https://www.scmp.com/rss/320716/feed Originally from England, James is a freelance film critic and journalist who has been based in Hong Kong since 2001. In addition to writing for the Post, he is resident film critic on RTHK Radio 3’s Morning Brew, and Asian Editor of ScreenAnarchy.com. He serves as a consultant for Fantastic Fest, and has a problematic addiction to physical media. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com James Marsh James Marsh 3.5/5 stars When it premiered in April 2023, the first season of Netflix’s Beef helped solidify an unprecedented moment for Asian-American representation on screen, arriving hot on the heels of Everything Everywhere All at Once’s historic night at the 95th Academy Awards and just weeks after the premiere of Celine Song’s Past Lives at the Sundance Film Festival. Incidentally, but perhaps not coincidentally, all three of those projects were produced by the pioneering New York-based outfit... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3349978/beef-season-2-review-netflixs-chaotic-follow-more-overcooked-well-done?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3349978/beef-season-2-review-netflixs-chaotic-follow-more-overcooked-well-done?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 07:00:09 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 3.5/5 stars After winning the Cristal for a Feature Film at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, French filmmaker Ugo Bienvenu’s directorial debut Arco went on to be nominated at every major awards ceremony this past season, only to be eclipsed by Netflix’s cultural juggernaut, KPop Demon Hunters. While the latter’s success is undeniable, Arco is more than worthy of recognition, emerging as a charming and delicately handled sci-fi fable with a powerful ecological message. In the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3349216/arco-movie-review-annecy-cristal-winner-peter-pan-esque-sci-fi-tale-our-times?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3349216/arco-movie-review-annecy-cristal-winner-peter-pan-esque-sci-fi-tale-our-times?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 13:15:07 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 3.5/5 stars Shifting gears between careers as a writer, entrepreneur, rally driver and filmmaker, post-80s poster boy Han Han adds another accolade to his cluttered trophy cabinet, scoring the biggest hit of 2026 so far with the motor-racing sequel Pegasus 3. Having clocked up more than 4.3 billion yuan (US$625 million) at China’s box office since its Chinese New Year release, the blockbuster sequel finally brings the continuing exploits of former champion Zhang Chi (Shen Teng) roaring into Hong... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3349140/pegasus-3-movie-review-shen-teng-roars-back-han-hans-blockbuster-racing-sequel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3349140/pegasus-3-movie-review-shen-teng-roars-back-han-hans-blockbuster-racing-sequel?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 09:15:08 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh One of the highlights of this year’s Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) is a collection of five animated short films from Taiwanese director Joe Hsieh Wen-ming. Awash with vivid imagery of an often erotic and violent nature, Hsieh’s work also channels a palpable sense of compassion, not least in its depictions of mother-child relationships. His latest film, Praying Mantis (2025), marks the animator’s second collaboration with celebrated Hong Kong art-house auteur Yonfan, following the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348633/why-fierce-mothers-and-violent-monsters-star-joe-hsiehs-animated-films?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348633/why-fierce-mothers-and-violent-monsters-star-joe-hsiehs-animated-films?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 11:15:08 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 3/5 stars Meddlesome matchmaker Kitty Song Covey (Anna Cathcart) returns for her senior year at the Korean Independent School of Seoul (Kiss) in the third season of XO, Kitty, Netflix’s Korea-set spin-off series from Jenny Han’s hugely successful To All the Boys film franchise. Chief among Kitty’s goals this year is to define her long-running on-again, off-again “situationship” with wealthy hunk and classmate Min-ho (Sang-heon Lee), but showrunner and chief writer Valentina Garza ensures that... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3347968/netflix-drama-review-xo-kitty-season-3-all-boys-spin-picks-after-dip?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3347968/netflix-drama-review-xo-kitty-season-3-all-boys-spin-picks-after-dip?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 07:00:08 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 3.5/5 stars The Russian city of Vladivostok provides the setting for Humint, the latest globe-trotting thriller from South Korean action specialist Ryoo Seung-wan. Set in the high-stakes world of international espionage, the film features Zo In-sung (Escape from Mogadishu) and Park Jeong-min (Uprising) as agents from South and North Korea, respectively, who attempt to foil a human trafficking ring. After opening in South Korean cinemas during the Lunar New Year holiday, Humint launches globally... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-movies/article/3348472/netflix-movie-review-humint-dynamic-korean-spy-thriller-ryoo-seung-wan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-movies/article/3348472/netflix-movie-review-humint-dynamic-korean-spy-thriller-ryoo-seung-wan?