Edmund Lee

A brutal Joaquin Phoenix thriller, a dragon boat drama, Winnie the Pooh, a Hong Kong gay romance from 1998, and a Korean special effects spectacular are the picks for this week

Film & TV

Top five films to watch in Hong Kong this week: August 9-15

9 Aug 2018 - 9:03am

Joaquin Phoenix in a haunting revenge thriller, Tom Cruise in the stunning MI:6, the joys and sorrows of middle-aged Hong Kong men, the ultimate boy-meets-alien movie and Iranian master’s last film are this week’s must-sees

Film & TV

Top five films to watch in Hong Kong this week: August 2-8

2 Aug 2018 - 7:00am

Billed as an underdog sports comedy-drama, it’s really the problems of its protagonists that is the backbone of this tale – a life-affirming gem of a film, and one of the more enjoyable Hong Kong features of recent times

Film & TV

Men on the Dragon review: dragon boat racing meets mid-life crisis

1 Aug 2018 - 3:16pm

The best MI film yet, Elastigirl and Mr Incredible return, Yoji Yamada shows he hasn’t lost his comic touch at 87, the ultimate animated film, and a musical nostalgia trip for Hongkongers – our movie picks of the week

Film & TV

Top five films to watch in Hong Kong this week: July 26-August 1

26 Jul 2018 - 7:02am

Pixar’s entertaining action adventure, a Yoji Yamada comedy, a Hong Kong musical biopic, Steve McQueen classic Bullitt, and a taut Tony Gilroy thriller make up our must-see films this week

Film & TV

The top five films to watch in Hong Kong this week: July 19-25

19 Jul 2018 - 8:02am

Hong Kong band beloved in the 1970s and still playing today are the subject of this amusing and introspective film, co-written and directed by the group’s drummer, Anthony Chan Yau

Film & TV

House of the Rising Sons review: The Wynners’ charming origin tale

18 Jul 2018 - 6:51pm

Hong Kong filmmaker Wong Kar-wai in 1995 during promotion of his crime drama ‘Fallen Angels’. Photo: SCMP

Film & TV

In pictures: iconic Hong Kong filmmaker Wong Kar-wai turns 60

16 Jul 2018 - 4:02pm

Dwayne Johnson’s amputee character carries a falling bridge barehanded, and jumps through a spinning wind turbine unscathed, while his Asian co-stars look like they shot a different film entirely. Still, film’s Hong Kong settings are appreciated

Film & TV

Skyscraper review: The Rock is stunt-crazy in Hong Kong-set thriller

12 Jul 2018 - 6:52pm

The lightest Marvel Cinematic Universe outing yet, Hirokazu Koreeda’s masterful Cannes winner, a Hong Kong-set Dwayne Johnson thriller, a Middle Eastern spy drama and a 1989 John Woo classic make up our must-sees

Film & TV

Top five films to watch in Hong Kong this week: July 12-18

12 Jul 2018 - 9:35am

Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai turns 60 on July 17 – the city’s unofficial retirement age – after a career making films which may not have pleased everyone but which, in their own ways, underscore his incredible talent

Film & TV

Every Wong Kar-wai feature film ranked, in order of greatness

12 Jul 2018 - 3:10pm

An earnest adaptation of a profoundly silly Japanese anime, Chinese director Han Yan’s film is about a young man stuck in a dead-end job who dreams of slaying monsters and gets sucked into a deadly game of rock-paper-scissors

Film & TV

Animal World review: Chinese take on Japanese gambling fantasy

10 Jul 2018 - 6:50pm

Sakura Ando (right) and Miyu Sasaki in Shoplifters, directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda.

Film & TV

Top five films to watch in Hong Kong this week: July 5-11

5 Jul 2018 - 8:00am

Film & TV

I’ve Got the Blues review: portrait of a Hong Kong abstract painter

4 Jul 2018 - 6:12pm

Carlos Chan and Carmen Tong in a still from Buyer Beware (Category IIB, Cantonese), directed by Jeffrey Chiang.

Film & TV

Buyer Beware review: haunted houses resold in horror film mash-up

28 Jun 2018 - 4:14pm

A still from Buyer Beware, directed by Malaysian filmmaker Jeffrey Chiang.

