How Wong Kar-Wai’s Happy Together Sparked Chloé Zhao’s Filmmaking Journey

Chloé Zhao stands out in the film world for her knack for telling stories that cross cultural lines with a rare kind of sensitivity. The Chinese-born director first caught the eye of indie film fans with her breakout feature, The Rider, a modern western set in the heart of America’s rodeo scene. But it was her follow-up, Nomadland, that really put her on the map. The film, which follows people living on the road in the States, picked up Oscars for both Best Picture and Best Director. After that, Zhao’s next moves weren’t exactly what most would expect from someone fresh off an Oscar win.

She surprised many by jumping into the Marvel universe with Eternals, and she’s now working on a reboot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer—with Sarah Michelle Gellar set to return as the iconic lead. While Eternals didn’t exactly set the world on fire and there’s plenty of scepticism about the new Buffy, Zhao also spent time adapting the bestselling novel Hamnet. That one’s already being tipped as a major contender in this year’s awards season.

Finding Inspiration in Wong Kar-Wai

Though Zhao has become a big name in English-language cinema, her first spark for filmmaking came from one of China’s most celebrated directors. She once told USA Today that the “film that made me want to make films” was Happy Together, a romantic drama by Wong Kar-Wai. While Wong is often best known for Chunking Express and In the Mood for Love, Happy Together stands out as one of the top romantic dramas of the 1990s. The film features a powerful dynamic between Leslie Cheung and Tony Leung Chiu-wai, all set against Wong’s signature bold, colourful backdrops.

Wong Kar-Wai is widely regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers alive, known for his naturalistic style and deep dives into the complexities of human relationships. His films might cover a lot of ground in terms of subject matter, but there’s a consistent emotional honesty running through all his work. Zhao hasn’t made a Chinese drama in the same vein as Happy Together, but she’s clearly taken a similar approach to authenticity. Both The Rider and Nomadland are notable for casting non-actors in supporting roles, which gives the stories a more immersive, real-world feel.

Realism and Style in Zhao’s Work

Even though Eternals ended up being one of the more underwhelming superhero flicks in recent memory, Zhao’s decision to shoot on real locations with practical sets set her apart from other Marvel directors. Most MCU films these days are heavy on computer-generated effects—just look at The Marvels or Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania—but Zhao’s approach brought a different energy to the project.

Her admiration for Happy Together is especially clear in her latest project, Hamnet. Like Wong’s film, it’s a moody romantic drama, this time focusing on a young William Shakespeare (played by Paul Mescal) and his wife Agnes (Jessie Buckley) as they deal with the loss of their son. That tragedy ends up inspiring one of the most famous plays ever written, Hamlet. The stripped-back, impressionistic style of Hamnet has split critics, but anyone familiar with Happy Together will spot the influence straight away.