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 15:00:09 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh The Hong Kong International Film Festival returns in April, celebrating its 50th edition with a mouth-watering retrospective of classics from the last half-century of Chinese-language cinema. New and old works alike from masters of the art form, including Zhang Yimou, Tsai Ming-liang and Hou Hsiao-hsien, will play alongside a typically eclectic selection of some of the finest recent offerings from around the world. Acclaimed Singaporean filmmaker Anthony Chen’s latest work, We Are All Strangers,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346869/hong-kong-international-film-festival-2026-highlights-12-must-see-movies-and-programmes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346869/hong-kong-international-film-festival-2026-highlights-12-must-see-movies-and-programmes?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 11:15:08 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh The future of Hollywood has never looked more uncertain, with the encroachment of artificial intelligence threatening to eradicate jobs across the industry, while the impending merger of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery casts doubt over the studio system itself. Nevertheless, for the everyday movie-goer, there remains – for now, at least – a steady stream of enticing prospects to lure us out of our homes and into the nearest multiplex. Below are 12 of the most exciting new releases coming to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346088/12-new-hollywood-films-watch-march-june-2026-including-toy-story-5-and-michael?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346088/12-new-hollywood-films-watch-march-june-2026-including-toy-story-5-and-michael?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 23:15:10 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 2/5 stars Produced under the guidance of China’s Ministry of State Security, Zhang Yimou’s hi-tech spy thriller Scare Out is the first contemporary Chinese film to tackle the issue of national security head-on. Slickly executed but narratively muddled, it stars Jackson Yee and Zhu Yilong as security agents who, while on the trail of stolen military secrets, learn there is a mole operating within their own unit. Shooting on location in the newly modernised metropolis of Shenzhen, Zhang seizes the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3344534/scare-out-movie-review-zhang-yimou-tackles-national-security-chinese-spy-thriller?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3344534/scare-out-movie-review-zhang-yimou-tackles-national-security-chinese-spy-thriller?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 09:15:08 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 4/5 stars Few events in life are more stressful than planning your wedding day given the myriad details and complexities to consider, from simple logistics to traditions, superstitions and even financial expectations. Hosting two ceremonies simultaneously might seem foolish, but to attempt to keep each one secret from the other, while being the centre of attention at both, could drive any bride and groom to the brink of madness. Yet this is precisely the outrageous premise of Double Happiness,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3344313/double-happiness-movie-review-liu-kuan-ting-jennifer-yu-delight-clever-wedding-comedy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3344313/double-happiness-movie-review-liu-kuan-ting-jennifer-yu-delight-clever-wedding-comedy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 09:15:08 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 3/5 stars It has been just over a year since Jackie Chan unleashed upon us the execrable ordeal that was Panda Plan, an abysmal family-focused caper centring on his efforts to save a shoddily rendered CGI panda from a gang of incompetent terrorists. Since then, the 71-year-old action star has stumbled into a surprisingly rich vein of form, with Karate Kid: Legends, The Shadow’s Edge and Unexpected Family all outshining much of his recent output. Continuing this unexpected trend, Panda Plan: The... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3343714/panda-plan-magical-tribe-movie-review-jackie-chan-delivers-wholesome-family-fun?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3343714/panda-plan-magical-tribe-movie-review-jackie-chan-delivers-wholesome-family-fun?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 07:15:07 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh Wealth and good fortune are the twin engines of the Lunar New Year film season, and Hong Kong filmmaker Philip Yung Tsz-kwong’s The Snowball on a Sunny Day is the latest festive offering to find humour in the hunt for millions. Boasting an ensemble led by Chung Suet-ying, Edan Lui Cheuk-on and Elaine Jin Yan-ling, the comedy-drama follows a working-class family living in a public housing estate who believe they have won the Mark Six lottery jackpot, only to discover that the responsible family... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3343132/10-asian-movies-about-winning-lottery-and-why-jackpot-never-enough?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3343132/10-asian-movies-about-winning-lottery-and-why-jackpot-never-enough?