The Bird People in China

The Bird People in China

The children of the sky.

Directed by Takashi Miike

Produced by Excellent Film, Sedic

1998118 min7.2 / 10

A whimsical, character-driven journey through rural China where three unlikely companions discover something transcendent beyond their material expectations.

Wada, a salary man, is enlisted to venture off to China to investigate a potential Jade mine. After his arrival, Wada encounters a violent, yet sentimental, yakuza, who takes the liberty of joining his adventure through China. Led on their long and disastrous journey to the mine by Shen, the three men come across something even more magical and enticing.

Questions people ask

  • Does The Bird People in China end with hope? Yes. More hopeful than 81% of films.

  • Is The Bird People in China easy watching? Yes. More comforting than 77% of films.

  • Is The Bird People in China scary? Barely. Less frightening than 76% of films.

  • Is The Bird People in China violent? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.

  • Is The Bird People in China sad? 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

74/ 100

Cinnamon Score

How much this film gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.

Distinctly its own thing.

Rarity78

How unlike any other film this one feels

Surprise71

How much more it delivers than it promises

Love75

How much audiences actually like it

The highest scores in the catalogue →

Ensemble

Like The Bird People in China

Nearest across the full emotional profile.

Same Mood as The Bird People in China

Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.

Like The Bird People in China, But Darker

Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.

Like The Bird People in China, But Lighter

Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.

Like The Bird People in China, But Less Popular

Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.

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