Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Dense
- Violence
- Brutal
- paranoid
- brooding
- tense
- serious movie night
- historical cinema night
What critics said
Critics broadly admired the film’s stylish period atmosphere, performances, and ambitious espionage design while finding its fragmented storytelling difficult to follow.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The undercover workers communicate through concealment and indirect action, while the story withholds crucial information around Mr. He, Mr. Ye, and Ms. Chen.
The wartime Chinese setting, clandestine meetings, smoking interiors, and pervasive suspicion create a noir-inflected atmosphere of occupation.
The underground workers risk their lives to transmit intelligence and defend China under the Wang Jingwei regime.
The plot centers on underground workers and intelligence operations after the attack on Pearl Harbor, rather than frontline combat.
Films like Hidden Blade, and why
Lust, Caution
period espionage, divided loyalties, morally compromised undercover operatives, and dense political intrigue
The Lives of Others
wartime intelligence networks, coded allegiances, fatalistic tension, and elegant period filmmaking
The Age of Shadows
stylized historical spycraft, covert resistance, shifting loyalties, and atmosphere of paranoia
The Message
chinese-language espionage thriller with clandestine agents, occupation-era politics, and layered betrayals
Movie Details
- Director
- Cheng Er
- Release Date
- 2023-01-22
- Runtime
- 128 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (59)
Cast
- Tony Leung Chiu-wai
- Wang Yibo
- Zhou Xun
- Wang Chuanjun
- Huang Lei
- Dong Chengpeng
- Maggie Jiang Shuying
- Zhang Jingyi
- Hiroyuki Mori
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- 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 Hidden Blade about?
- An atmospheric Chinese wartime espionage drama where underground operatives navigate treachery, sacrifice, and shifting loyalties under occupation.
- What is Hidden Blade like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Hidden Blade as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as dense.
- Is Hidden Blade violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Hidden Blade as brutal.
- What did critics think of Hidden Blade?
- Critics broadly admired the film’s stylish period atmosphere, performances, and ambitious espionage design while finding its fragmented storytelling difficult to follow.
- Which films are like Hidden Blade?
- Films with a similar feel include Lust, Caution, The Lives of Others, The Age of Shadows, and The Message.
- How long is Hidden Blade?
- Hidden Blade runs 128 minutes.
- Where can I watch Hidden Blade?
- In United States, Hidden Blade streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
