https://www.scmp.com/rss/329156/feed Views, news, and reviews of films from the continent's biggest movie production centres. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa “I always picked Sub-Zero whenever I played Mortal Kombat,” says Ludi Lin when asked which avatar he gravitated towards in the iconic fighting game. “I like that he can freeze opponents. It gives me a moment to think about what I’m going to do next.” It’s an intriguing choice, given Lin plays Liu Kang – the franchise’s central hero – in the Mortal Kombat films. It’s a regular Monday when we meet at East Hong Kong hotel in Quarry Bay. We begin with the usual small talk – the weather, travel,... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3352613/ludi-lin-liu-kang-mortal-kombat-2-asian-representation-and-his-upbringing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3352613/ludi-lin-liu-kang-mortal-kombat-2-asian-representation-and-his-upbringing?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 09:03:22 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 4/5 stars Compiling all 12 episodes of Yohei Kameyama’s 2025 animated series of the same name, together with additional scenes featuring brand-new supporting characters, this theatrical release of Milky Subway: The Galactic Limited Express is a riotously entertaining science fiction juggernaut that produces more laughs, surprises and innovations in 47 minutes than many feature-length offerings. Milky Subway is itself a sequel to Kameyama’s 2022 graduation project Milky Highway, a four-minute web... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3352455/milky-subway-galactic-limited-express-movie-review-riotous-sci-fi-anime-ride?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3352455/milky-subway-galactic-limited-express-movie-review-riotous-sci-fi-anime-ride?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 11:15:05 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis A screen legend in the early 1970s, martial arts performer Angela Mao Ying, 75, is remembered for big hits such as the 1972 films Hapkido and Lady Whirlwind, and a small role in Bruce Lee’s Enter the Dragon (1973). Beyond these, the Taiwan-born highly skilled fighter made several other excellent martial arts films. Here, we discuss Mao’s The Invincible Eight (1971), The Angry River (1971), The Tournament (1974), Stoner (1974) and The Himalayan (1976) with film historian Frank Djeng, who provided... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3352099/why-1970s-hong-kong-film-legend-angela-mao-was-better-martial-artist-michelle-yeoh?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3352099/why-1970s-hong-kong-film-legend-angela-mao-was-better-martial-artist-michelle-yeoh?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 07:15:08 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Bruce Lee’s legacy in Hong Kong got a needed boost last month with the unveiling of a life-size statue of the late kung fu legend at the site of his childhood home. The tribute marking 85 years since Lee arrived in the city is to be welcomed, but also raises questions about why there is not more focus on one of Hong Kong’s most famous sons. Entertainment company hmvod and arts curator Heiman Ng organised the statue’s unveiling and an exhibition at the Prudential Centre on Nathan Road in Jordan.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3352177/hong-kongs-efforts-commemorate-bruce-lee-should-pack-bigger-punch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3352177/hong-kongs-efforts-commemorate-bruce-lee-should-pack-bigger-punch?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 23:15:10 +0000 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee 3.5/5 stars The blockbuster prequel Cold War 1994 delivers exactly what it promised. Viewers come for the ridiculously overstuffed cast but stay for the relentlessly – almost ostentatiously – convoluted tale of power, corruption and betrayal. While you may not find its plot realistic, it is undeniably entertaining throughout. The new release opens with a quick recap of Cold War (2012) and Cold War 2 (2016), before moving six months forward to Hong Kong in 2017. Louis Koo Tin-lok’s new character,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3351833/cold-war-1994-movie-review-hong-kong-crime-thriller-prequel-star-studded-blast?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3351833/cold-war-1994-movie-review-hong-kong-crime-thriller-prequel-star-studded-blast?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 09:19:14 +0000 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee Hailed as a triumphant reinvigoration of the Hong Kong police thriller, the star-studded 2012 film Cold War revolves around a high-stakes power struggle within the upper echelons of the city’s police force. Winner of nine prizes at the 2013 Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA), the action blockbuster notably aligned itself with an institutional slogan of pride: “Hong Kong is Asia’s safest city.” Yet just 14 years after its release, the cinematic landscape – much like the city itself – has drastically... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3351683/how-hong-kong-crime-films-have-evolved-national-security-law-era?