The Chinese entertainment industry continues to grow stronger, despite the pandemic. Even though the coronavirus outbreak brought films in Chinese theaters to a screeching halt, China’s cinema box office eventually redeemed itself with a strong performance by 80% during the National Day with an estimated 93 million moviegoers.
Based on the data from Artisan Gateway, China’s box office sales reached $1.988 billion in 2020. With this, China has become the world’s biggest movie box office, surpassing America’s sum of $1.937 billion.
Here are the top 5 highly recommended Chinese movies in 2020:
1. Oversize Love (月半爱丽丝)
Pinyin: Yuè Bàn Àì Lì Sī
Genre: Romantic comedy
Cast: Guan Xiaotong, Huang Jingyu
If you can’t decide what movie to watch, you can’t go wrong with a good rom-com movie! This amusing film tells how Lin Xiaoxi undergoes a weight transformation, turning into a beautiful and sexy woman with a pseudonym, Alice. Planning to approach her crush, Huang Ke, she is caught in a love triangle with her childhood friend Han Bing.
2. Lost in Russia (囧妈)
Pinyin: Jiǒng Mā
Genre: Family, Adventure, Comedy
Cast: Xu Zheng, Huang Meiying
Lost in Russia follows the story of the middle-aged son, Xu Yiwan, who follows his mother, Lu Xiaohua, on a trip from Beijing to Moscow, as she plans to chase her dream of becoming a singer. With a traditional mother-son relationship at its center, viewers may enjoy this heartwarming and comedic family film.
3. Leap (夺冠)
Pinyin: Duó Guàn
Genre: Sports, Drama
Cast: Gong Li, Huang Bo, Wu Gang
Leap is based on the real-life touching stories of the Chinese National Women’s Volleyball Team over the span of more than 40 years. The story portrays the ups and downs of the members as they pursue their ultimate goal of the Olympic final for the glory of their country. It was also selected as an entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards.
4. Legend of Deification (姜子牙)
Pinyin: Jiāng Zǐyá
Genre: Animation, Family, Fantasy
Cast: Zheng Xi, Zi Guanlin
Praised for its visually stunning animation and jaw-dropping graphics, Legend of Deification features a mythological and fictional version of a popular Chinese figure, Jiang Ziya from the Ming Dynasty. In this sequel to the film, Ne Zha, and the second film in the Fengshen Cinematic Universe, high commander Jiang Ziya is tasked to cast out the Nine-tailed Fox Demon who has been terrorizing the mortals. After finding out the enemy’s life is attached to an innocent girl’s soul, he comes to terms with a challenging decision: follow heaven’s will or follow his own righteous morals and principles.
5. Caught in Time (除暴)
Pinyin: Chú Bào
Genre: Action, Crime, Mystery, Drama
Cast: Wang Qianyuan, Wu Yanzu
This action-packed crime flick will leave you on the edge of your seat. Caught in Time was the number one earner at weekend box offices worldwide. The film follows the story of a detective who chases a gang of criminals who have committed a series of robberies after circumventing an arrest 10 years ago.
