← Back to results
Shadow
影
2018 116 min China, Hong Kong PG-13 16+
★7.4
Action, War
Director: Yimou Zhang
Trailers
EN
EN
Description
In a kingdom ruled by a young and unpredictable king, the military commander has a secret weapon: a shadow, a look-alike who can fool both his enemies and the King himself. Now he must use this weapon in an intricate plan that will lead his people to victory in a war that the King does not want.
Budget:
$44.01M
US Gross:
$521,396
Worldwide:
$91.71M
Starring
Chao Deng
Actor
Li Sun
Actor
Ryan Zheng
Actor
Awards
Asian Film Academy 2019
— Best Cinematography
Asian Film Academy 2019
— Best Production Design
Asian Film Academy 2019
— Best Sound
Saturn Awards 2019
— Best International Feature Film
Saturn Awards 2019
— Best Costume Design
Asian Film Academy 2019
— Best Cinematography
Asian Film Academy 2019
— Best Production Design
Saturn Awards 2019
— Best Production Design
Asian Film Academy 2019
— Best Sound
Asian Film Academy 2019
— Best Costume Design
Key opinion
Zhang Yimou's Shadow is widely praised for its striking, monochrome-inspired visual aesthetic and inventive choreography, particularly the use of bladed umbrellas. While many appreciate its dense political intrigue and theatrical depth, others find the slow pacing, convoluted plot, and heavy exposition to be barriers to enjoyment.
| Production | The monochrome visual palette, punctuated only by blood-red accents, creates a uniquely atmospheric and dreamlike aesthetic | |
| Direction | The choreography, specifically the integration of bladed umbrellas as weapons, provides a fresh and inventive take on traditional wuxia combat | |
| Acting | The cast, particularly Deng Chao and Zheng Kai, delivers strong performances that effectively ground the film's complex dual-role dynamics | |
| Pacing | The deliberate, meditative pacing rewards viewers patient with the film's slow-burn exposition, while others find the first half tedious and the narrative structure overly convoluted | |
| Direction | The theatricality and reliance on stylization are celebrated by some as artistic poetry, yet dismissed by others as artificial or indicative of a creative stagnation |