#REVIEW: “BLOSSOMS SHANGHAI”

By Mr. Will Wong

Visionary Filmmaker Wong Kar Wai (Happy Together, In the Mood for Love) makes his foray into Television with BLOSSOMS SHANGHAI, set to premiere on the Criterion Channel, a move which actually makes a lot of sense considering that fans of his work are the truest of Cinephiles.

The gorgeously-shot 30-episode series recalls the luminous bustle and glory of a turning point in history, with fascinating characters, unfolding like a Soap Opera and a presenting as a piece of art at once.

The Film is set against the backdrop of the early ’90s in Shanghai when the Shanghai Stock Exchange was just about to open, meaning many opportunities for financial gain and upward mobility for the lucky and those who played their cards right. At the center of the story is Mr. Bao (Hu Ge), who lives a mundane life. Under the tutelage of Uncle Ye (You Benchang), he gains insight  where to put his money – that he has to borrow – and when to pull out, which leads to him becoming very wealthy and influencial quickly amidst Shanghai’s economic reform. But staying on-top isn’t a solo effort. Mr. Bao is surrounded by an interesting ensemble of characters including Ling Zi (Ma Yili), a night club owner, and Miss Wang (Tiffany Tang) who works for the foreign trade building – both whom Mr. Bao is perceived as having had romantic involvement with. And enter into the picture Li Li (Xin Zhilei) who oversees glitzy The Grand Lisbon, an upscale restaurant which becomes a hub for Shanghai’s most powerful and noteworthy. Mr. Qiang (Huang Jue) also arrives from Shenzhen as a looming threat who could destroy everything Mr. Bao has built.

Fans of Wong’s superb storytelling, magnetic characters and discerning eye for aesthetics, will find a sense of familiarity and nostalgia here. He makes the transition to episodic storytelling well here with hooky chapter endings that make the Series a real page-turner.

Leading man Hu Ge possesses a calm coolness to him, but also a vulnerability that reminds us where he came from and that he at any moment can lose the fortunes just as quickly as he accrued them. And this is helped by the range of characters in Mr. Bao’s proximity, some more mysterious than others and their intentions unclear.

BLOSSOMS SHANGHAI arrives November 24, 2025 8 PM on the Criterion Channel with three new episodes weekly.