Discover the best of Taiwanese cinema, film, and television
Discover the definitive list of popular and critically-acclaimed movies and TV shows from Taiwan. Find your next binge-watch, streaming on Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Prime Video, and other top services!
The cinema of Taiwan
Taiwanese cinema experienced a revolutionary transformation in the early 1980s that redefined Asian filmmaking forever. In 1982, three new-generation directors—Edward Yang, Ko I-chen, and Chang Yi—produced the four-segment anthology film "In Our Time," beginning what would be known as the New Taiwanese Cinema movement. This marked a dramatic departure from the melodramas and martial arts films that previously dominated local screens. Hou Hsiao-Hsien became the central figure of Taiwan New Wave, with films like "A City of Sadness" (1989) and "The Puppetmaster" (1993) celebrated for their slow, contemplative pacing and realistic portrayal of everyday life. Alongside Edward Yang, these directors refined their new approach to realism with elliptical narratives told through long takes and long shots. Hou Hsiao-hsien's international recognition peaked when he was named best director at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, proving that Taiwanese cinema could compete on the world's biggest stages. Films like "Goodbye, Dragon Inn" made the prestigious Sight & Sound top films list, ranking alongside classics like "The Godfather Part II". Television has evolved dramatically, with popular series including adaptations like "Meteor Garden" (based on "Hana Yori Dango") and "It Started with a Kiss," where characters' names are adapted for Chinese audiences. Taiwan has also become culturally significant for producing BL dramas, particularly meaningful given the country's progressive stance on LGBTQ+ rights. What makes Taiwanese cinema extraordinary is its ability to capture the island's rapid modernisation whilst preserving intimate human stories. The New Wave movement didn't just change local cinema, it influenced filmmakers worldwide with its contemplative approach to storytelling.
Best Taiwanese series
We Best Love 2021
Zhou Shu Yi, always overshadowed by Gao Shi De since childhood, hopes for freedom at university, only to find Gao Shi De disrupting his life—and his heart—yet again."
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Copycat Killer 2023
When a spate of grisly murders throws a city into chaos, a tenacious prosecutor must brace for a cat-and-mouse game against a dangerous manipulator.
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Someday or One Day 2019
Yu-Hsuan lost her boyfriend Chuan-Sheng in plane accident. She then discovered Chuan-Sheng and a girl look alike Yu-Hsuan both appeared in a photo taken in 1998. Accidentally, she had backed to 1998 and met a boy looked alike Chuan-Sheng.
82
Triad Princess 2019
After jostling her way into a gig as a celebrity bodyguard, the boisterous daughter of a powerful triad boss shakes up a TV star's life and finds love.
64
Be Loved in House: I Do 2021
When a strict new boss bans dating in the office, a defiant employee sets out to challenge the rule—only to fall for the man behind it.
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The Victims' Game 2020
After discovering his estranged daughter's link to mysterious murders, a forensic detective with Asperger's syndrome risks everything to solve the case.
71
Best Taiwanese movies
The Sadness 2021
A young couple is pushed to the limits of sanity as they attempt to be reunited amid the chaos of a pandemic outbreak. The streets erupt into violence and depravity, as those infected are driven to enact the most cruel and ghastly things imaginable.
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Incantation 2022
Inspired by the true story of a family who believed they were possessed by spirits. This film follows a woman who must protect her child from a curse.
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Yi Yi 2000
Each member of a family in Taipei asks hard questions about life's meaning as they live through everyday quandaries. NJ is morose: his brother owes him money, his mother-in-law is in a coma, his wife suffers a spiritual crisis when she finds her life a blank and his business partners make bad decisions.
81
The Assassin 2015
9th century China. Ten year old general’s daughter Nie Yinniang is abducted by a nun who initiates her into the martial arts, transforming her into an exceptional assassin charged with eliminating cruel and corrupt local governors. One day, having failed in a task, she is sent back by her mistress to the land of her birth, with orders to kill the man to whom she was promised – a cousin who now leads the largest military region in North China. After 13 years of exile, the young woman must confront her parents, her memories and her long-repressed feelings.
58
The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon 2023
The arrogant, third most-wanted criminal in Taiwan, decides to get rid of the top two competitors and crowns himself the most-wanted criminal before dying.
74
Eat Drink Man Woman 1994
Retired and widowed Chinese master chef Chu lives in modern day Taipei, with his three attractive daughters, all of whom are unattached. Soon, each daughter encounters a new man in their lives. When these new relationships blossom, stereotypes are broken and the living situation within the family changes.
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