Top 5 films to watch in Hong Kong this week: May 19-25

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1. Throne of Blood

Set in feudal Japan and starring Toshiro Mifune in the Macbeth role, Akira Kurosawa’s 1957 samurai tale is one of the best Shakespearean adaptations ever made, taking from both classical Western and noh dramatic traditions to evoke the best of both worlds. (May 20, part of Cine Fan programme)

2. Mon Roi

Vincent Cassel and Emmanuelle Bercot play a couple locked in a turbulent decade-long romance in this character drama by French actress-turned-director Maïwenn. Both actors leave an indelible impression as they go through a visceral roller coaster of emotions. (Opens on May 19)

3. The Lobster

While it’s easy to summarise this as a fantasy love story between Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz’s star-crossed characters, Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos’ new feature is really an unclassifiable gem that takes an unspeakably piercing view of contemporary coupledom. (Now showing)

4. Phantom Boy

If you enjoyed the Oscar-nominated children’s film A Cat in Paris (2010), don’t miss this latest old-school animation by co-directors Jean-Loup Felicioli and Alain Gagnol, a supernatural detective adventure set in a fantastical version of New York. (May 19 & 22, part of Le French May)

5. The Inerasable

Yuko Takeuchi and Ai Hashimoto respectively play an investigative novelist and a student plagued by supernatural happenings in this J-horror tour de force, combining the well-trodden conventions of a police procedural with self-conscious reflections on the genre tropes. (Now showing)

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