House of Flying Daggers

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House of Flying Daggers

PG-13

2004

1h 59m

Action

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

87%

Tomatometer

171 Reviews

82%

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100,000+ Ratings

The Tang Dynasty is fighting to keep control over China, a battle they are losing to several rebel groups. One such group is the House of Flying Daggers, who steal from the wealthy and give to the poor. Two police deputies working with the government (Takeshi Kaneshiro, Andy Lau) are ordered to investigate the dancer Mei (Zhang Ziyi), who is rumored to be working with the House of Flying Daggers. But both men fall under her charms and decide to help her escape instead.

Critics Consensus

The visual splendor of the movie makes up for the weak story.

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

12/24/2010

4/5

Gorgeous, but also very violent.

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Nick Schager

Lessons of Darkness

05/04/2005

A

Wonderfully conveys how the act of loving another can be a game, a sacrifice, a ruse, a weapon, a betrayal, and, most of all, a political act.

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Tom Long

Detroit News

01/14/2005

A

About as viscerally and visually exciting as film can get, and yet it is also fully, ripely romantic in a way that few modern films would dare.

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Sebastian Zavala Kahn

Me gusta el cine

02/28/2025

4.5/5

What we have here is a different beast from “Hero”; a film that delights in giving us spectacular violent encounters, yes, but that also decides to develop a romance that we all know has no way of ending well. [Full review in Spanish].

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

02/03/2024

... it is the lush photography, magical martial arts choreography, and high-flying battle ballets that make the film so stunning.

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Rachel Wagner

rachelsreviews.net

08/29/2020

4/10

It reminded me of a Chinese version of Twilight to be honest with this horrible love triangle

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Mickey B.

@Mickerdoo Apr 30

I was completely sold until about halfway through the bamboo forest and end. Unreal visuals. Mei is stunning and Jin is charming.

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Wendy F.

@WendyWoo362 Jan 1

Terribly written. If this depicts our government I am terrified.

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Josh W

@josh.wilson_za_uk Dec 26

House of Flying Daggers is unforgettable, and the echo game scene still lives in my head, every whispered movement and tense glance burned into memory. The choreography, the costumes, the cinematography, everything is breathtaking, and the way tension and romance collide in that scene is just masterful. It’s a shame it’s so hard to find on streaming platforms now because it deserves to be seen and appreciated. The whole film is a feast for the eyes, full of danger, beauty, and heartbreak, and every time I watch it I get completely pulled into its world.

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Charlie K.

@cmkaniak Oct 30

Incredible cinematography, art direction, and choreography. One of the all-time great martial arts movies, if not the best.

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Leprechaun K

@LeprechaunKing 02/26/2025

Set and Costume design was superb. Great cinematography. Storyline wasn't great but compensated by the art direction.

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Fer S

@RT07531533 12/03/2024

Some exquisite cinematic shots and costumes paired with well achieved special effects and choreography. It has the greatest balance between action and romance. It gets kind of slow at some points. Some things are predictable, some things are not.

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Yimou Zhang

Director

Takeshi Kaneshiro

Jin

Andy Lau

Leo

Zhang Ziyi

Mei

Dandan Song

Yee

Hongfei Zhao

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Synopsis

The Tang Dynasty is fighting to keep control over China, a battle they are losing to several rebel groups. One such group is the House of Flying Daggers, who steal from the wealthy and give to the poor. Two police deputies working with the government (Takeshi Kaneshiro, Andy Lau) are ordered to investigate the dancer Mei (Zhang Ziyi), who is rumored to be working with the House of Flying Daggers. But both men fall under her charms and decide to help her escape instead.

Director: Yimou Zhang
Producer: William Kong, Yimou Zhang
Screenwriter: Feng Yi
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co: Beijing New Picture Film Co., Edko Films, Elite Group Enterprises, Zhang Yimou Studio, China Film Co-Production Corporation
Rating: PG-13 (Stylized Martial Arts Violence|Some Sexuality)
Genre: Action
Original Language: Chinese
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 10, 2004, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $11.0M
Runtime: 1h 59m
Sound Mix: Surround