Film & TV

Top five films to watch in Hong Kong this week: June 28-July 4

28 Jun 2018 - 7:03am

Francis Ng, Chairmaine Sheh and Julian Cheung star in a pulsating story of jaded cops, investigative journalists, a duelling family and a secret group of international hackers

Film & TV

The Leakers review: Herman Yau crime thriller is a frenetic treat

22 Jun 2018 - 10:33am

This Thai tale of a wild bachelor and his rivalry with his sister starts out as a romcom, then moves on to concentrate on the intense emotions and the love-hate relationship between the siblings

Film & TV

Brother of the Year review: siblings at odds in Thai blockbuster

21 Jun 2018 - 3:50pm

In ‘Faces Places’, French New Wave legend Agnès Varda (left) teams up with artist JR to take a surprisingly emotional trip through rural France.

Film & TV

Top five films to watch in Hong Kong this week: June 21-27

21 Jun 2018 - 7:00am

Thai actor Sunny Suwanmethanont, star of Brother of the Year, photographed at the Regal Kowloon Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui in June. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Film & TV

Meet Sunny, heartthrob you keep seeing in the best Thai movies

20 Jun 2018 - 6:12pm

From an all-female heist caper to a Lebanese courtroom drama, from a bittersweet French tale romcom to a minimalist Japanese family tale and another dinosaur spectacle, these are the picks of the flicks this week

Film & TV

Top five films to watch in Hong Kong this week: June 14-20

14 Jun 2018 - 8:00am

Claire Dearing and Owen Grady return to Isla Nublar to save some of the dinosaurs from a volcanic eruption, before the story takes some new twists … but forget the plot, this is really just a silly blockbuster waiting for a sequel

Film & TV

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom review – dinosaurs off the coast

7 Jun 2018 - 1:10pm

Juliette Binoche plays a divorced middle-aged artist working her way through a series of lovers in Bright Sunshine In.

Film & TV

Top five films to watch in Hong Kong this week: June 7-13

7 Jun 2018 - 1:11pm

Film by Derek Chiu is either very naive or a master stroke of provocation. It is bound to draw fire from both political camps in Hong Kong, but neutral viewers may admire a meditation on social activism and its costs

Film & TV

No. 1 Chung Ying Street review: Maoists and Occupy set side by side

31 May 2018 - 7:05pm

An animated feature set in Taiwan, Derek Chiu’s provocative comparison of the “umbrella movement” and 1967 Hong Kong riots, a hilarious prom night romp and – yes – the latest Star Wars film are among our picks of the week

Film & TV

Top five films to watch in Hong Kong this week: May 31-June 6

31 May 2018 - 7:00am

Is radio host Benny Lau an even more hopeless romantic than Wong Kar-wai? This nostalgia-laden film, like his first, portrays human relationships as improbably pure and sincere with its story of young love overcoming obstacles

Film & TV

When Sun Meets Moon review: 1990s Hong Kong-set youth romance

30 May 2018 - 2:41pm

Second Star Wars prequel is a thrilling crowd-pleaser, The Killing of a Sacred Deer a total head scratcher; then there’s a superhero with a difference and the funniest clash-of-generations film in years

Film & TV

Top five films to watch in Hong Kong this week: May 24-30

24 May 2018 - 8:10am

It may be formulaic, but Broadway actor J. Michael Finley and Hollywood veteran Dennis Quaid impress in a powerful father-and-son drama that will find fans beyond its target audience

Film & TV

I Can Only Imagine review: outstanding Dennis Quaid elevates biopic

23 May 2018 - 6:31pm

The latest psychological thriller from The Lobster director, the third film in Takeshi Kitano’s comeback trilogy, a brave sexual assault drama from China, and a moving documentary about plastic’s impact are among our top picks

Film & TV

Top five films to watch in Hong Kong this week: May 17-23

17 May 2018 - 7:01am

This slow-burning, modern-day noir demands to be seen. When two 12-year-old girls are sexually assaulted by a high-ranking commissioner, they face layers of institutional corruption as they fight for justice

Film & TV

Angels Wear White review: sexual predators and corruption in China

10 May 2018 - 7:01pm

Director Takeshi Yamazaki teams up with manga maestro Ryohei Saigan for this live action tale of a quirky couple who live in a Japanese town full of supernatural creatures and spirits

Film & TV

Destiny: The Tale of Kamakura review – charming fantasy romance

10 May 2018 - 2:08pm

This week’s top picks include a bleak look at contemporary China, a rape-revenge thriller, some quirky comedy, a charming coming-of-age drama and a powerful performance from Diane Kruger

Film & TV

Top five films to watch in Hong Kong this week: May 10-16

10 May 2018 - 7:02am

A fantastical drama that struggles to translate the profound musings of its source material for the big screen, Shed Skin Papa features, among other things, Ng ageing backwards by a decade or two every day by shedding his skin

Film & TV

Shed Skin Papa review: Hong Kong’s answer to Benjamin Button?

