu Wang
Screenwriter
Wei Li
Distributor
Well Go USA
Production Co
Tencent Pictures
Genre
Action, Adventure
Original Language
Chinese
Release Date (Theaters)
May 3, 2019, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 13, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA)
$521.4K
Runtime
1h 56m
Sound Mix
Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, DTS
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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