This article first appeared in theSun CNY BUZZ here
With the exciting Chinese New Year celebrations moving largely indoors, it’s a good time as any to watch amazing films with family.
Here is a suggested list of movies and television shows which you can view on streaming services or satellite TV channels to fill the festive week.
Current & Fresh
1. The Yin Yang Master: Dream of Eternity
This Chinese fantasy film is adapted from the popular mobile game, Onmyoji. Directed by Guo Jingming, the story follows the character Qing Ming (Mark Chao) who is a half-human, half-demon who can traverse the two worlds.
When the serpent demon king threatens to return, Qing Ming has to join forces with Bo Ya (Allen Deng) to protect both realms and also solve a dark conspiracy at the royal court.
2. Nothing But Thirty
One of the biggest hit Chinese dramas of 2020. The story revolves around the lives of three women who have reached their 30s, and depicts the pressures they now face. Each woman come from different backgrounds and portrays the three states of being a woman: unmarried, married and childless, and married with children. All it takes is just one thing to shatter their seemingly perfect lives.
3. The Bad Kids
This show received rave reviews, with many critics saying it takes Chinese dramas to a whole new level. The story is about three children who accidentally filmed a murder, and find themselves involved with a murder suspect. What follows next is a suspenseful, dark and complicated tale of morality in modern China.
To binge watch
1. Ip Man 1, 2, 3, and 4
The Ip Man quadrology chronicles the life of Ip Man, a grandmaster of the martial art Wing Chun and teacher of Bruce Lee. The first film introduces Donnie Yen as the titular character and focus on events that supposedly took place in the city of Foshan during the Sino-Japanese War.
The other sequels continue to tell the story of the legendary martial artist as he moves from place to place to spread the art of Wing Chun while being a dutiful husband and father.
2. Infernal Affairs 1, 2, 3
The Infernal Affairs franchise tells the story of a police officer who infiltrates a triad, and another officer secretly working for the same gang. The films will have viewers glued to their seats due to the crazy plot twists and clever turns.
The original 2002 film, which stunned audiences with its swift and original storytelling, had a 2006 Hollywood adaptation directed by Martin Scorsese under the title The Departed.
For the kids
1. Ne Zha
This highly acclaimed 2019 animation fantasy adventure film features the popular Chinese mythological character Nezha. The plot of the film is loosely based on the classic 16th century novel Investiture of the Gods by Xu Zhonglin.
Nezha is a cheeky demon superkid who is secretly infused with the spirit of the Demon Pearl, and is fated to be killed by a heavenly lightning bolt in three years. However, things come to a head when he’s recruited to fight demons and save the community that fears him.
2. Jiang Ziya
Jiang Ziya is a sequel to Ne Zha but features on the mythological Chinese figure named Jiang Ziya. The plot is once again based on the novel Investiture of the Gods by Xu Zhonglin.
Top commander Jiang Ziya is tasked to banish the Nine-tailed Fox Demon who threatens the existence of all mortals.
When he discovers that the Nine-tailed Fox’s life is linked to a soul of an innocent girl, he is faced with a dilemma: to follow the will of Heaven or to find his own path to righteousness.
2. Over the Moon
This beautiful and colourful musical film is about a girl named Fei Fei who loves the story of the Moon Goddess, Chang’e. The problem is that Fei Fei actually believes that Chang’e is real. When her family brushes away the Moon Goddess’s existence, she sets out to journey to the moon herself to prove her point.
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