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The Forbidden City

Play trailer Poster for The Forbidden City 2025 2h 18m Action Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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88% Tomatometer 16 Reviews Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Two very different souls intersect on the streets of Rome when the Italian son of a restaurant owner and a young Chinese girl join forces to search for their missing family members, his father and her sister. As romance sparks between them, they uncover the tragic truths linking their families to the city's criminal underworld and seek vengeance against the ruthless gangsters behind it all before they can start a new life together.
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The Forbidden City

Critics Reviews

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Peter Debruge Variety Nov 26
The film’s plot is too complicated by half... But it ultimately results in several memorable fight scenes and a reasonably well-earned love story. Go to Full Review
Sankeerthna Vedamtam MovieJawn 16h
A film worth seeing again and again. Go to Full Review
Chris Mello In Review Online 1d
[The Forbidden City] just peters out in a whimper of unrealized potential, its incredible beginning more than two hours in the rearview. Go to Full Review
Brent McKnight The Last Thing I See 3d
A-
The Forbidden City is a much cooler, more off-kilter, interesting film than the straightforward kickass action flick we’ve seen a thousand times. Go to Full Review
Joonatan Itkonen Region Free 5d
4/5
In the end, The Forbidden Kingdom accomplishes the most difficult magic trick of them all by crafting an action film that is as romantic as it is thrilling. That alone is worth celebrating. Go to Full Review
Casey Chong Casey's Movie Mania Mar 13
3/5
Liu Yaxi takes charge in Gabriele Mainetti's genre-bending action thriller. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Stephen C @bob25009 2d Action-packed movie in 2 hours and 18 minutes. A success on home media. See more Marc Z @TKDLife Feb 7 The Forbidden City will surprise you in many ways.  The title, the setting, and the lead actress would lead you to believe it is a Chinese made Kung Fu and action drama.   It is not.  It is Italian made, and Directed by Gabriele Mainetti.   If you start watching the film it is cleverly disguised, and pays tribute to, many of the great Hong Kong action films of the past.   However, its elevation of the adult themes, visuals, and gritty violence quickly tip off the viewer that this film was not made in China. The blending of Italian Western style with Hong Kong themes and action really works in this film.   There is a solid story here, and solid character development.   The martial arts action is well choreographed and very original.    The fights are very good. Yaxi Liu is very good.   She plays the role very well.   Her ability to capture the screen in the martial arts fight scenes is beyond the ordinary.  She also captures the dramatic scenes with great poise.     See more Emanuela T @RT20342560 Jul 14 Un film emozionante e avvincente. Sono rimasta incollata alle scene di combattimento e alla storia della ragazza che ahimè ricorda abusi e crimini verso l’umanità che non dovrebbero mai più accadere. Trovo la regia di Gabriele Mainetti profonda, al pari di registi americani e addirittura con qualcosa in più: Mainetti mette (ciò si respira profondamente guardando il film) la “semplicità” e grandiosità poetica italiana che appartiene al nostro DNA, alla ns memoria storica di raccontare. Roma e Mainetti sono un connubio meraviglioso che ci fa sognare e questo suo nuovo film ne è la prova che mi lega ad ogni personaggio e attore scelto nel nuovo film, da Giallini alla Ferilli. L’Attrice protagonista è epica! Godetevelo See more Read all reviews
The Forbidden City

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Movie Info

Synopsis Two very different souls intersect on the streets of Rome when the Italian son of a restaurant owner and a young Chinese girl join forces to search for their missing family members, his father and her sister. As romance sparks between them, they uncover the tragic truths linking their families to the city's criminal underworld and seek vengeance against the ruthless gangsters behind it all before they can start a new life together.
Director
Gabriele Mainetti
Producer
Mario Gianani, Lorenzo Gangarossa, Sonia Rovai, Vindhya Sagar, Alessia Sinistro, Giulio Gallozzi
Screenwriter
Stefano Bises, Gabriele Mainetti, Davide Serino
Distributor
Well Go USA Entertainment
Production Co
Piper Film, Vision Distribution, Wildside, Ministero della Cultura (MiC), Netflix, Goon Films
Genre
Action, Drama
Original Language
Italian
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 17, 2026
Runtime
2h 18m
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