The Jade Faced Assassin (1971): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1971, The Jade Faced Assassin is an action film directed by Yan Jun, running about 105 minutes.

What it’s about. The swordsman Zhang Zhen is injured in a misadventure and rescued by Eldest Sister of Changchun Sect, who has a crush on him. However, Zhang falls in love with the maid Yuenu instead, and conceives twins with her. The couple are killed by a group of evil pugilists later. The Eldest Sister is angry with Zhang Zhen for not accepting her and plans to make Zhang's children kill each other as revenge. The baby girl (Xiaolu'er) is saved by Zhang's friend, Lian Lanyan, while the male infant (Hua Yuchun) is taken away by the Eldest Sister. Lian Lanyan encounters the Ten Villains when he passes through Villains' Valley. He is overwhelmed by them and knocked out in a fight. The baby Xiaolu'er is taken away by the Villains, who surprisingly do not harm her, and instead intend to groom her to become the greatest villain ever. Eighteen years later, the twins meet each other by coincidence.

Who’s in it. The Jade Faced Assassin stars Kao Yuen as Hua Yu Chun, Ku Feng as Lian Lan Yan, Fan Mei-Sheng as Yu Chi Zhou Guang and Lily Ho as Xiao Lu Er.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.2/10, The Jade Faced Assassin has proved divisive with audiences.

Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Shout! Factory Amazon Channel. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Jade Faced Assassin page.

If you liked it. Fans of The Jade Faced Assassin tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.