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3351683/how-hong-kong-crime-films-have-evolved-national-security-law-era?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 10:25:03 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis The 1967 film The One-Armed Swordsman changed Hong Kong martial arts cinema forever. Its two sequels, while less influential, remain well-regarded and highly entertaining. Here is how those two follow-ups kept the legend alive. Return of the One-Armed Swordsman (1969) The massive success of the original film made Chang Cheh a “million-dollar director” – and a sequel inevitable. Although leading actor Jimmy Wang Yu returned, this follow-up was a very different film. Screenwriting legend Ni Kuang... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3351007/how-one-armed-swordsman-sequels-took-hong-kong-martial-arts-films-next-level?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3351007/how-one-armed-swordsman-sequels-took-hong-kong-martial-arts-films-next-level?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 09:15:09 +0000 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee This is the 75th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. When Tony Leung Ka-fai took to the stage of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre’s Grand Theatre on April 19 to accept the best actor prize at the 44th Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA), he became the only person to win that honour across five consecutive decades. Yet for the 68-year-old veteran, his accolades are a by-product of his endurance – he has previously admitted to keeping his... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3351095/how-tony-leung-ka-fais-hong-kong-film-awards-record-caps-wild-journey-actor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3351095/how-tony-leung-ka-fais-hong-kong-film-awards-record-caps-wild-journey-actor?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 23:15:07 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu According to the 2021 population census, Hong Kong is home to 619,568 people from ethnic minorities, making up 8.4 per cent of the population (the figure is 301,344, or roughly 4.1 per cent, excluding foreign domestic workers). About 13,000 to 15,000 asylum seekers also live in the city. One of the closest-knit outposts of non-Chinese communities in Hong Kong is Kam Tin in Yuen Long district, in the New Territories. In a city defined by its dense urban landscape and Cantonese heritage, the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3350831/how-new-hong-kong-indie-film-uses-tea-bridge-citys-ethnic-minority-divide?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3350831/how-new-hong-kong-indie-film-uses-tea-bridge-citys-ethnic-minority-divide?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 11:15:07 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok Ciao UFO, a sci‑fi drama inspired by a local urban legend of mysterious lights over a public housing estate, clinched the top honours at the 44th Hong Kong Film Awards on Sunday night, winning best film and best director for Patrick Leung Pak‑kin. The dystopian crime thriller Sons of the Neon Night emerged as the biggest winner, taking home eight prizes out of 12 nominations. Among those sharing the limelight at the ceremony in the Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui was veteran Tony Leung Ka‑fai,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3350651/ciao-ufo-takes-top-prizes-hong-kong-film-awards-sons-neon-night-glows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3350651/ciao-ufo-takes-top-prizes-hong-kong-film-awards-sons-neon-night-glows?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 16:12:07 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis It was not all John Woo Yu-sum when it came to Hong Kong crime films in the late 1980s – filmmakers were still making a variety of interesting cops-and-robbers movies. Here, we look at two hidden gems produced by Tsui Hark that were directed by Johnnie To Kei-fung and Kirk Wong Chi-keung, respectively. The Big Heat (1988) This skilfully executed police thriller features some gruesome violence – it opens with a dream sequence in which an electric drill rips through a hand – but the sometimes... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3350298/why-these-1980s-hong-kong-crime-movies-produced-tsui-hark-are-hidden-gems?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3350298/why-these-1980s-hong-kong-crime-movies-produced-tsui-hark-are-hidden-gems?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 03:15:07 +0000 Matt Glasby Matt Glasby This is the latest instalment in a feature series reflecting on instances of East meets West in world cinema, including China-US co-productions. “It’s one of your favourite fantasies, isn’t it: the submissive Oriental woman and the cruel white man?” Chinese opera singer Song Liling (John Lone) says to French diplomat René Gallimard (Jeremy Irons) at the start of their metaphorically freighted affair. It is a cliché both explored and exploded in director David Cronenberg’s 1993 drama M.... