Shadow

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1:51

Shadow

2019

1h 56m

Action

Adventure

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

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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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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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.

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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.

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Randy Myers

San Jose Mercury News

05/21/2019

You've gotta see it to believe it.

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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.

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Carolyn Hinds

Atom Insider

07/30/2021

The fight choreography in the third act is unique and beautiful.

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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.

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Cordelia A

@XuBingBing 5d

The um, "infidelity" let's call it plot is um....weird. BUT if you're willing to look past it, you're in for a visual treat and some brazy zither tunes. Truly, you don't get to see something so beautiful every day. This really deserves a higher definition version (it apparently has one), but I really couldn't find one which is a shame.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Bluecam68

02/19/2024

The techniques for battle in this movie were unlike anything I've seen before. It was captivating. Definitely great visuals.

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Andrei D

12/06/2023

Some solid fights but kinda dumb

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Yimou Zhang

Director

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Madam

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Shadow: Trailer 1

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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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