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 10:15:09 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh Are your loved ones in luck this year? See our predictions for all the zodiac signs in the Year of the Horse. According to the Chinese horoscope, those born in the Year of the Horse are characterised as popular, charming and active, as well as energetic and independent. In the Year of the Fire Horse, however, whose 60-year cycle returns in 2026, those traits can be amplified to become temperamental and troublesome. Women born in Fire Horse years are said to be so strong-willed that they shorten... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3342383/5-horse-themed-chinese-language-movies-watch-jackie-chan-drama-tibetan-epics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3342383/5-horse-themed-chinese-language-movies-watch-jackie-chan-drama-tibetan-epics?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Feb 2026 03:15:08 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 4/5 stars The 91st feature film from veteran Japanese director Yoji Yamada is a typically nostalgic affair, in which screen icon Chieko Baisho plays an elderly woman who bonds with her taxi driver (Takuya Kimura) while reminiscing about her eventful life. A remake of the 2022 French film Driving Madeleine, this beautifully pitched drama was produced as part of Shochiku Studios’ 130th anniversary celebrations. Baisho, a prolific singer and actress who has appeared in well over a hundred films,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3342354/tokyo-taxi-movie-review-takuya-kimura-and-chieko-baisho-star-moving-yoji-yamada-drama?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3342354/tokyo-taxi-movie-review-takuya-kimura-and-chieko-baisho-star-moving-yoji-yamada-drama?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Feb 2026 13:15:37 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 3.5/5 stars A young woman is forced to live the last day of her life on repeat in the animated sci-fi thriller All You Need Is Kill, which is adapted from Hiroshi Sakurazaka’s 2004 light novel, best known as the inspiration for the Tom Cruise action film Edge of Tomorrow (2014). Marking the feature directing debut of Kenichiro Akimoto, All You Need Is Kill unfolds in the wake of an alien invasion. It follows a plucky heroine who must hone her combat skills and study the otherworldly aggressors... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3342213/all-you-need-kill-movie-review-japanese-novel-behind-edge-tomorrow-gets-animated?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3342213/all-you-need-kill-movie-review-japanese-novel-behind-edge-tomorrow-gets-animated?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 13:15:36 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 3.5/5 stars In the wartime action drama Gezhi Town, set in a remote mountainous region of China, a group of desperate commoners and untrained soldiers band together to fend off a platoon of heavily armed Japanese forces . By championing the heroism and sacrifices of ordinary civilians, and shifting focus away from patriotic rhetoric to intimate character dynamics, the film proves surprisingly entertaining. The increasingly ubiquitous Peng Yuchang, who can also be seen on Hong Kong screens right... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3341252/gezhi-town-movie-review-chinese-war-drama-xiao-zhan-dares-entertain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3341252/gezhi-town-movie-review-chinese-war-drama-xiao-zhan-dares-entertain?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 11:15:09 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 3/5 stars A rabid chimpanzee runs rampant through a secluded Hawaiian mansion in the no-frills gorefest Primate. Set almost entirely within the confines of a palatial private estate built into a sheer rock face, the latest animal-attack film from 47 Meters Down director Johannes Roberts knows precisely how to appease the bloodthirsty horror crowd. Unleashing 89 minutes of gooey, gnarly action, propped up by the flimsiest of narratives and the bare minimum of character development, Primate... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3340400/primate-movie-review-47-meters-down-director-back-bloody-killer-ape-slasher?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3340400/primate-movie-review-47-meters-down-director-back-bloody-killer-ape-slasher?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 13:15:08 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh Hong Kong movie star and producer Louis Koo Tin-lok is currently rewriting history – and box office records – with the time-travel adventure Back to the Past. Taking in over HK$60 million (US$7.7 million) since its New Year’s Eve debut, the film is a much-anticipated sequel to 2001’s A Step into the Past, a favourite television series from Hong Kong broadcaster TVB. It sends Koo’s security agent hurtling back to the Qin dynasty, reuniting him with many original cast members, including Raymond... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3339696/10-best-asian-time-travel-movies-watch-after-hong-kong-hit-back-past?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3339696/10-best-asian-time-travel-movies-watch-after-hong-kong-hit-back-past?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jan 2026 11:15:07 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 3/5 stars Jackie Chan strives to paint himself as a respectable father figure yet again in his new comedy drama Unexpected Family, playing an elderly man struggling with Alzheimer’s disease who mistakes a young loner for his own estranged son. Short on action but long on ham-fisted life lessons, the debut feature from writer-director Li Taiyan – credited simply as “Tai” – seems tailor-made for the Chinese holiday season, with its fast-paced blend of slapstick humour, domestic squabbles and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3339862/unexpected-family-movie-review-jackie-chan-trades-kicks-tears-sentimental-drama?