China Synopsis
盗马贼
Devout Buddhists, Norbu and Dolma live with their young son Tashi in a clan in Tibet. Norbu is a highwayman. After Norbu is charged with stealing from the temple, he and his family are banished. Impoverished and marginalized, they can do little when their beloved son becomes ill. Tashi dies of a fever. After a second son is born, Norbu focuses his every action on keeping this child alive, seeking re-admission to the clan for his wife and child, then risking all to save them from isolation and starvation in winter.
The 2018–2020 China Window
219 China films released in this three-year window, ranked here by audience rating. The Horse Thief sits at position #145.
#1The Untamed: Special Edition
★ 9.5 · 2019
#2Swallowed Star
★ 9.2 · 2020
#3Ling Cage: Incarnation
★ 9.0 · 2019
#4Once Upon a Bite
★ 9.0 · 2018
#5All Is Well
★ 9.0 · 2019
#6A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality
★ 8.9 · 2020
#7LEGO Monkie Kid
★ 8.8 · 2020
#8The Long Night
★ 8.7 · 2020
Other Titles From Xi'an Film Studio
The 2010s China Landscape
Catalog density by release year in the 2010s. Highlighted year (yellow) is when The Horse Thief premiered. 515 total titles in this decade from China.
Reception Benchmarks
Ranked #523 of 946 China films indexed here (45th percentile by TMDB audience score).
Among China Drama productions specifically: #329 of 547 (top 60%).
Production Details
| Primary Country | China |
|---|---|
| Original Language | Chinese |
| Spoken Languages | Mandarin, Tibetan |
| Production Companies | Xi'an Film Studio |
| Runtime | 1h 28m |
| Release Date | March 19, 2019 |
| IMDb | tt0090907 |