Overview
A late-night adventure unfolds in a statue factory where secrets lurk in the shadows.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- deadpan
- grotesque
- melancholic
- late night cinephile viewing
- dark comedy marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a distinctive, sharply observed dark comedy that combines formal invention with incisive social and political critique.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Pickle and Belly Bottom watch dashcam recordings belonging to Pickle's boss, and the recordings expose a secret central to the plot.
Pickle's security work and Belly Bottom's recycling labor are set against the wealth and influence surrounding the statue factory and political figures.
Late-night snacks, porn magazines, factory surveillance, and the friends' marginal lives produce humor that repeatedly turns uncomfortable and bleak.
The statue factory, security room, recycling routes, and surrounding community anchor the story in an economically peripheral Taiwanese environment.
Films like The Great Buddha+, and why
Parasite
darkly comic social satire, marginalized protagonists, and a bleakly observant view of class inequality
A Man Escaped
deadpan humor, working-class friendship, and understated social critique in a carefully composed rural setting
The Death of Stalin
absurdist comedy, institutional corruption, and an outsider perspective on power and social hierarchy
The Lure
eccentric working-class characters, melancholy humor, and an artful critique of social marginalization
Movie Details
- Director
- Huang Hsin-yao
- Release Date
- 2017-10-13
- Runtime
- 102 min
- Rating
- 7.9 / 10 (124)
Cast
- Cres Chuang
- Bamboo Chen
- Leon Dai
- Chen Yi-wen
- Na-Do
- Ting Kuo Lin
- Lee Yung-Feng
- Chu Yueh-Hsin
- J.C Lei
- Michael Chang
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video
- Buy
- Amazon Video
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Great Buddha+ about?
- Two impoverished Taiwanese friends uncover a damning secret while passing their nights with snacks, pornography, and stolen glimpses of power.
- What is The Great Buddha+ like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Great Buddha+ as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Great Buddha+ violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Great Buddha+ as mild.
- What did critics think of The Great Buddha+?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a distinctive, sharply observed dark comedy that combines formal invention with incisive social and political critique.
- Which films are like The Great Buddha+?
- Films with a similar feel include Parasite, A Man Escaped, The Death of Stalin, and The Lure.
- How long is The Great Buddha+?
- The Great Buddha+ runs 102 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Great Buddha+?
- In United States, The Great Buddha+ is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video.
