In recent years China has been getting more followers. China has a very long and influential history of filmmaking. China’s first-ever film was made in the year 1905. We don’t see the Chinese industry getting much credit and recognition for work, nor getting that much exposure, but things have changed a lot in the past few years. China has been gaining a lot of popularity with its dramas and movies. Let’s see the top 10 Chinese movies that became surprise hits.
1. A Writer’s Odyssey
A Writer's Odyssey which is based on the novel of the same name by Shuang Xue Tao. It is a Chinese action-adventure fantasy film. This story starts six years after the abduction of his daughter, a man gets hired to kill a fantasy novel author in exchange for his daughter's return. The author's book starts to overlap with the real world.
2. Cliff Walkers
Cliff Walkers is a Chinese historical spy thriller film set in the Imperial Japanese state of Manchukuo before the Second World War erupted. The film follows the story of four Chinese Communist Party agents. They are on a secret mission called Utrennya, which intends to extract a former prisoner who could expose the crimes of Unit 731 of the Imperial Japanese Army in the international community. This movie even got selected for the Best International Feature Film.
3. Chinese Doctors
Chinese Doctors is a Chinese disaster film starring great actors like Zhang Hanyu, Zhu Yawen, Li Chen, Yuan Quan, Jackson Lee, and Oho Ou. This film follows the story of the frontline medical workers who fought against the new disease, the COVID-19 pandemic, in the famous Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, China. It showcases the battles and hard work the doctors went through as it was the city where the disease originated.
4. My Country, My Parents
My Country, My Parents, is a Chinese four-part anthology drama film with four directors who all star in their own stories. The story is of four patriots of China's ancestors, and each covers a different genre that takes place in various periods , from the Second Sino-Japanese War to a futuristic world in 2050. It shows the bonds between families, which are changing, reflecting times and succession of the national spirit.
5. Detective Chinatown 3
Detective Chinatown 3 is a comedy-mystery buddy film starring Wang Baoqiang and Liu Haoran. This movie is about a significant crime that occurs in Tokyo, which leads to Tang Ren and Qin Feng being invited to investigate the crime that has happened there. It leads to the most significant battle between the strongest detectives in Asia.
6. Hi, Mom
Hi, Mom is a Chinese comedy film starring Jia Ling, Chen He, Shen Teng, and Zhang Xiaofei. The film includes themes of family love and maternal love. The story is of her mother Li Huanying, who dies after being fatally injured in a car accident. While in grief, Jia Xiaoling finds herself being transported back in time, where she becomes her mother’s close friend. She feels that she was not a good daughter, so back in 1981, she did all she could to make her happy and for her to live her life better.
7. The Battle At Lake Changjin
The Battle at Lake Changjin is a Chinese war film starring Jackson Yee and Jacky Wu. The movie is set in the Second Phase of the Korean War and tells an epic historical tale from 71 years ago. With a budget of around $200 million, this film is the most expensive film to be ever produced in China. For being inaccurate the film gained a lot of controversy in countries, including South Korea.
8. The Eight Hundred
The Eight Hundred a historical war drama starring Oho Ou, Huang Zhizhong, Jiang Wu, Zhang Yi, and many more. It is based on real-life events such as the defense of Sihang Warehouse in Shanghai by Chinese NRA troops during the Battle of Shanghai and the Second Sino-Japanese War. In both real life and film, a little over four hundred soldiers held a warehouse across a river from the foreign concession in Shanghai with the hopes that their efforts would be noticed by the media to add pressure for a peace settlement with Japan.
9. The Best Is Yet To Come
The Best is Yet to Come is a movie that focuses on an aspiring investigative journalist, Han Dong. Through this movie, we see how he represents the dreams and hopes of many young Chinese who migrated to bigger cities in the early 2000s with the hope of living a better life. He was a high school dropout who used to publish only online blogs but still tries to pursue his dream of becoming a real journalist until he gets hired at a local newspaper. He changes the fate of 100 million people with a single article which addresses a silent epidemic of discrimination against Hepatitis B carriers that plagued China for decades.
10. Jiang Ziya
Jiang Ziya is a 3D computer-animated fantasy adventure film. This movie brought Chinese mythology to life with world-class animation. Jiang Ziya is a family-friendly animation that shows Chinese traditions, values, and mythology. It presents a touching message of individuality in which the character defies Heaven and his destiny to rescue a girl who got trapped inside a nine-tailed fox demon. His compassion for others and his sense of social responsibility compel him to act against the gods, which he believes are unjust.