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3339862/unexpected-family-movie-review-jackie-chan-trades-kicks-tears-sentimental-drama?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jan 2026 02:47:07 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh Celebrated South Korean actor Ahn Sung-ki died on January 5, just four days after celebrating his 74th birthday. Known affectionately as “The Nation’s Actor”, Ahn starred in more than 100 feature films over the course of a career that spanned almost his entire life. After making his screen debut at age five in Kim Ki-young’s 1957 film Twilight Train, Ahn went on to appear in The Housemaid in 1960, widely regarded as the finest Korean film ever made. After a hiatus for education and mandatory... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-movies/article/3338768/ahn-sung-kis-5-best-movies-remembering-iconic-korean-film-actor-who-died-aged-74?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-movies/article/3338768/ahn-sung-kis-5-best-movies-remembering-iconic-korean-film-actor-who-died-aged-74?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jan 2026 11:45:16 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh In 2025, Asian cinema continues to make its mark around the world. Animated features from mainland China and Hong Kong, as well as Japan, have shattered box office records, while filmmakers and performers from across the region have been honoured at the world’s most prestigious film festivals. From established auteurs to promising newcomers, the region remains a thriving hotbed of rich and diverse commercial and artistic talent. Below are our picks of the 12 best films released this year across... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3337826/12-best-asian-films-2025-ranked-ne-zha-2-no-other-choice-and-kokuho?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3337826/12-best-asian-films-2025-ranked-ne-zha-2-no-other-choice-and-kokuho?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 08:15:08 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh The onset of the holidays means it is awards season in Hollywood. While plenty of this year’s contenders, including Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another and Jon M. Chu’s Wicked: For Good, have already opened in Hong Kong cinemas, the likes of Marty Supreme, starring best actor hopeful Timothée Chalamet, have yet to secure a release date. Similarly, the Hong Kong release of the season’s biggest blockbuster, James Cameron’s eagerly awaited Avatar: Fire and Ash, has been indefinitely... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3336602/12-new-hollywood-movies-watch-winter-2025-hamnet-song-sung-blue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3336602/12-new-hollywood-movies-watch-winter-2025-hamnet-song-sung-blue?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Dec 2025 23:15:07 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 3/5 stars Two years after its premiere at the Shanghai International Film Festival, first-time director Chen Shizhong’s rural drama Good Autumn, Mommy finally makes it to Hong Kong screens, arriving at an auspicious time for leading lady Shu Qi. The year 2025 has proven to be a banner one for the beloved Taiwanese actress, who earlier made her directorial debut with the semi-autobiographical Girl. She also starred in Bi Gan’s ambitious avant-garde epic, Resurrection, as well as spearheading the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3336637/good-autumn-mommy-movie-review-shu-qi-anchors-gritty-chinese-rural-drama?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3336637/good-autumn-mommy-movie-review-shu-qi-anchors-gritty-chinese-rural-drama?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Dec 2025 10:15:08 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 4/5 stars Winner of the Golden Leopard at this year’s Locarno Film Festival, the latest film by All the Long Nights director Sho Miyake is a beautifully staged and delicately poised rumination on the parallels between writing and travel. Korean actress Shim Eun-kyung stars as Li, a screenwriter living in Japan, who is searching for inspiration for her latest project. The perpetual clash between her desire for solitude and sense of isolation in a foreign land both fuels her own writing and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3336476/two-seasons-two-strangers-movie-review-sho-miyakes-hypnotic-ode-writing-and-travel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3336476/two-seasons-two-strangers-movie-review-sho-miyakes-hypnotic-ode-writing-and-travel?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 12:15:08 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh The last few days have seen Hong Kong reeling from the unspeakable tragedy of the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, which has left at least 146 people dead and 79 injured, with 40 still unaccounted for. Initial investigations suggest possible negligence on the part of those overseeing renovation work, leaving the community angry and desperate for justice. Meanwhile, the way in which the city’s population has rallied together to provide support for those affected has been truly humbling. In times... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3334761/want-find-solace-film-10-movies-may-offer-catharsis-and-hope?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3334761/want-find-solace-film-10-movies-may-offer-catharsis-and-hope?