What To Watch
Ring in Lunar New Year with These 15 Movies and Shows
From sweeping epics to charming romances, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
Adelle Platon
Jan. 20, 2023
15 of the Best Lunar New Year Movies and Shows to Watch - Netflix Tudum
With Lunar New Year comes a fresh start for many East and Southeast Asian cultures around the world. According to the lunar calendar, Jan. 22, 2023, ushers in the Year of the Rabbit — or the Year of the Cat for Vietnam — a celebration filled with feasts, festivals and family gatherings. While traditions vary across the Asian diaspora, some shared customs to attract joy, prosperity and good fortune include: cleaning one’s home, making offerings to ancestors, preparing special foods, hanging auspicious decorations, wearing traditional garb or lucky colors and giving gifts like money in red envelopes. The festivities also provide a time for togetherness — and an opportunity to bond with loved ones while watching something new or an old favorite. In honor of Lunar New Year (and Seollal, the Korean Lunar New Year), indulge in this collection of films and series — from magical adventures and award-winning dramas to irreverent comedies and emotional tales.
Ip Man
Over the Moon
In this moving musical fairy tale directed by legendary animator Glen Keane (The Little Mermaid, Tangled), a bright young girl embarks on an ambitious mission: heading to the moon to meet a mythical moon goddess. Fueled by memories of her beloved mother, resourceful Fei Fei builds a rocket for her space voyage and lands among the stars and candy-colored creatures in a marvelous moon kingdom. Over the Moon is loaded with stunning visuals and toe-tapping numbers the whole family can groove to. The Oscar-nominated film boasts a stellar cast, with Cathy Ang, Phillipa Soo, Ken Jeong, John Cho, Sandra Oh and more lending their talents. Back on Earth, Fei Fei copes with loss and major life changes — an emotional journey that resonates in any universe.
Wish Dragon
Modern-day Shanghai turns into a wonderland of possibilities for a college student longing to reconnect with a long-lost pal. With the help of a wish-granting dragon, determined Din embarks on a heartfelt adventure that’s perfect for watch-together fun. Produced by Jackie Chan, this whimsical tale — featuring the voices of Jimmy Wong, Constance Wu, John Cho, Jimmy O. Yang and more — mixes mythical creatures with the magic of friendship. Din and his fiery sidekick Long make a formidable, mischief-making duo. Din attempts to achieve his big dreams with little means and only three wishes to turn his life and luck around.
Love in a Puff
Ashes of Love
Age of Rebellion
Dynasty Warriors
Warriors and warlords clash in epic battles for power in this fantasy series based on the hit video game franchise of the same name and the Chinese literary classic Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Directed by Roy Hin Yeung Chow (Rise of the Legend), this imaginative war drama mixes impressive visual effects with enough swordplay and martial arts showdowns to keep both fans of the original IP and curious newcomers entertained. Featuring a star-studded cast of A-list talent including Louis Koo, Wang Kai, Han Geng, Tony Yang and Carina Lau, the fictional historical period piece also packs larger-than-life heroes, impressive costume design and a hard-hitting score.
Us and Them
Nominated for five Golden Horse Awards including best new director (Taiwanese singer-actor Rene Liu, in her directorial debut) and supporting actor (Tian Zhuangzhuang), this heart-tugging love story follows Lin Jianqing (Jing Boran) and Fang Xiaoxiao (Zhou Dongyu), two strangers who meet on a train in the New Year travel rush and form a fast friendship that immediately evolves into something more. After hardship and heartache, the pair separate, only to reconnect and reflect on their yearslong romance.
Your Name Engraved Herein
This tender drama about two young boys at an all-male boarding school who fall in love as four decades of martial law come to an end in Taiwan is loosely inspired by director Patrick Liu’s life story. Written and produced by Chu Yu-ning, this tearjerker spotlights charming performances from Edward Chen and Tseng Ching-hua, who play shy Chang Jia-han and spontaneous Birdy Wang, respectively, and excel at capturing the desire and deep sighs of forbidden teenage love. As Taiwan’s all-time highest-grossing LGBTQ film, Your Name Engraved Herein was nominated for five Golden Horse Awards and won prizes for best cinematography and best original film song.
