The year hasn’t been action-heavy with new releases, which makes something like The Butcher’s Blade so enticing. A new straight-to-digital action wuxia that showcases the best high-energy fights of the year. Even with a story that is bare bones, there’s rarely a minute of the film that isn’t ramping up or ramping down from its intense action. Liu Wenpu directs a high-stakes tale of a constable who wants to do the right thing, even when it seems impossible.
Xue Buyi (Liu Fengchao) is a man of few words, making him an interesting choice as a narrator and the film’s focal point. Outwardly, he has a quiet demeanor, rarely making eye contact, and expresses his feelings through gestures, which doesn’t do him many favors in how those around him perceive him as a coward. Buyi isn’t just any constable; he is more interested in doing things by the book than finding ways to line his pockets. For Buyi, it puts a target on him, and as he tries to save the noodle shop, owned by his crush Yin Erniang (Gao Weiman), from increasing rent, he faces more than just the challenges of morality.
As a member of Eagle Eye, a group of men that train for years in the art of their three principles of being a constable: capture, interrogation, and execution. Buyi has been gone for nearly a decade, yet he falls right back into his official work. He has a reluctance to partake in the last two principles, interrogation and execution, which hold him back from being the deadly weapon he was trained to be. While he is happy to rejoin his fellow constables, Buyi sheds light on corruption that cannot be ignored. Admirably, The Butcher’s Blade at the end of the day is a man seeking freedom not just for himself, but for those who are harmed under systems that fail them.
The Butcher’s Blade opens with text explaining how crime is supposed to be punished. Detailing several crimes like sexual abuse, financial abuse, and theft has varying levels of consequences. Ranging from death, imprisonment, and more. It’s effective, and throughout the film, I found myself thinking back to the importance the film puts on the idea of facing punishment. But it’s apparent within the first scene of the film that victims, especially women, are left forever changed while their attackers walk free. Their society holds an artificial sense of security that is ready to break, through force if needed.
Where the film is at its best is when Buyi is flexing his combat skills, which he uses for good rather than exploiting crime for material gain. A highlight of the film is its many action pieces that feature classic wuxia fashion, with gravity-defying wirework where the skilled combatants soar across the screen. Buyi is light on his feet and can take several blows before showing any kind of fatigue. One of The Butcher’s Blade‘s most memorable scenes is between Buyi and his constable partner Li Zhen (Yuan Fufu). They have opposing views on how constables handle justice, and their fights showcase their bond of closeness. Both countering each other, evading each other’s blades while trying to convince the other to change their minds. Not only is it highly entertaining, but it also progresses the non-action scenes, halting the film’s momentum.
It’s not hard to root for a character like Buyi, and Wenpu uses Buyi’s marginalization well. He’s a man who isn’t used to kindness being shown his way, and has a difficulty with alcohol. With Erniang as the reason to begin his journey, Buyi has a chivalrous aura. But with so many well-choreographed fights, the details of relationships and connections within Buyi’s life get muddled. With the film being far more interested in its impressive action pieces than exploring a conflicted hero like Buyi. His imperfect decision-making in his life shows that his split-second reactions in a fight come more naturally to him. But his more human moments, which are too far and in between, like where he’s moved to tears by a warm bowl of food, ground the film with shared experiences.
The film’s main villain comes in many forms, and often, the back and forth between so many enemies that Buyi creates gets messy. It’s a story that has been done before, with an inside man taking down the corruption from the inside. So, The Butcher’s Blade isn’t doing anything new, yet it still can keep things interesting enough for its 1 hour and 30 minute runtime to fly by. Shining is easily unlikable, especially when he’s egging on torturing clearly unstable captives. His potential is hardly tapped into, not for a lack of performance, but in writing. His twisted portrayal that Shansan steals several scenes with ease stands out, but leaves audiences wanting more.
Even when the story arcs and character development come across as afterthoughts or loose ideas, there’s no denying that Wenpu’s wuxia film is well constructed. From the costuming showing a clear distinction of status and rank. Buyi is wearing a more ragged version of his partner’s exact outfit. And the higher-ranked figures like Shining have more elaborate garb. To the camera work and pacing during fight scenes after fight scenes. Making it a breeze to watch thanks to Xiao Jiancheng’s editing, focusing on the film’s strengths when applicable.
Ultimately, The Butcher’s Blade is entirely entertaining if you’re looking for some of the best action sequences of the year. Its fast-paced, gravity-defying combat makes the film worth watching, paired with well-calculated performances. Although lacking in depth of story and character motivations, Wenpu’s newest film is a refreshing story about a man choosing freedom over greed.
The Butcher’s Blade is available on digital starting May 12th, 2026.