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Dec 2025 10:15:08 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh When director Tsou Shih-ching was a child in Taiwan, her grandfather scolded her for using her left hand, calling it “the devil’s hand”. She vividly remembers the “sense of guilt”, a feeling of “like I did something wrong” that stayed with her for decades. That childhood memory has now become the seed for her solo directorial debut, Left-Handed Girl, a deeply personal film that has become one of the year’s most celebrated. It tells the story of a mother (Janel Tsai) and her two daughters working... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3333239/why-sean-bakers-taiwanese-producer-took-20-years-make-her-debut-film-left-handed-girl?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3333239/why-sean-bakers-taiwanese-producer-took-20-years-make-her-debut-film-left-handed-girl?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Nov 2025 11:45:08 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 2.5/5 stars Lead cast: Tseng Jing-hua, Moon Lee Netflix’s latest Taiwanese drama series, Had I Not Seen the Sun, follows a convicted serial killer (played by Tseng Jing-hua) who agrees to a documentary interview after years of speculation surrounding his motives. Chen Chi-chiang plays Pin-yu, the young crew member who manages to persuade the killer Li Jen-yao to open up, while Moon Lee and Lyan Cheng co-star as pivotal characters from his tumultuous youth. It has been nine years since teenager... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3332574/netflix-drama-had-i-not-seen-sun-review-ridiculous-serial-killer-romance-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3332574/netflix-drama-had-i-not-seen-sun-review-ridiculous-serial-killer-romance-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Nov 2025 13:00:15 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 3/5 stars Set in Japanese-occupied Hong Kong towards the end of World War II, Against All Odds sees the attempted rescue of an American pilot intersecting with an assassination plot to eliminate a top Japanese official. Written and directed by Lau Ho-leung (Caught in Time) and boasting a mostly Hong Kong crew, this mainland-produced wartime thriller may lack the epic scale flaunted by so many of its contemporaries, but spins an entertaining yarn that should nonetheless capture the attention of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3332576/against-all-odds-movie-review-plucky-hong-kong-set-wwii-thriller-punches-above-its-weight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3332576/against-all-odds-movie-review-plucky-hong-kong-set-wwii-thriller-punches-above-its-weight?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Nov 2025 03:45:09 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 5/5 stars Anchored by an astonishing central performance from Ryo Yoshizawa and a fastidious devotion to the traditional art of kabuki theatre, Lee Sang-il’s sumptuous saga Kokuho emerges as the finest Japanese film of the year. Spanning five decades in the life of a celebrated onnagata – a male performer who specialises in female roles – the film chronicles the endless dedication and heart-wrenching sacrifices required to reach the pinnacle of this bewitching art form, and the toll it takes on... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3332265/kokuho-movie-review-ryo-yoshizawa-stuns-mesmerising-epic-japans-kabuki-theatre?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3332265/kokuho-movie-review-ryo-yoshizawa-stuns-mesmerising-epic-japans-kabuki-theatre?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2025 08:15:08 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 4/5 stars Lead cast: Junichi Okada, Masahiro Higashide, Kaya Kiyohara, Yumia Fujisaki In Last Samurai Standing, 292 fighters from across the land assemble for a merciless showdown to the death in the late 19th century, at the dawn of Japan’s transformative Meiji period (1868-1912). Adapted from the novel by Shogo Imamura, which he also serialised as a seinen manga, Netflix’s rollicking new action series unspools like a period reinterpretation of Squid Game, as the country’s most fearsome samurai... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3332190/netflix-drama-last-samurai-standing-review-1800s-japan-gets-squid-game-treatment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3332190/netflix-drama-last-samurai-standing-review-1800s-japan-gets-squid-game-treatment?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Nov 2025 11:45:08 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh A visually ravishing journey into the afterlife is proving a hit in Hong Kong this week, as the animated feature Another World, an adaptation of Naka Saijo’s novel Sennenki: Thousand-Year Journey of an Oni, is generating plenty of discussion about its unusual subject matter. The film tells the dark, absorbing story of a deceased young girl (voiced by Christy Choi Hiu-tung) who is escorted through the afterlife by the spirit guide Gudo (Chung Suet-ying) as she searches for her little brother. Its... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3331421/10-best-animated-films-set-afterlife-grave-fireflies-soul?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3331421/10-best-animated-films-set-afterlife-grave-fireflies-soul?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Nov 2025 05:15:08 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 2/5 stars Guilt proves to be a powerful trigger for a retired bomb disposal expert in the Taiwanese action thriller 96 Minutes, when his past mistakes prove every bit as deadly as a bomb planted on board a cross-country express train. Austin Lin Po-hung stars as Kang-ren, still haunted by his failure to prevent a deadly department store bomb attack three years earlier, whose past catches up with him at high speed after attending a memorial service for the victims. Travelling back to the capital... