Top five films to watch in Hong Kong this week (October 26-November 1), from Thor: Ragnarok to Before I Fall

Superhero humour, Iggy Pop and The Stooges, Groundhog Day for a mean teenage girl, murder mystery on a native American reservation, and a heart-warming look at LGBT issues in Japan are among this weeks picks

Film reviews

Edmund Lee

Published: 8:00am, 26 Oct 2017

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1. Thor Ragnarok

Film buffs can pat themselves on the back for what they already knew: for nobody who has seen the low-budget comedy gems by New Zealand actor-director Taika Waititi – What We Do in the Shadows , Hunt for the Wilderpeople – would be surprised by the hilarity in this star-studded superhero romp. (Opens on October 26)

2. Gimme Danger

Indie icon Jim Jarmusch’s reverent portrait of The Stooges is a must-see for punk music aficionados. While the funny old clips from American TV and films included here often play like random distractions, Iggy Pop does prove to be a most articulate source of oral history for his notoriously drug-addled band. (Opens on October 26)

3. Before I Fall

Essentially borrowing the Groundhog Day premise for a teen weepie, this refreshing adaptation of Lauren Oliver’s young-adult novel sees a popular but mean-spirited high-school girl relive the day of her unexpected death again and again. Youth film clichés aside, the film packs an emotional knockout punch. (Opens on October 26)

4. Wind River

Respectively playing a game tracker and an FBI agent, Avengers stars Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen reunite to fight crime in one of the best murder mysteries of the year. Marking the first feature by actor-screenwriter Taylor Sheridan ( Hell or High Water ), the intense thriller effectively brings the best out of both leads. (Now showing)

5. Close-Knit

Winner of the Special Jury Teddy Award at the 2017 Berlin film festival, this LGBT-themed family drama by writer-director Naoko Ogigami (Rent-a-Cat) offers a mostly sweet-natured look at the discrimination faced by sexual minorities in Japan. Toma Ikuta is simply excellent as the transgender protagonist. (Opens on October 26)

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