9 May 2018 - 7:03pm

A film for the ages, Qu’s second feature revolves around a young girl’s fight for justice in China over a sexual assault and a teenage witness to the crime

Film & TV

How China’s Vivian Qu made the first great film in #MeToo zeitgeist

9 May 2018 - 8:33pm 1

Actors Chow Yun-fat and Danny Lee star in director John Woo’s 1989 film The Killer.

Film & TV

Four reasons to get excited about John Woo’s US remake of The Killer

4 May 2018 - 12:30pm 3

Marvel’s superhero extravaganza, a charming coming-of-age drama, Diane Kruger’s heart-rending performance, the next big controversy of Hong Kong cinema, and a documentary on the fashion business top the list this week

Film & TV

Top five films to watch in Hong Kong this week: May 3-9

3 May 2018 - 7:01am

Set in a futuristic multiracial city where it’s always raining, The Trough is not your typical cops-and-robbers film. Cheung plays an unhinged detective on the trail of a crime boss, but audiences shouldn’t dwell too much on the story

Film & TV

The Trough review: Nick Cheung’s hyper-stylised noir thriller

2 May 2018 - 2:37pm

The 19th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Avengers: Infinity War proves as popular as anticipated and usurps a previous title in the comic book franchise for the opening-day box office crown

Film & TV

Avengers: Infinity War breaks Hong Kong box office record on first day

26 Apr 2018 - 5:39pm 1

Marvel’s mega-blockbuster, one of Italian cinema’s most beloved films, a documentary on the fashion business, Wes Anderson’s stop-motion animation about dogs, and a Ryuichi Sakamoto biopic make up the week’s top picks

Film & TV

Top five films to watch in Hong Kong this week: April 26-May 2

26 Apr 2018 - 7:01am

Taiwanese filmmaker Tsai Ming-Liang talks about his new VR film The Deserted during a recent visit to Hong Kong. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Film & TV

Why art-house director Tsai Ming-liang has turned to VR filmmaking

25 Apr 2018 - 8:20pm

Wes Anderson’s stop-motion animation about dogs, a documentary on the famous Japanese composer, a grim drama about a Russian family and bureaucracy, a Chinese art forger in Shenzhen, and a quietly scary thriller are this week’s top picks

Film & TV

Top five films to watch in Hong Kong this week: April 19-25

19 Apr 2018 - 8:01am

Bollywood actor Aamir Khan photographed in Hong Kong during an interview about his new film Secret Superstar. Photo: Winson Wong

Film & TV

Bollywood icon Aamir Khan, in Hong Kong, on being a star in China

17 Apr 2018 - 8:21pm

Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen is set to play Mulan’s mentor Commander Tung and is expected to show off his martial arts skills in film due out March 2020

Film & TV

Donnie Yen to star in new live-action Mulan movie from Disney

13 Apr 2018 - 5:13pm

A bleak, sombre yet utterly brilliant Russian drama about a missing schoolboy and a post-apocalyptic horror tale in which no one can make a sound top our list of the best films showing in Hong Kong this week

Film & TV

Top five films to watch in Hong Kong this week: April 12-18

12 Apr 2018 - 8:01am

The directorial debut of the Ip Man trilogy’s screenwriter, this story of a middle-aged woman, played by Mo, on a Hong Kong housing estate dealing with an autistic son and a cheating husband is solidly made, but flawed

Film & TV

Tomorrow Is Another Day review: Teresa Mo in domestic drama

11 Apr 2018 - 3:45pm

Catch the film Keys to the Heart opening in Hong Kong this week.

Film & TV

Top five films to watch in Hong Kong this week: April 5-11

5 Apr 2018 - 7:00am

As predictable as the heart-warming plot may be, director Choi Sung-hyun has created a captivating film about a man who is reunited with his estranged mother, and subsequently, his autistic half-brother he never knew he had

Film & TV

Keys to the Heart review: Lee Byung-hun stars in Korean melodrama

4 Apr 2018 - 7:02pm

Dragonfly Eyes, ostensibly a love story told through publicly accessible footage compiled from surveillance cameras, is yet another example of Xu having to wait for reality to catch up with his initial concept

Film & TV

How Chinese artist Xu Bing made a film out of surveillance footage

4 Apr 2018 - 6:48pm 1