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3330567/96-minutes-movie-review-emotions-run-high-clumsy-taiwanese-train-bomb-thriller?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3330567/96-minutes-movie-review-emotions-run-high-clumsy-taiwanese-train-bomb-thriller?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Oct 2025 09:15:10 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 2/5 stars A former Las Vegas magician and a young bride-to-be form an unlikely crime-fighting duo in Black Showman, a murder mystery adapted from Keigo Higashino’s bestselling novel by director Ryo Tanaka, who has also been responsible for several The Confidence Man JP films in recent years. United by their personal connections to the deceased – a popular high school teacher – the two amateur sleuths soon uncover a perplexing conspiracy that appears to implicate residents of a sleepy mountain... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3329808/black-showman-movie-review-masaharu-fukuyama-leads-boring-murder-mystery-adaptation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3329808/black-showman-movie-review-masaharu-fukuyama-leads-boring-murder-mystery-adaptation?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Oct 2025 09:15:08 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh Boasting an eclectic programme of features, shorts, documentaries and retrospectives, the 22nd Hong Kong Asian Film Festival (HKAFF) opens its doors on October 22 with the Asian premiere of new Hong Kong animation Another World. Other local debuts include esports fantasy Gamer Girls, starring the increasingly ubiquitous Angela Yuen Lai-lam, and the Canada-set drama Finch & Midland, featuring Anthony Wong Chau-sang and Patrick Tam Yiu-man. Thai filmmaker Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit is this year’s... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3327321/hong-kong-asian-film-festival-2025-12-best-movies-see-including-another-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3327321/hong-kong-asian-film-festival-2025-12-best-movies-see-including-another-world?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Oct 2025 04:45:08 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 4/5 stars Better known for directing feel-good crowd pleasers like The Waterboys and Swing Girls, Japanese director Shinobu Yaguchi proves he is equally adept at delivering genuine scares with the riotously entertaining Dollhouse. Masami Nagasawa plays a grieving mother who unwittingly brings a possessed toy into her home, only for the inanimate plaything to turn tormentor when its services are no longer required. From Annabelle to Chucky, haunted dolls have been a horror staple for decades. In... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3326459/dollhouse-movie-review-haunted-doll-j-horror-masami-nagasawa-great-fun?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3326459/dollhouse-movie-review-haunted-doll-j-horror-masami-nagasawa-great-fun?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Sep 2025 09:15:07 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 3/5 stars Noisy neighbours are an all-too-common scourge of Asia’s overcrowded cities, but what do you do when their intimate nocturnal antics become too loud to ignore? For the protagonists of Ha Jung-woo’s The People Upstairs, which just premiered at the 30th Busan International Film Festival, a direct approach backfires spectacularly, leading to an uncomfortable and frequently hilarious dinner party between two wildly different couples. This relocated adaptation of Cesc Gay’s Sentimental is... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-movies/article/3326457/busan-2025-people-upstairs-movie-review-ha-jung-woo-excels-cheeky-sex-comedy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-movies/article/3326457/busan-2025-people-upstairs-movie-review-ha-jung-woo-excels-cheeky-sex-comedy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Sep 2025 02:45:07 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 2/5 stars Drowning in ambition but narratively adrift, Kim Byung-woo’s latest high-concept blockbuster opens with an apartment complex being consumed by a giant tsunami before morphing into a science-fiction thriller that defies simple explanation. Kim’s filmography boasts a string of audacious genre-bending experiments, from The Terror Live to Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy. The Great Flood, which premiered last week at the 30th Busan International Film Festival, is an action-packed puzzle box... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-movies/article/3326331/busan-2025-great-flood-movie-review-kim-da-mi-cant-save-puzzling-netflix-fantasy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-movies/article/3326331/busan-2025-great-flood-movie-review-kim-da-mi-cant-save-puzzling-netflix-fantasy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Sep 2025 08:15:08 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 4/5 stars Good News is the new film from Byun Sung-hyun, director of The Merciless and Kill Boksoon, and opens with the caption: “Inspired by true events, but all characters and events portrayed are fictional,” before asking “What is the truth then?” The event in question is the March 1970 hijacking of Japan Airlines flight 351 by members of the Red Army Faction of the Japan Communist League. What unfolds is a riotously entertaining black comedy about the nature of truth, the power of propaganda... