Film

Gorgeous

Name: Gorgeous
Genre: Adventure, Action, Comedy, Romance
Released: 1999
Cast: Shu Qi, Jackie Chan, Emil Chau, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Richie Jen

Romantic comedy
Light-hearted

A Taiwanese woman chases a romantic fantasy to Hong Kong, only to discover her dream man is gay—but finds unexpected connection instead. Gorgeous is a breezy romantic comedy that crashes action sequences, earnest sentiment, and tonal whiplash into something utterly unhinged. It's Jackie Chan doing romance and vulnerability. It's messy, charming, and completely unafraid to be silly.

TMDb rating

3.3

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy breezy romantic capers where a sweet premise gets tossed around by slapstick, chases and the easy charm of late-nineties Hong Kong cinema.

Skip it if you want a tight, consistent plot, since this one wanders from fishing-town innocence to city farce to action set-pieces and rarely settles into a single mood.

What it asks of you: Settle in for just over two hours and let it hop between giddy romance, gags and stunts without asking you to track anything heavy.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Crazy Rich Asians2018

Similar blend of romance, comedy, and Asian identity; gorgeous cinematography; an ensemble cast with real chemistry. It's fun without being dismissive of its own heart.

But The romance is predictable and the wealthy-people-problems setup alienates some viewers. Also considerably more polished and less weird than Gorgeous.

My Sassy Girl2001

Korean rom-com with the same chaotic energy and willingness to veer from romance to absurdity. Two leads with perfect comedic timing and genuine sweetness underneath the mayhem.

But The humour is broad and relies heavily on slapstick. Pacing stutters in the second half. Some jokes haven't aged gracefully.

Kung Fu Hustle2004

Stephen Chow's masterpiece of tonal chaos—romantic, hilarious, and explosively violent, all at once. Proves you can make something genuinely moving while embracing total absurdity.

But The action can feel gratuitous if you're here mainly for romance. Some visual gags rely on Hong Kong cinema knowledge you might not have.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Gorgeous

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

The Postman Always Rings Twice1946

Both centre on a wanderer whose arrival catalyses chaos for a small community. Both understand that fantasy (the bottle's message, the femme fatale myth) collides violently with reality.

Film noir takes the 'stranger comes to town and upends everything' template that Gorgeous uses, but strips away comedy and romance to expose naked desire and betrayal. Same DNA, entirely different temperature.

But It's in black-and-white, deeply serious, and sexually charged in ways that will feel distant from Gorgeous's playfulness. Lana Turner's character is morally complicated in ways modern audiences may find uncomfortable.

Overboard1987

Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell: opposites-attract romance with real comedic chemistry. It's frothy but warmhearted, and the script never punches down at its central premise.

But The 80s aesthetic is very pronounced. The premise—a man manipulates an amnesiac woman—hasn't aged well for everyone. Considerably lighter on action than Gorgeous.

Romancing the Stone1984

Adventure-romance that actually works: a romance writer gets swept into a real jungle adventure. Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner are genuinely funny together, and the plot mechanics are clever.

But Action sequences feel dated. The pacing lags in stretches. It's altogether more conventional than Gorgeous; less willing to be strange.

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days2003

Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson have an easy, playful chemistry. The script is sharper than it needs to be, and the movie doesn't overstay its welcome.

But It's fundamentally conventional rom-com machinery. No action, no real stakes, no surprises. If you want weird, look elsewhere.

Rush Hour1998

Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker's buddy-cop chemistry carries this effortlessly. Chan gets to do what he does best: impossible action combined with physical comedy and surprising warmth.

But The plot is tissue-thin. The humour relies partly on dated stereotypes. It's essentially a vehicle; if the pairing doesn't click for you, there's not much underneath.

The Legend of Drunken Master1994

Jackie Chan at peak physical brilliance, doing comedy and fighting simultaneously. Some of the most inventive action choreography ever filmed. Pure joy to watch if you love martial arts.

But There's no real romantic subplot. The plot is basically an excuse for fight scenes. If action isn't your primary draw, this will feel thin.

Flirting1991

Australian coming-of-age romance with genuine tenderness. Noah Taylor and Thandiwe Newton are lovely together. It captures the ache of first love without sentimentality.

But Pacing is deliberate and slow. There's zero action. If you want fizz and spectacle, you'll find this quietly frustrating. Limited to intimate spaces.

Amélie2001

Both films treat romantic yearning as worthy of cinema's full visual arsenal. Both believe in the possibility of connection despite—or because of—the strangeness of being alive and alone.

French magical-realist romance that shares Gorgeous's belief that cinema can be beautiful and whimsical and romantic without irony. Audrey Tautou's performance is pure enchantment. Every frame is painterly.

But It's quieter and more precious than Gorgeous. Some find it saccharine. There's no action, and the pacing is meditative rather than propulsive. The whimsy can feel suffocating if you're not in the mood.

The Sword of Doom1966

Both films insist that beauty and chaos are not opposites. Both suggest that the most gorgeous surfaces can mask the most complicated interiours. Both understand that looking at someone isn't the same as knowing them.

A samurai film that abandons heroics entirely for psychological disintegration and moral emptiness. Tatsuya Nakadai is mesmerizing as a man beautiful and terrible simultaneously. Stunning black-and-white cinematography; the violence is balletic.

But It's slow, fatalistic, and offers no redemption. There's no romance, no comedy relief, no catharsis. If you want beauty married to bleakness rather than hope, this is for you—otherwise it's punishing.