Scissor Seven
A hairdresser by day and an assassin by night (and not particularly adept at either), Seven kills by his own rules in this hilarious animated series. Wielding a pair of scissors, Seven often stumbles into accidents while carrying out his assassination attempts at a low cost — it’s little wonder he comes in at the astoundingly low place of 17,369th on the killer-ranking list. With cuss words and weapons flying, this largely hand-drawn cartoon comedy features entertaining chaos for most ages. (Comedian Ronny Chieng also supplies the English dub as the hapless protagonist.) To pile onto Seven’s problems, he’s also lost his memories and landed in a power struggle between two feuding factions.
A Sun
Shortlisted for the best international feature film Oscar, 2019’s A Sun is a bold and brutally honest account of a Taiwanese family trembling through life after a violent act lands their younger son in juvenile detention. As misfortune seems to follow the Chens, an unexpected tragedy provides a path toward redemption, acceptance and healing. Acclaimed Taiwanese director Chung Mong-hong illuminates the complexities of family life in this highly praised drama, which won Golden Horse Awards for acting and directing. Powerful performances from the cast and outstanding cinematography also make this heartbreaking yet hopeful narrative worth watching.
The Big 4
In this edgy action-comedy, four retired assassins itching to get back into action cross paths with a straight-arrow detective who’s bent on catching an elusive villain while investigating her father’s murder. Known for his brand of absurd action and horror films, director Timo Tjahjanto ticks off all the boxes for an ultraviolent thrill ride: spectacular gunplay, bloody combat and wild explosions. The offbeat adult humor and hard-hitting action are a match made in mayhem for this popcorn flick. Throw in a quartet of sassy crooks, and it’s clear that The Big 4 promises to go big or go home.
Little Big Women
Complicated emotions and big questions about life after death make Little Big Women an equally heartwarming and heartbreaking watch. Headlined by well-known names in Taiwan, the sentimental drama features singer-actor Vivian Hsu, Chen Shu-fang (Taipei Story), Hsieh Ying-Hsuan (The Making of an Ordinary Woman) and Sun Ke-fang (Sen Sen). At the heart of the film is a family grappling with the death of their estranged father and the remnants of the life he led during his absence. Through grief and despair, a domineering matriarch and her three grown daughters learn to cope as they seek closure and try to push forward as a unit and as women each facing their own set of challenges.
It's Okay to Not Be Okay
This Korean drama, inspired by screenwriter Jo Yong’s real-life experiences, details a children’s book author and a psych ward caretaker’s emotional and extraordinary journey to healing. After an unexpected run-in at a hospital, an antisocial storybook writer (played by Seo Yea-ji) with an icy heart finds love and much more with a community health worker (Kim Soo-hyun) burdened by the responsibility in his life. A dark fairy-tale romance ensues, making for an unusual love story that is mesmerizing to watch.
Extraordinary Attorney Woo
Captivating audiences in Korea and beyond, this heartfelt drama about a lawyer on the autism spectrum is a global smash. Meet brilliant attorney Woo Young-woo, who cracks cases and tackles challenges in the courtroom while navigating office politics and romance. Bonus: She also has an adorable obsession with whales and is a huge fan of palindromes. Starring Park Eun-bin (The King’s Affection), Kang Tae-oh (Run On) and Kang Ki-young (Moment of Eighteen), this feel-good series is a breezy, sometimes teary watch and will inspire viewers to embrace their extraordinary selves.
Find Your Next Netflix Obsession on TudumWhatever you love to stream, we’ve got tips on the latest releases, true crime, book adaptations, stand-up comedy, award-winning films and more.
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