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Dragon

Dragon

Blood Always Leaves a Trail.

201198 minRMidcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
Director
Peter Ho-Sun Chan
Starring
Donnie Yen, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Wei Tang, Jimmy Wang Yu

A sinful martial arts expert wants to start a new tranquil life, only to be hunted by a determined detective and his former master.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Dragon?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Dragon streaming on Tubi (free).

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Dragon?

Dragon earns 5 badges, led by Top 10% in Action and Visual feast.

  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Dragon worth watching?

Dragon's Midcredits score is the 81st percentile of all films, from 24K ratings across 6 sources. 73% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

81st percentile

Better received than 81% of films

90th percentile among Action81st percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)78th
Approval (how many liked it)82nd

70 /100

78th percentile of all films

89th percentile among Action77th percentile among 2010s

Critics 62 · Audience 70

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.2 — solid but not unanimous.

73% liked it

82nd percentile of all films

88th percentile among Action83rd percentile among 2010s
73% rated it 7–1027% rated it 1–6

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 12 wins / 23 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

90th percentile

24K ratings across platforms

82nd percentile among Action90th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 19% in 30 days

Box office

Opening weekend$11K
Domestic gross$11K
Worldwide gross$29M

72nd percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A stylish martial-arts detective story with impressive action and period atmosphere, but its narrative stumbles in the final act.

Fans praised

  • superb choreography and visceral fight sequences
  • nuanced performances, especially Donnie Yen's dramatic range
  • gorgeous cinematography and immersive period setting

Detractors panned

  • absurd, over-the-top final act with supernatural elements
  • pacing drags in the middle and story loses focus
  • derivative of A History of Violence with little originality

What stands out

Cinematography85

gorgeous location shooting and color palette

ActingDivisive82

Donnie Yen praised for best dramatic performance, Takeshi Kaneshiro's quirky detective a standout

AtmosphereDivisive80

immersive 1917 village and dark tone

CharactersDivisive75

detective and reformed killer well-drawn, villains one-dimensional

Plot and storyDivisive55

interesting detective setup overshadowed by messy second half

OriginalityDivisive45

heavily derivative of A History of Violence and One-Armed Swordsman

PacingDivisive40

slow first half, second half loses momentum

EndingDivisive30

lightning deus ex machina widely criticized

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 5 points apart
  • Critics vs users 3 points apart
  • US vs non-US 7 points apart

Watch experience

What is Dragon like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Tense and gripping: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something tense that holds you to the end.

It is intense, has a few laughs and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want an easy night.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Tense and gripping.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseMelancholic
Heaviest: late
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Wry · 7% of films: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.Multiple perspectives · 2% of films: The same events retold from different characters' points of view.
ToneThe film is played straight, with a serious, brooding atmosphere that gradually darkens as the truth of the past emerges, and moments of dry humour from the detective's quirky persistence.
The rideThe film alternates between quiet domestic warmth and sudden violent action, with a pervasive sense of dread and melancholy that intensifies as the past catches up.
StructureThe story unfolds in a linear fashion but shifts between Liu Jinxi's perspective and Detective Xu Baijiu's investigation, revealing the truth gradually.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

Thought-provokingBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe film lingers on questions of identity, redemption, and the price of violence, leaving the viewer with a reflective melancholy and a sense of unresolved moral complexity.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Tragedy
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9% (this title): Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% (this title) · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Obsession: A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).

9% of films fit this archetype

with Mystery underneath

Why this archetypeThe detective's obsessive pursuit of the truth about Liu Jinxi's past drives the plot, and the revelation of that hidden history forces both men toward a tragic reckoning.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfIdentitySelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% (this title) · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% (this title) · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Identity · 14% of filmsGuilt · 3% of filmsJustice · 13% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores how Liu Jinxi's carefully constructed new life as a villager conflicts with the violent identity he tried to abandon, while the detective's own past complicates his rigid pursuit of justice.
StanceThe film questions the possibility of escaping one's past and the nature of justice, leaving the moral conflict between the two men unresolved.

The world

Early 20th centuryRuralSmall townRealistic
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Peter Kam
SettingA remote papermaking village in early 20th-century southwest China, with the detective an outsider from the city.
MusicA dramatic orchestral score that underscores the tense atmosphere and the emotional weight of the revelations.

Content guide

Is Dragon okay for kids?

R

Dragon is rated R: “Rated R for violence” (MPAA). As of October 2, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (100/100), sexual content at minimal (0/100), language at minimal (0/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (33/100) and frightening material at intense (73/100). None has enough votes to rank yet.

Ratings in 5 other countries
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany16
  • JapanR15+
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil16
Overall
Intense · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Severe
too few votes to rank (5 votes)
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (4 votes)
Profanity
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (3 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
too few votes to rank (3 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Intense
too few votes to rank (5 votes)

Too few votes to rank this title overall (20 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Dragon have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Dragon?

Cast

Donnie Yen
as Liu Jinxi
Takeshi Kaneshiro
as Xu Baijiu
Wei Tang
as Yu (A-Yu)
Jimmy Wang Yu
as The Master (Jiaozhu)
Kara Wai
as The Master's wife (Shisan Niang)
Zhusheng Yin
as Xu Kun
Kang Yu
as Yan Dongsheng
Kenji Tanigaki
as Yan's associate
Wu Jiang
as Xu's investigator (Tanzi)
Xiaoran Li
as Xu Baijiu's estranged wife (Xu Qianqi)

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Dragon?

Movies like Dragon include Bodyguards and Assassins (2009), Kung Fu Jungle (2014) and Tai Chi Zero (2012). Of the 12 closest matches, most are martial-arts films, and half are films with Donnie Yen.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

6 of these 12 share its world: law enforcement. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Dragon?

1.4K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: martial arts. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.