Overview
A master of martial arts faces the turmoil of war and personal loss in his quest for honor.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- elegiac
- philosophical
- wistful
- martial arts movie night
- arthouse film night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised Wong Kar-Wai's gorgeous cinematography, exceptional martial arts choreography, and the performances of Tony Leung and Zhang Ziyi, while finding the historical storytelling somewhat muddled.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Ip Man and Gong Er's encounters frame technical challenges as tests of honor, legacy, and self-definition.
Wong Kar-Wai uses rain, snow, close-ups, and fluid choreography to make fights feel both tactile and dreamlike.
The story follows martial arts lineages and grandmasters as war, political change, and migration fracture their world.
Ip Man and Gong Er share mutual recognition and attraction while pursuing distinct obligations to family and legacy.
Films like The Grandmaster, and why
Ip Man
stylized martial arts choreography, historical upheaval, and a disciplined master protagonist
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
period martial arts drama combining philosophical conflict, romance, and elegant action set pieces
Ashes of Time
auteur-driven wuxia-inflected action drama centered on honor, mastery, and fragmented historical storytelling
Movie Details
- Director
- Wong Kar-Wai
- Release Date
- 2013-01-10
- Runtime
- 130 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (1016)
Cast
- Tony Leung Chiu-wai
- Zhang Ziyi
- Chang Chen
- Zhao Benshan
- Xiao Shenyang
- Song Hye-kyo
- Wang Qingxiang
- Max Zhang
- Shang Tielong
- Song Tao
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel, Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Grandmaster about?
- A masterful but melancholic martial arts epic in which Ip Man and Gong Er carry rival lineages through war, loss, and a changing China.
- What is The Grandmaster like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Grandmaster as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Grandmaster violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Grandmaster as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Grandmaster?
- Critics broadly praised Wong Kar-Wai's gorgeous cinematography, exceptional martial arts choreography, and the performances of Tony Leung and Zhang Ziyi, while finding the historical storytelling somewhat muddled.
- Which films are like The Grandmaster?
- Films with a similar feel include Ip Man, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and Ashes of Time.
- How long is The Grandmaster?
- The Grandmaster runs 130 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Grandmaster?
- In United States, The Grandmaster streams on MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel, Howdy Amazon Channel.
