Blue Sun Palace

Last updated
Blue Sun Palace
Blue Sun Palace poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed byConstance Tsang
Written byConstance Tsang
Produced by
  • Sally Sujin Oh
  • Eli Raskin
  • Tony Yang
Starring
CinematographyNorm Li
Edited byCaitlin Carr
Music bySami Jano
Production
companies
  • Big Buddha Pictures
  • Field Trip Media
Distributed byDekanalog
Release dates
  • May 19, 2024 (2024-05-19)(Cannes)
  • April 25, 2025 (2025-04-25)(United States)
Running time
116 minutes
CountryUnited States
Languages
  • English
  • Mandarin
Box office$80,580 [1] [2]

Blue Sun Palace is a 2024 American drama film, written and directed by Constance Tsang in her directorial debut. It stars Lee Kang-sheng, Wu Ke-xi and Haipeng Xu.

Contents

It had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 19, 2024, in the Critics' Week section. It was released on April 25, 2025, by Dekanalog.

Premise

An unexpected bond forms between two migrants in the Chinese community of Queens, New York, in the aftermath of a tragedy.

Cast

Release

Its world premiere was at the Cannes Film Festival on May 19, 2024. [3] [4] In September 2024, Dekanalog acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film. [5] It was released on April 25, 2025. [6]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 100% of 20 critics' reviews are positive. [7] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 83 out of 100, based on nine critics, indicating "universal acclaim". [8]

Alissa Simon of Variety wrote, "More akin to European art films than to American indies, Palace prioritizes mood over plot. Tsang allows her experienced actors plenty of breathing space to convey the melancholy of their existence in situations where dreams are more likely to be deferred than to come true, but are necessary nevertheless." [9]

Tomris Laffly of RogerEbert.com gave the film three and a half out of four stars, writing, "Tsang has made a small, affecting, and studiously minimalist film here, with lived-in and tactile visual and design elements signaling a major auteur in the making. In a lot of ways, her film brings to mind Take Out , a stunning early Sean Baker movie about a Chinese immigrant working as a deliveryman. Inspired by her and her family's own past as immigrants, Tsang's poignant Blue Sun Palace is anchored in a similar kind of empathy, one that lingers and grows long after the film's aching end credits appear." [10]

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryNomineeResultRef.
202445th Cairo International Film Festival Best Actor Lee Kang-sheng Won [11]
Golden Pyramid Award Blue Sun PalaceNominated
2025 49th Hong Kong International Film Festival Firebird Awards (Young Cinema Competition (Chinese-language))Blue Sun PalaceNominated [12]
Best Actress (Firebird Awards, Chinese-language) Wu Ke-xi, Haipeng XuWon

References

  1. ↑ "Blue Sun Palace – Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
  2. ↑ "Blue Sun Palace". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
  3. ↑ Goodfellow, Melanie (April 15, 2024). "Cannes Critics' Week Unveils 2024 Selection – Full List & Details". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved March 14, 2025.
  4. ↑ "Blue Sun Palace". Critics' Week . Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  5. ↑ Wiseman, Andreas (September 26, 2024). "Cannes Critics' Week Winner 'Blue Sun Palace' Gets North American Deal". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  6. ↑ Zee, Michaela (February 11, 2025). "Cannes Critics' Week Winner 'Blue Sun Palace' Unveils Trailer (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  7. ↑ "Blue Sun Palace". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 27 July 2025.
  8. ↑ "Blue Sun Palace". Metacritic . Retrieved 27 July 2025.
  9. ↑ Simon, Alissa (23 May 2024). "'Blue Sun Palace' Review: A Moody Debut Shines Light on Sisterhood Among Chinese Immigrants Working in a Massage Parlor". Variety . Retrieved 26 April 2025.
  10. ↑ Laffly, Tomris (April 2025). "Blue Sun Palace". RogerEbert.com . Retrieved 26 April 2025.
  11. ↑ John Bleasdale (November 23, 2024). "'The New Year That Never Came,' Black Comedy About a Repressive Regime, Seizes Top Prize at Cairo Film Festival". Variety. Archived from the original on November 25, 2024. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  12. ↑ 羅茜; 張艷玲 (22 April 2025). "2025香港國際電影節圓滿結束 「火鳥大獎」競賽得主揭曉" [The 2025 Hong Kong International Film Festival has successfully concluded, and the winners of the Firebird Awards have been announced.]. Orange News (in Chinese). Retrieved 22 April 2025.
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