Ash Is Purest White Movie (2018): Where to watch and stream online

Ash Is Purest White

2018, Movie, 2h 16min

Visionary director Jia Zhangke’s mesmerizing, decade-plus spanning journey through China’s criminal underworld features a tour-de-force performance from his frequent star Zhao Tao as Zhao Qiao, the swaggering girlfriend of low-level gangster Guo Bin (Liao Fan). Upon her release from a five-year prison sentence for protecting him in a fight, she finds herself navigating life in a rapidly changing, turn-of-the-millennium China—visualized by Jia as a landscape of surreal, almost science-fiction strangeness—as she embarks on an odyssey to reconnect with Bin. But what will she find? And who can she trust?

Country: France,China

Director:

Cast:

Reviews

Critic Tim Robey

rated

It’s hard to remember the last time an actress aged as convincingly on screen as Zhao Tao does in the melancholic, gently epic...

Read full review at The Telegraph

Critic Ian Freer

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...a riveting picture driven by a fantastic performance by Zhao Tao as a wronged woman whose laser focus makes Kill Bill’s The Bride look lackadaisical in comparison.

Read full review at Empire

Critic Trevor Johnston

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Jia Zhangke combines gangster pic and social critique to thrilling effect...

Read full review at Little White Lies

Critic Marjorie Baumgarten

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Jia’s minimalist visual style and sprawling narrative style allows him to observe changes in the present and over periods of time.

Read full review at The Austin Chronicle

Critic Glenn Kenny

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...successful attempt at depicting a changing China through the lives of not-quite-tragic characters and their sufferings.

Read full review at Roger Ebert

Critic Peter Bradshaw

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...a complex romantic tragedy from China’s aspirational gangster-classes.

Read full review at The Guardian

Frequently asked questions

What is Ash Is Purest White about? Toggle content

In the gritty underworld of China's industrial cities, Qiao's love for her mobster boyfriend Bin knows no bounds. When she's sentenced to prison for protecting him during a violent confrontation, her loyalty is put to the test. Upon her release, she embarks on a dangerous and emotionally charged journey to find Bin, who has abandoned her and moved on with his life. As Qiao navigates the treacherous landscape of rival gangs and corrupt authorities, she must confront the harsh realities of her choices and the true cost of love and loyalty. Will she find her way back to Bin, or will the weight of her past mistakes prove too much to bear?

Where can I stream Ash Is Purest White? Toggle content

You can stream Ash Is Purest White on: Mubi

What movies are similar to Ash Is Purest White? Toggle content

Some movies that have similar genres and were produced around the same time as Ash Is Purest White include Queen & Slim, Happiest Season, Decision to Leave, Skin, Black, And Tomorrow the Entire World.