The Five Venoms

The Five Venoms follows a young martial artist dispatched by his dying master to track down five former students. Each of the five was trained in a distinct fighting method named after a poisonous creature, and the master fears their skills may be put to criminal use. Because the students trained masked, their identities are not widely known, and some have never met one another. Yan Tieh, played by Sun Chien, must judge which of them can be trusted and which have turned to wrongdoing. The film was directed by Chang Cheh from a screenplay he wrote with Ni Kuang, and produced by Runme Shaw for Shaw Brothers.

Made in Hong Kong in the late 1970s, the film belongs to the middle of Chang Cheh's filmography; it was released in 1978, between Boxer Rebellion and Heaven and Hell. Its ensemble cast includes Chiang Sheng, Phillip Chung-Fung Kwok, Lu Feng, Lo Meng and Wai Pak, appearing alongside Sun Chien.

The film holds a 7 out of 10 rating on IMDb from around 8,700 votes, while on TMDB it has a 6.6 out of 10 from roughly 170 votes, indicating a modest but appreciative audience.