Movie

The Assassin

2015 · 105 min

A slow, meditative wuxia that lingers on textures and silences, feeling more like a poem than an action film.

Directed by: Hou Hsiao-hsien
Genres: Action, Adventure, History
Starring: Shu Qi, Chang Chen, Zhou Yun

Overview: 9th century China. Ten year old general’s daughter Nie Yinniang is abducted by a nun who initiates her into the martial arts, transforming her into an exceptional assassin charged with eliminating cruel and corrupt local governors. One day, having failed in a task, she is sent back by her mistress to the land of her birth, with orders to kill the man to whom she was promised – a cousin who now leads the largest military region in North China. After 13 years of exile, the young woman must confront her parents, her memories and her long-repressed feelings.

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Directed by: Hou Hsiao-hsien
Genres: Action, Adventure, History
Starring: Shu Qi, Chang Chen, Zhou Yun

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How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone: melancholicstrength 3 of 3
tensestrength 2 of 3
earneststrength 2 of 3
darkstrength 1 of 3
Pacing: slow-burn, 1 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention: demanding, 4 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes: identity
loyalty
betrayal
memory
isolation
Places: countryside
single country house
Era: period
Audience: adult
Form: nonlinear
Content intensity: Gore mild
Language none
Violence mild
Sex none

All scales, 0 to 10

Scales, 0 to 10
Scale	Value	0 to 10
Action	3
Horror	1
Humour	1
Realism	7
Romance	3
Tension	5
Darkness	5
Complexity	8
Emotional weight	7

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Where to watch in the UK

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Pinoy Box Office Amazon Channel

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Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres: action, adventure, history
Directed by: Hou Hsiao-hsien
Written by: Hsieh Hai-Meng, Zhong A-Cheng, Hou Hsiao-hsien, Chu Tien-wen
Starring: Shu Qi, Chang Chen, Zhou Yun, Satoshi Tsumabuki, Ni Dahong, Yong Mei, Lei Zhenyu, Nikki Hsieh
Music: Lim Giong
Cinematography: Mark Lee Ping-Bing
Runtime: 105 min
Country: Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, France
Languages: Mandarin

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The Assassin

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