5 movies and TV shows to watch in Hong Kong this weekend, October 18-20

A feast of Asian filmmaking and an Asian-American coming-of-age tale featuring Chinese-American actress Joan Chen are the draws for cinema-goers in Hong Kong this weekend. For those sticking to the sofa for entertainment, Han Suk-kyu’s criminal profiler in drama series Doubt promises intrigue, and two other contrasting K-dramas, both female-led, are full of appeal. 1. Didi A cute coming-of-age tale, Didi sprang from the mind of first-time writer-director Sean Wang, who successfully mines his own Asian-American adolescence and the awkwardness it entailed. Izaac Wang plays Chris, or Wang-Wang as he is better known at home. He lives with his mother (Joan Chen), grandmother (Chang Li Hua) and big sister Vivian (Shirley Chen). Set in 2008, just as Facebook was becoming a thing and kids were beginning to live their lives online, the film sees Wang-Wang hang out with fellow nerds Fahad (Raul Dial) and “Soup” (Aaron Chang). Sean Wang explores his own Taiwanese heritage in this delicate film that fits perfectly into the post-John Hughes universe of American teen movies. Read our full review Didi opens in cinemas today. 2. Hong Kong Asian Film Festival This year’s Hong Kong Asian Film Festival (HKAFF) promises to be one of the most ambitious yet. Beyond showcasing many of 2024’s most highly anticipated titles from across the region, as well as a number of acclaimed hits from the global festival circuit, this year’s programme shines a spotlights on New Kazakh Cinema, has a sidebar examining how Palestinian filmmakers are documenting the Israel-Gaza war, and a New Talent Award section elevating new filmmakers from the region. Read our recommendations The HKAFF runs from October 17 to November 10 at various venues. 3. A Virtuous Business Kim So-yeon, who portrayed the queen bee villain of The Penthouse, is a wilted flower in the rural, 1990s-set women’s drama A Virtuous Business until a bold business venture allows her to blossom once again. Han Jeong-suk (Kim) was once the beauty queen of her hometown, Geumje, and married her first love, Kwon Seong-soo (Choi Jae-rim). But life is very different for her now, as she looks after her young son and does an array of odd jobs to keep her family afloat while her husband gets into fights, loses jobs and drinks away the meagre savings Jeong-suk keeps trying to stash away. It all changes when Jeong-suk comes across an ad for a job selling lingerie – and, as it turns out, sex toys – door to door. During a very busy weekend for new Korean dramas (see below), A Virtuous Business more than held its own. Read our early preview A Virtuous Business is streaming on Netflix. 4. Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born Kim Tae-ri (Twenty-Five Twenty-One, Revenant) is destined to take over the stage as the titular character of the music-themed period drama Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born. Set in the 1950s, the show follows the trials and tribulations of Jeong-nyeon, a poor girl from a seaside town with a gift for singing who dreams of entering a traditional women’s theatre company. The show begins with fishmongers in the countryside before moving to an all-female musical training academy, and it has the potential to blossom into a sweeping tale of an ordinary girl rising up to become a voice for the people during the turbulent early days of the Republic of Korea. With a scintillating Kim surrounded by an excellent, almost exclusively female cast that also includes Shin Ye-eun as Jeong-nyeon’s rival and Ra Mi-ran as the stern academy head, Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born is off to a promising start. Read our early preview Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born is streaming on Disney+. 5. Doubt Han Suk-kyu (Dr. Romantic) leads the immersive, psychological murder mystery Doubt, playing brooding criminal profiler Jang Tae-soo who develops serious misgivings about his own daughter and her involvement with a case he is working on. With its criminal profiler protagonist, Doubt has echoes of films such as Memories of Murder and shows such as Through the Darkness, while the intersection of a detective’s professional and personal lives also calls to mind notable series such as Beyond Evil. The challenge for Doubt going forward will be whether its terrific construction can overcome the vague familiarity of its story. Then again, the story may have some unexpected surprises in store for us. Read our early preview Doubt is streaming on Viu (with Chinese subtitles only). Find this useful? Look out for our recommendations every Thursday online.

5 movies and TV shows to watch in Hong Kong this weekend, October 18-20

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Check out a cute coming-of-age tale, this year’s Hong Kong Asian Film Festival, a fun 1990s-set women’s Korean drama and more this weekend

1. Didi

Check out a cute coming-of-age tale, this year’s Hong Kong Asian Film Festival, a fun 1990s-set women’s Korean drama and more this weekend