Shanghai’s neon‑soaked nostalgia trip is finally catching the next flight to U.S. streamers—just in time for sweater weather. Criterion says the 30‑episode epic will bloom on its service sometime this fall, leaving the exact date as mysterious as one of Wong Kar Wai’s longing glances. Until then, here’s why you should clear 25 hours in your calendar.
The release window remains playfully vague
Criterion’s official line is “fall 2025,” which is corporate for “check back after Labor Day.” If history holds, the service will slip the premiere into one of its monthly lineup drops. Translation: keep refreshing that blog page like it’s the last taxi out of Chungking Mansions.
A fresh coat of color for the West
Cinematographer Peter Pau admitted the original Chinese broadcast “didn’t capture the optimal visual tone.” The international version promises richer hues and cleaner corrections, the cinematic equivalent of swapping fluorescent lights for moody, rain‑slicked neon. Expect the frames to look more In the Mood for Love, less half‑baked hotel lobby.
Seven years, one pivot, 25 hours of television
Announced in 2016 as a feature film, Blossoms ballooned into a sprawling series covering Shanghai life from the 1960s through the turn of the millennium. Wong personally directed 19 of the 30 episodes, because subtle restraint has never been his brand.
MUBI handles the rest of the globe
While U.S. viewers cozy up with Criterion, MUBI will stream the upgraded cut across Latin America, most of Europe, Turkey, and India. Yes, you can finally stop hunting for bootleg episodes on Reddit.
Will this end the 12‑year Wong drought?
Since 2013’s The Grandmaster, Wong has kept fans parched. Rumor has it he’s already prepping his next feature—backed by Yves Saint Laurent, naturally—but let’s get through three dozen hours of TV first.
Why you will care even if you think you won’t
- Period drama meets pop‑art melancholy
- Tourist spots in Shanghai now exist solely because of this show
- Storylines stretching from Cultural Revolution fallout to ’90s capitalist euphoria
- Enough stylish cigarette smoke to make Don Draper blush
Blossoms Shanghai looks poised to be the most romantic history lesson ever streamed. Stock up on tissues and jasmine tea.
seo tags: Blossoms Shanghai, Wong Kar Wai, Criterion Channel, MUBI, Chinese TV drama, International streaming, Shanghai history
