Dumplings

When I first watched Dumplings, I knew right away it wasn’t hiding anything. Within minutes, it tells you what’s inside those dumplings: human fetuses. There’s no twist or big reveal. The horror doesn’t come from discovering the truth but from watching how far people will go to stay young.

The story follows Mrs. Li, an aging actress desperate to look young again and win back her husband. She finds Aunt Mei, a mysterious woman who makes dumplings with a disturbing ingredient. Director Fruit Chan doesn’t tease the audience. We see the preparation clearly, though not in a gory way. The horror comes from how ordinary it all feels, like this terrible act is just part of daily life.

What makes the film strong is how it mixes horror with social commentary. It’s not just about eating something horrible. It’s about how society treats aging women. Mrs. Li’s husband chases younger women without shame while she struggles with fear and insecurity. Aunt Mei, on the other hand, is confident and disturbingly at peace with her choices. The contrast between these women says a lot about power and survival.

Chan’s direction is careful and beautiful. The colors are rich and bright even during the sickening scenes. The sound of dumplings being made or chewed stays in your head. The camera never looks away when you want it to, trapping you in the same uncomfortable space as the characters.

Bai Ling’s performance stands out. Her Aunt Mei feels like a modern witch, charming and quietly terrifying. Miriam Yeung also surprises with a serious, emotional performance. There are two versions of Dumplings: a short film and a full feature. The short one is tighter and feels like pure horror. The longer one explores the characters more deeply.

Dumplings is not for everyone. It’s disturbing, slow, and deeply uncomfortable. But it’s also thoughtful and beautifully made. A story about obsession, vanity, and the terrible things people do to fight time. Hard to watch, harder to forget.