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-movies/article/3326068/busan-2025-good-news-movie-review-hilarious-korean-farce-based-real-life-hijacking?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-movies/article/3326068/busan-2025-good-news-movie-review-hilarious-korean-farce-based-real-life-hijacking?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Sep 2025 04:15:08 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh Lead cast: Shu Qi, Angelica Lee Sinje Asian superstars Shu Qi and Angelica Lee Sinje headline The Resurrected, Netflix’s latest Taiwanese drama series, which premiered its first two episodes at the 30th Busan International Film Festival in South Korea on September 18, ahead of its October 9 release on the streamer. Shu and Lee play a pair of desperate mothers who band together to stage a fantastical revenge plot after their daughters fall victim to an illegal telecoms scam operating in a shady... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3325699/netflix-drama-resurrected-shu-qi-angelica-lee-breathe-life-supernatural-chiller?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3325699/netflix-drama-resurrected-shu-qi-angelica-lee-breathe-life-supernatural-chiller?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Sep 2025 13:00:08 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh With the end of the year in sight, Hollywood traditionally pivots away from crowd-pleasing blockbusters towards more highbrow, potentially award-winning fare. But that does not mean that movie-goers in search of big-budget spectacles will be left wanting. On the contrary, cinemas are more desperate than ever to entice audiences off their sofas, away from the streaming platforms and back into cinemas, so big stars, thrilling entertainment and action-packed excitement are never too far away. Below... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3325672/12-new-hollywood-movies-watch-autumn-2025-zootopia-2-avatar-fire-and-ash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3325672/12-new-hollywood-movies-watch-autumn-2025-zootopia-2-avatar-fire-and-ash?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Sep 2025 09:15:07 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 3/5 stars The true measure of humanity’s beauty, or lack thereof, is explored in The Ugly. It marks the first cinematic release in five years from Train to Busan director Yeon Sang-ho, who has recently put most of his energy into making films and TV dramas for Netflix, such as Revelations and Hellbound. Returning to the more grounded social dramas upon which he first made his name, this adaptation from Yeon’s own graphic novel, Face, reopens a cold case of murder that reaches back decades into... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-movies/article/3325571/ugly-movie-review-yeon-sang-hos-dark-mystery-proves-both-intriguing-and-frustrating?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-movies/article/3325571/ugly-movie-review-yeon-sang-hos-dark-mystery-proves-both-intriguing-and-frustrating?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Sep 2025 09:15:08 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh Lead cast: Jun Ji-hyun, Gang Dong-won, John Cho A star-studded cast including Jun Ji-hyun (My Love from the Star), Gang Dong-won (Uprising) and Hollywood actor John Cho (Cowboy Bebop) headlines Disney+’s new K-drama series Tempest, a globe-trotting political thriller that sees the Han peninsula teetering on the brink of nuclear war. Written by Chung Seo-kyung (Little Women) and directed by Kim Hee-won (Vincenzo), Tempest dropped its first three episodes on Disney+ this week. It is South Korea’s... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3325275/disney-k-drama-tempest-jun-ji-hyun-gang-dong-won-and-john-cho-lead-political-thriller?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3325275/disney-k-drama-tempest-jun-ji-hyun-gang-dong-won-and-john-cho-lead-political-thriller?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Sep 2025 20:15:08 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 3/5 stars Lead cast: Kim Go-eun, Park Ji-hyun As the adage goes, with friends like these, who needs enemies? This certainly applies to the female protagonists of You and Everything Else. In the new limited K-drama series on Netflix, Kim Go-eun (Little Women) and Park Ji-hyun (Flex X Cop) play childhood friends whose love-hate relationship suffers through all manner of challenges and rivalries over the course of several decades. Written by Song Hye-jin (The Smile Has Left Your Eyes) and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3325109/netflix-k-drama-you-and-everything-else-review-kim-go-eun-and-park-ji-hyun-play-frenemies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3325109/netflix-k-drama-you-and-everything-else-review-kim-go-eun-and-park-ji-hyun-play-frenemies?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Sep 2025 07:00:10 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 1/5 stars Hong Kong filmmaker Dante Lam Chiu-yin has spent most of the last decade in mainland China, playing with escalating budgets and an impressive sandbox of military hardware and pyrotechnics to create explosive epics that have decimated Chinese box-office records. He has done everything from recounting past historical victories in his two The Battle of Lake Changjin films – which he co-directed with Tsui Hark and Chen Kaige, and which were released in 2021 and 2022 – to conjuring up... