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Tadanobu Asano in a scene from Koji Fukada’s 2016 Cannes prizewinner Harmonium.

Top five films to watch in Hong Kong this week (April 13-19), from Harmonium to A Nail Clipper Romance

A Japanese intruder drama, the true story of a kidnapped Korean filmmaker and actress, a western-style heist, a quirky Chinese romance and some pure Hollywood action make up this week’s must-see movies

Click on film titles to read SCMP.com reviews

1 Harmonium

The Jury Prize winner in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, Japanese writer-director Koji Fukada’s enigmatic drama examines the limits of kindness, the politics of vengeance and the fragility of families via Tadanobu Asano’s mysterious intruder character. (Opens on April 13)

2 The Lovers and the Despot

Based on an incredible true story, this riveting documentary tells of how South Korean filmmaker Shin Sang-ok and his ex-wife, actress Choi Eun-hee, were kidnapped in 1978 on the orders of film buff Kim Jong-il and spent eight years making films in North Korea for the future supreme leader. (Opens on April 13)

3 Hell or High Water

Part contemporary western, part chase thriller and part neo-noir, this Oscar-nominated film about a pair of brothers on a bank-robbing spree and the Texan cops on their trail is a taut yet contemplative drama that is also filled with great performances by everyone from Chris Pine to Jeff Bridges. (Now showing)

4 A Nail Clipper Romance

After working with Pang Ho-cheung on four of his recent features (from Love in a Puff to Aberdeen), celebrated cinematographer Jason Kwan Chi-yiu adapts a short story from the bad-boy author-filmmaker for his own directing debut: an eccentric yet thought-provoking romantic fable. (Opens on April 14)

5 Fast & Furious 8

Size does matter in this ludicrous franchise of fast vehicles and gravity-defying stunts. Charlize Theron joins the fun as a supervillain in the new instalment, rumoured to be the first part of a final trilogy, which sees Dom turn against his crew in another convoluted, globetrotting tale of excess. (Opens on April 13)

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