The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978) Review

Is The 36th Chamber of Shaolin worth watching?

Yes — The 36th Chamber of Shaolin is worth watching, with a 94% Critic Score and 90% Audience Score on Celluloid. It earns a 85% Celluloid Score across critic reviews, audience polls, Metascore (82), Letterboxd (4.1/5), and IMDb (7.6/10).

Directed by Lau Kar-leung, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin runs 116 minutes in Mandarin. On Celluloid we index it for “The 36th Chamber of Shaolin review”, “is The 36th Chamber of Shaolin worth watching”, and related discovery queries from Hong Kong.

What is The 36th Chamber of Shaolin about?

During the Qing Dynasty, a fishmonger is killed by the reigning Manchu government for supporting the anti-government movement; his son manages to escape to Shaolin Temple, where he plans to learn its secretive brand of martial arts to seek revenge.

Critics consensus: The definitive training film — Gordon Liu earns every technique on screen, and half of hip-hop took its name from it. The film stars Gordon Liu Chia-Hui, Lo Lieh, John Cheung Ng-Long, Wilson Tong Wai-Shing, Wa Lun, and others.

Should you watch The 36th Chamber of Shaolin tonight?

Yes — prioritize The 36th Chamber of Shaolin tonight if you want a proven action with lasting rewatch value. At 116 minutes, it fits a single sitting — and the five-source score breakdown on the movie page shows where critics and audiences agree.

Where can I watch The 36th Chamber of Shaolin?

Streaming availability varies by region — check Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and local OTT platforms, or theatrical revivals. The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978) is indexed on CelluloidScore.com with cast, scores, and IMDb tt0078243. Explore more from Hong Kong on our country hub or browse action films.