Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- whimsical
- witty
- eerie
- family movie night
- folklore exploration
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Pu Songling is taken to the bottom of an ancient well and asked to judge whether a story is good or bad.
The film uses Pu Songling and Lanruo Temple, figures associated with classical Chinese strange-tales tradition, alongside original monster characters.
Toad and Turtle bring Pu Songling beneath Lanruo Temple to the bottom of an ancient well.
A scholar is captured by Toad and Turtle and subjected to their strange judgment, creating an inherently comic contrast.
Films like Curious Tales of a Temple, and why
White Snake
shared Chinese folklore, animated fantasy worldbuilding, and mythic creature encounters
New Gods: Nezha Reborn
shared Chinese supernatural folklore, temple imagery, romantic fantasy atmosphere, and animated spectacle
Spirited Away
shared whimsical supernatural storytelling, animated fantasy, and encounters with strange spirits
Movie Details
- Directors
- Xie Junwei, Zou Jing, Cui Yuemei, Liu Yuan, Huang Heyu, Liu Yilin
- Release Date
- 2025-07-12
- Runtime
- 152 min
- Rating
- 7.6 / 10 (13)
Cast
- Lu Lifeng
- Lin Qiang
- Zhang He
- Chen Ziping
- Fu Bohan
- Chen Linling
- Liu Xiaoyu
- Gu Jiangshan
- Yihui Xie
- Fu Tingyun
Common questions
- What is Curious Tales of a Temple about?
- A Qing-era scholar is dragged beneath a haunted temple, where monsters turn storytelling into an uncanny comic trial.
- What is Curious Tales of a Temple like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Curious Tales of a Temple as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Curious Tales of a Temple violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Curious Tales of a Temple.
- Which films are like Curious Tales of a Temple?
- Films with a similar feel include White Snake, New Gods: Nezha Reborn, and Spirited Away.
- How long is Curious Tales of a Temple?
- Curious Tales of a Temple runs 152 minutes.
