MesmeroWatch list, 0 saved

Movie
Poster for A Touch of Zen

A Touch of Zen

1970 · 180 min

A slow, meditative wuxia that blends ghostly atmosphere, philosophical calm, and sudden bursts of elegant, brutal combat.

Overview
Yang Hui-zhen, a mysterious princess on the run from corrupt government officials, is joined in her endeavors by skilled Buddhist monks and an unambitious painter named Gu Sheng-zhai.

Search YouTube for the trailer

In the UKNo streaming, rental or purchase options known.
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • eeriestrength 2 of 3
  • earneststrength 2 of 3
  • melancholicstrength 2 of 3
  • tensestrength 2 of 3
Pacing
slow-burn, 1 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
demanding, 4 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • faith
  • justice
  • identity
  • family
  • redemption
Places
  • countryside
  • small town
Era
period
Audience
adult
Form
  • nonlinear
  • serialised
Content intensity
  • Gore mild
  • Language mild
  • Violence strong
  • Sex mild
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action7
Horror3
Humour3
Realism4
Romance4
Tension7
Darkness6
Complexity8
Emotional weight8

More like this

Titles like A Touch of Zen

Movie

Dragon Inn

1967

A taut, elegant wuxia with crisp swordplay and a simmering standoff that rewards patient attention.

Same director: King Hu · Earnest, tense · about justice

Also
Same director: King Hu
Via
  • earnest
  • tense
  • justice
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
111 min
Details In your watch list
Dragon InnHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Legend of the Mountain

1979

A slow, hypnotic plunge into a haunted world where every gesture and landscape feels charged with unseen danger.

Same director: King Hu · Eerie, melancholic, slow-burn · about identity · nonlinear

Also
Same director: King Hu
Via
  • eerie
  • melancholic
  • identity
  • nonlinear
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Runtime
192 min
Details In your watch list
Legend of the MountainHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Come Drink with Me

1966

A graceful, old-fashioned martial-arts adventure with elegant swordplay, a wry drunkard hero, and a quietly stirring sense of honour.

Same director: King Hu · Earnest, tense · about justice and family · nonlinear

Also
Same director: King Hu
Via
  • earnest
  • tense
  • justice
  • family
  • nonlinear
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
91 min
Details In your watch list
Come Drink with MeHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Sakra

2023

A sweeping, tragic wuxia epic with intense martial arts and a heavy emotional core.

Earnest, melancholic · about justice and identity · nonlinear

Via
  • earnest
  • melancholic
  • justice
  • identity
  • nonlinear
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
130 min
Details In your watch list
SakraHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Raining in the Mountain

1979

A stately, quietly gripping wuxia heist where patience and stillness give way to bursts of precise, elegant action.

Same director: King Hu · Earnest, tense · about faith

Also
Same director: King Hu
Via
  • earnest
  • tense
  • faith
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
121 min
Details In your watch list
Raining in the MountainHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Once Upon a Time in China

1991

A sweeping, earnest martial-arts epic that mixes thrilling fights with a somber meditation on a nation under siege.

Earnest, melancholic · about justice and identity

Via
  • earnest
  • melancholic
  • justice
  • identity
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
133 min
Details In your watch list
Once Upon a Time in ChinaHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Hero

2002

A ravishing, stately wuxia told in shifting versions, where gorgeous colour-coded duels and quiet philosophical debate build to a solemn, moving sacrifice.

Earnest, melancholic · about justice · nonlinear

Via
  • earnest
  • melancholic
  • justice
  • nonlinear
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
99 min
Details In your watch list
HeroHidden from your suggestions.
TV series

Nirvana in Fire

2015–2018

A slow, intricate court drama that rewards close attention with mounting tension and deep emotional payoff.

Earnest, melancholic, slow-burn · about justice and identity

Via
  • earnest
  • melancholic
  • justice
  • identity
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Seasons
2
Details In your watch list
Nirvana in FireHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Dragon

2011

A somber martial arts drama that blends intricate fight choreography with a tense cat-and-mouse investigation, anchored by a quiet family man's struggle to escape his violent past.

Melancholic, tense · about justice and identity

Via
  • melancholic
  • tense
  • justice
  • identity
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
115 min
Details In your watch list
DragonHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Ne Zha 2

2025

A vibrant, action-packed fantasy that balances playful humor with emotional stakes and a sense of mythic grandeur.

Earnest, tense · about identity and family

Via
  • earnest
  • tense
  • identity
  • family
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
144 min
Details In your watch list
Ne Zha 2Hidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Blades of the Guardians

2026

A sweeping, hard-hitting martial arts epic with relentless fights and a somber historical backdrop.

Earnest, tense · about justice and family · nonlinear

Via
  • earnest
  • tense
  • justice
  • family
  • nonlinear
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
126 min
Details In your watch list
Blades of the GuardiansHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

2000

A graceful, bittersweet epic where soaring martial-arts ballets and restrained longing build to a haunting, emotional release.

Earnest, melancholic · about identity

Via
  • earnest
  • melancholic
  • identity
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
120 min
Details In your watch list
Crouching Tiger, Hidden DragonHidden from your suggestions.

Where to watch in the UK

No UK streaming, rental or purchase options are known.

Streaming data from JustWatch.TMDB

Details

Genres
action, adventure, fantasy
Directed by
King Hu
Written by
King Hu
Starring
Hsu Feng, Shih Chun, Pai Ying, Tien Peng, Roy Chiao, Tsao Chien, Miao Tian, Melvin Chang Yun-Wen
Music
Wu Da-Jiang
Cinematography
Hua Hui-Ying
Runtime
180 min
Country
Hong Kong, Taiwan
Languages
Mandarin

TMDBIMDbLetterboxdWikipediaWikidata