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3324970/operation-hadal-movie-review-dante-lams-underwater-naval-sequel-incoherent-misfire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3324970/operation-hadal-movie-review-dante-lams-underwater-naval-sequel-incoherent-misfire?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Sep 2025 08:15:07 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 2/5 stars The cluttered confines of Kowloon Walled City have recently been given a new lease of life. The once notorious Hong Kong neighbourhood of dilapidated and densely populated residential buildings was demolished in 1994, but was resurrected on screen 30 years later in Soi Cheang Pou-soi’s 2024 box office hit Twilight of the Warriors: Walled in. The martial arts action thriller delighted local audiences with its faithful recreation of the enclave, and the sets have since become a tourist... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3324838/kowloon-generic-romance-movie-review-walled-city-set-japanese-fantasy-makes-zero-sense?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3324838/kowloon-generic-romance-movie-review-walled-city-set-japanese-fantasy-makes-zero-sense?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Sep 2025 10:15:08 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 3/5 stars For the past decade, veteran action hero Jackie Chan has been single-minded in his commitment to resuscitating his paternal image through his film roles. From The Foreigner and Bleeding Steel to Hidden Strike and Ride On, Chan’s on-screen personas have been as committed to restoring broken ties with estranged children as to bringing international criminals to justice. His latest work, The Shadow’s Edge, continues this trend as he reunites with writer-director Larry Yang Zi in a loose... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3323495/shadows-edge-movie-review-jackie-chan-stars-action-packed-eye-sky-remake?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3323495/shadows-edge-movie-review-jackie-chan-stars-action-packed-eye-sky-remake?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Aug 2025 10:15:11 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 3/5 stars On October 1, 1942, the Japanese cargo liner Lisbon Maru was secretly transporting more than 1,800 British prisoners of war across the East China Sea when it was torpedoed by an American submarine. More than 800 POWs either drowned or were shot by Japanese soldiers as they attempted to escape, and close to 400 men were rescued from the water by courageous Chinese fishermen who came to their aid from a village on Dongji island in the nearby Zhoushan Archipelago. This little-known tale... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3322487/dongji-rescue-movie-review-chinese-historical-epic-thrilling-yet-preposterous?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3322487/dongji-rescue-movie-review-chinese-historical-epic-thrilling-yet-preposterous?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Aug 2025 09:15:08 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 3/5 stars The Nanking massacre of 1937 – which took place in the Chinese city now called Nanjing – was one of the most horrendous wartime atrocities ever committed. While numbers vary wildly, the Chinese government estimates that more than 300,000 civilians and prisoners of war were murdered, and tens of thousands of women raped, by the Imperial Japanese Army during the weeks and months that followed the fall of the Chinese city. Dead to Rights, a new epic set during the occupation, stars Liu... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3322640/dead-rights-movie-review-chinese-blockbuster-recounts-horrors-nanking-massacre?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3322640/dead-rights-movie-review-chinese-blockbuster-recounts-horrors-nanking-massacre?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Aug 2025 08:15:07 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh Urban legends, tragic accidents and historical wrongdoings have proved a rich font of inspiration for horror filmmakers, nowhere more so than in Taiwan. The island’s tumultuous history and rapid economic progress have seen old traditions and old-world beliefs engulfed by modernity. The past decade alone has seen a number of supernatural tales adapted for the big screen, nurturing a booming subgenre in supernatural horror. With this week’s release of the Taiwanese film Haunted Mountains: The... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3322457/10-taiwanese-horror-movies-turned-creepy-urban-legends-big-screen-inspiration?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3322457/10-taiwanese-horror-movies-turned-creepy-urban-legends-big-screen-inspiration?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Aug 2025 23:15:08 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 1/5 stars The court of public opinion is in session and casts its judgemental eye over a freak incident at a public hospital in the mainland Chinese thriller Malice, produced and co-scripted by blockbuster filmmaker Chen Sicheng and directed by Lai Mukuan and Yao Wenyi. Zhang Xiaofei (Hi, Mom) stars as Ye Pan, an ambitious journalist whose hunger for a sensational story spirals out of control after a nurse and a young female patient fall from the hospital’s roof. Mei Ting co-stars as Qian, the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3322345/malice-movie-review-chinese-thriller-frowns-morally-dubious-online-news-agencies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3322345/malice-movie-review-chinese-thriller-frowns-morally-dubious-online-news-agencies?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Aug 2025 09:15:09 +0000