Hua Pi: Qing Mie
2024 / 79m - China
Fantasy, Romance
3.5*/5.0*
Painted Skin: Love is Destroyed poster

Plot: Aruo falls in love with Wang Sheng, a mortal. Xiaoman craves the Spirit Leaf which is in possession of Aruo, and she comes up with a scheme that involves Wang Sheng. She kills him and forces Aruo to use the Spirit Leaf to save Sheng's life. Then she poses as his wife and tries to win Sheng's heart.

Watches

May 16, 2024

3.5*/5.0*

Another Painted Skin adaptation, this time by Liu Binjie. He's not the most familiar name (yet), but those who have been looking at the Chinese streamers know he's one of the better directors around (much like Dai Yilin). These aren't high-profile blockbuster directors, but they can do very well on a shoestring budget.

The film offers a nice mix of alluring demons, inner-species romance, and a fair bit of fantasy action. The finale is a bit too sentimental and there isn't quite enough to set it apart from other Painted Skin adaptations. Still, the lush decors and costumes, the colorful cinematography, and the flashy action scenes guarantee this is top-tier genre filler.