Shadow

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1:51

Shadow

Released May 3, 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

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.

Rated: A-

Jun 15, 2019

Full Review

Sara Michelle Fetters

MovieFreak.com

Shadow is a masterful spectacle of human frailty and intellectual dishonesty that only grows in resonance as it goes along.

Rated: 3/4

May 22, 2019

Full Review

Randy Myers

San Jose Mercury News

You've gotta see it to believe it.

May 21, 2019

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

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.

Rated: 4/4

Feb 12, 2022

Full Review

Carolyn Hinds

Atom Insider

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

Jul 30, 2021

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Dennis Harvey

48 Hills

Building rather slowly towards climactic action, this is a corpse-strewn sort of Jacobean revenge drama, its violence staged with considerable panache.

Oct 15, 2020

Full Review

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Donald A

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.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/17/25

Full Review

Alec B

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.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/21/24

Full Review

Bluecam68

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

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/19/24

Full Review

Andrei D

Some solid fights but kinda dumb

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

12/06/23

Full Review

Jim S

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.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Nguyen D

Stylish and unpredictable. Pure joy to watch.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/04/23

Full Review

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Yimou Zhang

Director

Chao Deng

Commander

Betty Sun

Madam

Ryan Zheng

The King of Pei

Qianyuan Wang

Captain Tian

Jingchun Wang

Minister Lu

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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: Yimou Zhang, 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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