Top five films to watch in Hong Kong this week (June 22-28), from Heart Attack to The Villainess
Blockbuster comedy about an overworked designer is unlike most Thai films you will have seen, Transformers 5 offers plenty of bang for your buck, and South Korean revenge thriller dishes up senseless action with a human touch
Click on film titles to read SCMP.com reviews
1. Heart Attack
Full of deadpan humour and with an art-house “slow cinema” vibe, writer-director Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit’s blockbuster comedy is unlike most Thai films you will have come across. The story of an overworked freelance designer will find a sympathetic audience in Hong Kong. (Opens on June 22)
2. Taipei Story
The second feature by the late Taiwanese auteur Edward Yang De-chang is a profound study of urban alienation. A landmark of the Taiwan New Cinema movement, it stars Hou Hsiao-hsien and Tsai Chin as a long-time couple estranged amid Taipei’s rapid modernisation. (June 25, part of Cine Fan programme)
3. Una
Rooney Mara and Ben Mendelsohn give an acting masterclass as the victim and perpetrator of a sexual abuse case in this powerful adaptation of the acclaimed play Blackbird. A dialogue-driven psychological drama that is vicious and intense, it is a difficult, but ultimately engrossing, watch. (Opens on June 22)
4. Transformers: The Last Knight
Live long enough and a halfway-decent Transformers movie will come along. Michael Bay’s fifth and possibly final outing for the alien robot franchise is even bigger, louder and more preposterous than before – perfect if you enjoy seeing spectacular explosions and, well, planets collide. (Opens on June 22)
If you prefer senseless action with a human touch, don’t miss this exhilarating revenge thriller from South Korea. What it lacks in subtlety and progressive portrayal of women the melodramatic tale about a master assassin more than makes up for with its incredible acrobatics. (Opens on June 22)
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