IMDb 6.3 2010 HD

Shanghai

Shanghai

2010
Drama Mystery Thriller
105 min R USA
6.104 / 10
6.3 IMDB

An American man returns to a corrupt, Japanese-occupied Shanghai four months before Pearl Harbor and discovers his friend has been killed. While he unravels the mysteries of the…

Personnel // Cast & Crew

Director Mikael Håfström
Starring
John Cusack / Gong Li / Chow Yun-Fat / Ken Watanabe / Jeffrey Dean Morgan / David Morse / Franka Potente / Hugh Bonneville

How Viewers Describe This Film

Common themes and sentiments

atmospheric intriguing tense romantic complex historical disappointing well-acted stylish predictable engaging serious

Reviews

S
Seraphina Chen
Apr 29, 2026
3.0 / 5
3.0

As a period drama with thriller elements, 'Shanghai' offers a moody exploration of a city under duress. John Cusack’s presence lends a grounded quality to the narrative, his character’s investigation into a friend’s demise acting as a catalyst…

A
Arthur Pendelton
Apr 29, 2026
2.5 / 5
2.5

This pre-war Shanghai set thriller aims for grand conspiracy but ultimately lands with a muted thud. John Cusack plays the earnest American caught in a web of murder and secrets, a role he handles with his usual understated…

I
Isabelle Dubois
Apr 29, 2026
4.0 / 5
4.0

'Shanghai' is a captivating dive into a city on the precipice, brimming with tension and a palpable sense of history. John Cusack anchors the film with a performance that balances vulnerability and determination, perfectly suited to a man…

M
Marcus Bellweather
Apr 29, 2026
3.0 / 5
3.0

As a period piece steeped in intrigue, 'Shanghai' attempts to weave a complex tapestry of espionage, romance, and pre-war jitters. John Cusack delivers a solid performance as the American caught in the crossfire, his journey of discovery serving…

E
Eleanor Vance
Apr 29, 2026
3.5 / 5
3.5

John Cusack navigates the treacherous streets of 1941 Shanghai with a weary resolve in this stylish, if occasionally convoluted, thriller. The film excels in its atmospheric recreation of a city teetering on the edge of war, with Japanese…

FAQs

The secret uncovered in 'Shanghai' is presented as far-reaching, impacting not only the characters' immediate circumstances but also broader political landscapes. The plot suggests that this revelation involves a conspiracy much larger than the initial mystery of a friend's death, hinting at the involvement and potential complicity of the protagonist's own government in the events unfolding in pre-war Shanghai.