Blossom Shanghai is coming to the Criterion Channel

Official still from Blossoms Shanghai (2025) — Official still from *Blossoms Shanghai* (2025).

Blossoms Shanghai is the first original episodic series by legendary filmmaker Wong Kar Wai. An adaptation of Jin Yucheng’s award-winning novel Blossoms, the series chronicles the ascent of self-made millionaire Ah Bao — the Jay Gatsby of Shanghai — during the economic boom that followed the opening of the Shanghai stock exchange. Chinese actor Hu Ge stars as Bao, personifying the idealism and adventurism that defined the 1990s. While In the Mood for Love paid tribute to the Shanghainese community in Hong Kong, Blossoms Shanghai marks Wong Kar Wai’s first attempt to tell a story about his birthplace during one of the most intriguing moments in its modern history.

Beginning November 24, the Criterion Channel will exclusively premiere Blossoms Shanghai, the long-awaited television series from visionary director Wong Kar Wai (In the Mood for Love). The 30-episode series opened in China to phenomenal success, topping TV ratings for its entire run and becoming the most-streamed show nationwide. Three new episodes will be released every Monday night at 8 p.m. ET through the end of January.

Blossoms Shanghai joins an extensive collection of Wong Kar Wai titles on the Criterion Channel, the North American home for his swoon-worthy filmography. The Criterion Collection released the stunning World of Wong Kar Wai box set in 2021, featuring 4K digital restorations of his acclaimed features. The Criterion Channel’s “Directed by Wong Kar Wai” collection includes As Tears Go By, Days of Being Wild, Chungking Express, Fallen Angels, Happy Together, and In the Mood for Love. Criterion has also acquired streaming rights for Blossoms Shanghai in the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.

Since 1984, the Criterion Collection has been dedicated to publishing important classic and contemporary films from around the world in editions that offer the highest technical quality and award-winning supplements. From laserdisc to Blu-ray to 4K Ultra HD to streaming, Criterion has remained committed to presenting each film as its maker intended — in state-of-the-art restorations with special features that deepen the viewer’s appreciation of cinema as an art form.

Watch the trailer: Click here

Learn more and join the Criterion Channel: Click here

Boss Level Film Review

Boss Level is a new addition to the time loop genre, with a twist. Ex-special forces officer, Roy Pulver, played by Frank Grillo, relives the same day until he dies. Every day he is hunted by assassins and when killed, he wakes up back in his bed where he started, only to have to try and survive all over again. Roy has no idea why he is stuck in this infinite time loop but he must do what he can to survive, and the longer he survives, the more he uncovers about his particular situation. Unlike most action films that take time to build up, this film gets right into it and offers tons of non-stop combat sequences that would satisfy any lover of action films. Its erratic flow makes for some fun action scenes which come out of nowhere since Roy can expect the assassins to attack at any moment. If you play video games often and have ever been stuck on a level for hours or even days, you know the feeling of having to repeat the same thing over and over again u...

Better Man | Review by: Benjamin Garrett

What at first feels like a CGI gimmick allows Better Man to climb and swing it’s way beyond standard biopic conventions. This larger than life musical is worth a watch even if, like me, you needed to ask “Who the hell is Robbie Williams?”. A pop icon in the UK who didn’t quite make a household name for himself in North America, Robbie Williams bares his life (the good the bad and the drug fueled ugly) in this dazzling account of his rise to fame. Musician biopics often focus too heavily on the creation of the artist’s work, and not enough on the actual artist. Better Man gives audiences a sobering portrait of the man behind the monkey, with his songs placed in pivotal life and career moments to move the narrative forward. This works especially well if you aren’t entirely familiar with Williams’ work, because you won’t find yourself waiting to hear specific needle drops. Instead they flow organically into the story, with gorgeously choreographed musical numbers. And bo...

Godzilla vs. Kong Film Review

Godzilla versus Kong is the action movie we have been longing for since all major blockbuster films pushed back their release dates. After three solo films between Kong and Godzilla, we finally see the two titans clash on film for the first time in what is the culmination of the Universal Monsterverse. The story is split nicely in two as team Kong and team Godzilla each have their own mission. Team Kong is on a secret mission to the center of the earth to uncover the mystery of the titans. This team consists of Dr. Nathan, Dr. Ilene, Maia, and the Youngest character in the film, Jia. Team Godzilla consists of Madison, Josh, and Bernie who are also on a secret mission, to infiltrate Apex Cybernetics with the theory that they are up to no good and are the reason why Godzilla has been acting up recently. The dynamics of the teams are well balanced as the Kong story provides us with serious and more action-heavy bits in contrast to the Apex team story that ...

1st Reviews

Search This Blog