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Shanghai

Play trailer 2:31 Poster for Shanghai R Released Oct 2, 2015 1h 45m Drama Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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4% Tomatometer 23 Reviews 37% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
In the months before the attack on Pearl Harbor, an American intelligence official investigates a friend's death in 1941 China.
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Shanghai

Shanghai

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Critics Consensus

Shanghai is crippled by a weak story and fatally undermined by clunky direction, making for a period political drama that lacks all of its key components.

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Critics Reviews

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Katie Walsh Tribune News Service Cusack is halfway between Humphrey Bogart and Jimmy Stewart, and the result doesn't come together. Rated: 2/4 Oct 7, 2015 Full Review Nick Allen RogerEbert.com Even if an uncredited editor were hired to make clear sense of these pieces, the film wouldn't work. Rated: 2/4 Oct 2, 2015 Full Review Glenn Kenny New York Times You might be forgiven for expecting either an unfairly squelched masterpiece or an unholy mess. The movie is neither, although it falls closer to the mess side of the table. Oct 1, 2015 Full Review Courtney Howard Fresh Fiction Perhaps the greatest mystery this film never solves isn't why Shanghai fell, but rather how such a magnificent cast was ever swayed to climb aboard. Rated: 2.5/5 Nov 5, 2017 Full Review Todd Jorgenson Cinemalogue The true-life historical background is more compelling than the fictional melodrama. Oct 9, 2015 Full Review Jeffrey M. Anderson Common Sense Media Written by the talented Hossein Amini and clearly inspired by spy and detective movies of the 1940s, this seems to have been a labor of love. But SHANGHAI is so convoluted that it eventually becomes lost. Rated: 2/5 Oct 9, 2015 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (165) audience reviews
Anna H This is a great movie! I had to watch it several times to figure out the plot, etc., but now it's one of my favorite movies. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/29/24 Full Review Susan M I actually liked this movie. But here's the thing, watch it with English subtitles. Don't watch it in English. When you have multiple main characters whose first language isn't English, the scenes seem weak. Poor John Cusack was the only native English speaker! Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/01/23 Full Review Jelisije J A 2010 film that feels like a 90's film and I appreciate this movie even more. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/02/23 Full Review Lucas G It is in my top 3 favorite movies of all time! Lots of humor, plenty of action and great dialogue! Definitely rewatching again!!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/29/22 Full Review isla s This is a quite atmospheric, intriguing period drama thriller film, with some nice settings and costumes. I thought John Cusack did quite well as the 'gumshoe on the scene', as it were - he provides narration/voice-over at times, which I thought was quite good as it sounded very much like someone deep in thought, so there is certainly an element of authenticity present, from what I could tell. The colours appear somewhat muted at times. I liked the incidental music in the background, it added to the tension felt in key scenes. It's also fairly engrossing, I thought. As a foreign set period drama, this is a good film - one I'd recommend. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member It's good movie to watch Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Shanghai

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis In the months before the attack on Pearl Harbor, an American intelligence official investigates a friend's death in 1941 China.
Director
Mikael Håfström
Producer
Donna Gigliotti, Mike Medavoy, Barry Mendel, Jake Myers
Screenwriter
Hossein Amini
Distributor
Weinstein Co.
Production Co
Weinstein Company, Living Films, Phoenix Pictures, E1 Entertainment
Rating
R (Strong Violence|Some Drug Use|Brief Language)
Genre
Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 2, 2015, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 5, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$44.7K
Runtime
1h 45m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital
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