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The Forbidden City

Play trailer Poster for The Forbidden City 2025 2h 18m Action Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 9 Reviews Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Two very different souls intersect on the streets of Rome when the Italian son of a restaurant owner and a young Chinese girl join forces to search for their missing family members, his father and her sister. As romance sparks between them, they uncover the tragic truths linking their families to the city's criminal underworld and seek vengeance against the ruthless gangsters behind it all before they can start a new life together.

Critics Reviews

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Peter Debruge Variety Nov 26
The film’s plot is too complicated by half... But it ultimately results in several memorable fight scenes and a reasonably well-earned love story. Go to Full Review
Ed Travis Cinapse Sep 22
Nothing prepared me for [this] singular cinematic experience. Go to Full Review
Kate Sánchez But Why Tho? A Geek Community Sep 22
9.5/10
One part Italian rom-com and one part Chinese martial arts film, Forbidden City is a genre smashing title that pays off big. Go to Full Review
Scott Phillips Forbes Aug 7
Mainetti’s films have an epic scale and grandeur that belie their very reasonable budgets. Be sure to see this one on the big screen if it plays an arthouse near you. Go to Full Review
Harris Dang In Their Own League Aug 4
4/5
The Forbidden City is an extremely entertaining genre mix of hard-hitting martial arts, compelling family drama and brutal crime violence that compels, exhilarates and emotionally stirs all at once with a fantastic debut lead performance from Liu Yaxi. Go to Full Review
Maxance Vincent Awards Radar Aug 2
2.5/4
Once all the characters are introduced, and the main dramatic throughline of The Forbidden City is properly laid out, Mainetti’s film sadly takes a nosedive and never recovers. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Marc Z @TKDLife 4h The Forbidden City will surprise you in many ways.  The title, the setting, and the lead actress would lead you to believe it is a Chinese made Kung Fu and action drama.   It is not.  It is Italian made, and Directed by Gabriele Mainetti.   If you start watching the film it is cleverly disguised, and pays tribute to, many of the great Hong Kong action films of the past.   However, its elevation of the adult themes, visuals, and gritty violence quickly tip off the viewer that this film was not made in China. The blending of Italian Western style with Hong Kong themes and action really works in this film.   There is a solid story here, and solid character development.   The martial arts action is well choreographed and very original.    The fights are very good. Yaxi Liu is very good.   She plays the role very well.   Her ability to capture the screen in the martial arts fight scenes is beyond the ordinary.  She also captures the dramatic scenes with great poise.     See more Emanuela Jul 14 Un film emozionante e avvincente. Sono rimasta incollata alle scene di combattimento e alla storia della ragazza che ahimè ricorda abusi e crimini verso l’umanità che non dovrebbero mai più accadere. Trovo la regia di Gabriele Mainetti profonda, al pari di registi americani e addirittura con qualcosa in più: Mainetti mette (ciò si respira profondamente guardando il film) la “semplicità” e grandiosità poetica italiana che appartiene al nostro DNA, alla ns memoria storica di raccontare. Roma e Mainetti sono un connubio meraviglioso che ci fa sognare e questo suo nuovo film ne è la prova che mi lega ad ogni personaggio e attore scelto nel nuovo film, da Giallini alla Ferilli. L’Attrice protagonista è epica! Godetevelo See more Read all reviews
The Forbidden City

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Movie Info

Synopsis Two very different souls intersect on the streets of Rome when the Italian son of a restaurant owner and a young Chinese girl join forces to search for their missing family members, his father and her sister. As romance sparks between them, they uncover the tragic truths linking their families to the city's criminal underworld and seek vengeance against the ruthless gangsters behind it all before they can start a new life together.
Director
Gabriele Mainetti
Producer
Vindhya Sagar, Lorenzo Gangarossa, Mario Gianani, Sonia Rovai
Screenwriter
Stefano Bises, Gabriele Mainetti, Davide Serino
Distributor
Well Go USA Entertainment
Production Co
PiperFilm
Genre
Action, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
Italian
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 17, 2026
Runtime
2h 18m