
Shanghai Triad
In 1930, Shanghai violence was not the problem. It was the solution.
Directed by Zhang Yimou
Produced by Alpha Films, La Sept Cinéma
A visually sumptuous coming-of-age story set within Shanghai's criminal underworld, where a young provincial boy witnesses the paranoid, violent world of organized crime through the eyes of a doomed mistress.
Shanghai, China, 1930. When young Shuisheng arrives from the countryside, his uncle Liushu puts him at the service of Bijou, the mistress of Laoda, supreme boss of the Tang Triad, constantly threatened by his enemies, both those he knows and those lurking in the shadows.
Clusters
Questions people ask
Is Shanghai Triad scary? Yes. More frightening than 82% of films.
Is Shanghai Triad sad? Yes. More sad than 82% of films.
Does Shanghai Triad end with hope? Barely. Less hopeful than 80% of films.
Is Shanghai Triad violent? Somewhat. More violent than 68% of films.
Is Shanghai Triad easy watching? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.
These describe how the film comes across, measured across the whole film and compared with other well-known films. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked scene by scene, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.
Written about
Cinnamon Score
How much this film gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.
Familiar shape, done well.
How unlike any other film this one feels
How much more it delivers than it promises
How much audiences actually like it
Ensemble
Like Shanghai Triad
Nearest across the full emotional profile.
Same Mood as Shanghai Triad
Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.
Like Shanghai Triad, But Darker
Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.
Like Shanghai Triad, But Lighter
Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.
Like Shanghai Triad, But Less Popular
Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.
























































