Reign of Assassins (2010)

Part of Flying Sword Heroes: Gravity-Defying Tales from Taiwan Film Festival 

Directed by: Su Chao-bin, John Woo
Starring: Michelle Yeoh, Jung Woo-sung, Leon Dai

Lady assassin Drizzle (Kelly Lin) knows the Ming Dynasty is a cutthroat world — literally. So when she steals the sacred remains of a kung fu monk whose bone marrow holds mystical martial arts secrets, she doesn’t just make enemies — she becomes one giant target. Her solution? Go under the knife and emerge as…Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”). Of course, this begins “Reign of Assassins,” a slick, soulful wuxia that was a highlight of NYAFF 2011. Reborn as tofu-slicing housewife Zeng Jing, Drizzle settles down with a kindhearted courier (Korean superstar Jung Woo-Sung) and tries to forget the whole murder-for-hire thing — until her old gang, the delightfully twisted Dark Stone, crashes back into her life.

A genre-hopping spectacle from director Su Chao-Pin (with a strong assist from John Woo, credited as co-director), “Reign” delivers gravity-defying action, romantic longing, and some of the most stylish assassins this side of a fever dream. From a nympho bride to a killer with a Technicolor coat, every blade-wielding freak hides a tragic backstory. The fights are sharp, but the emotions cut deeper.

4:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 17 and Saturday, Aug. 23
FREE Admission (tickets must be reserved in advance online, or at the Box Office)