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3349334/how-m-butterfly-jeremy-irons-subverted-western-fantasies-chinese-femininity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3349334/how-m-butterfly-jeremy-irons-subverted-western-fantasies-chinese-femininity?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 07:15:07 +0000 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee This year’s Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA) arrives under an unprecedented cloud of controversy, making Sunday’s 44th edition at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre one of the most heavily scrutinised ceremonies in the event’s history. The industry has been reeling ever since the pre-emptive disqualification of four eligible films in early January: Valley of the Shadow of Death, Vital Signs, Finch & Midland and Mother Bhumi. This opaque and as-yet-unexplained move by the HKFA effectively removed... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3350125/hong-kong-film-awards-2026-predictions-ciao-ufo-back-past-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3350125/hong-kong-film-awards-2026-predictions-ciao-ufo-back-past-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:15:08 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak In the historical drama A Foggy Tale, which won the best narrative film and best original screenplay gongs at the 2025 Golden Horse Awards, writer-director Chen Yu-hsun tells the emotional stories of everyday individuals who fight tirelessly to survive against a backdrop of intense political and social turbulence. Set in 1950s Taiwan during the early years of the White Terror – a time of rampant political persecution under Kuomintang rule – A Foggy Tale follows Yue (Caitlin Fang Yu-ting,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3349843/what-taiwan-white-terror-drama-foggy-tale-taught-will-or-and-9m88-about-resilience?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3349843/what-taiwan-white-terror-drama-foggy-tale-taught-will-or-and-9m88-about-resilience?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 04:45:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Kung fu and action comedies dominated Hong Kong’s comedy genre in the late 1970s and 80s, but the city’s film industry was also still making mainstream comedies at the time – and audiences loved them. We take a deep dive into three crowd favourites. Itchy Fingers (1979) Hugely popular upon its release, this odd-couple comedy might feel a bit tame for modern viewers. But director Leong Po-chih, a notable member of the Hong Kong New Wave, was a consummate craftsman. He delivers a well-paced romp... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3349459/3-hong-kong-comedy-classics-1970s-and-80s-became-local-favourites?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3349459/3-hong-kong-comedy-classics-1970s-and-80s-became-local-favourites?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 08:15:08 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen Award-winning Hong Kong documentary To My Nineteen-Year-Old Self has been withdrawn by its distributor from an Italian film festival after a dispute among stakeholders worsened. Golden Scene said on Sunday that its documentary would not feature at the Far East Film Festival in Udine, 10 days after the event’s line-up listed the title in its “out of competition” section. “We deeply regret this and reserve all legal rights to protect our company’s reputation and interests,” the company said,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3349770/controversial-hong-kong-documentary-pulled-italian-film-festival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3349770/controversial-hong-kong-documentary-pulled-italian-film-festival?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 04:06:04 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Byeon Woo-seok’s star has been on a sharp rise over the past few years. After sitting out last year’s drama release schedules, he returns this weekend in what is arguably his most hotly anticipated role to date: Grand Prince Ian in the alternate-history fantasy romance Perfect Crown opposite K-pop idol IU (aka Lee Ji-eun). Born in Bucheon, a satellite city southwest of Seoul, in 1991, Byeon spent his early childhood there before relocating to the capital. Influenced by his older sister, he... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3349509/who-byeon-woo-seok-model-turned-actor-starring-opposite-iu-perfect-crown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3349509/who-byeon-woo-seok-model-turned-actor-starring-opposite-iu-perfect-crown?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 07:15:08 +0000 Lisa Cam Lisa Cam This is the 74th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. When a young Joey Yung Cho-yee was dropped by her first record label for her supposedly ordinary looks, few would have bet she would one day stand atop Cantopop as one of its most decorated performers. Yet nearly three decades later, the 45-year-old Hong Kong singer has outlasted her critics and claimed, among other accolades, a dozen most popular female singer trophies from TVB’s... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3349329/not-pretty-enough-joey-yung-became-one-hong-kongs-biggest-cantopop-idols-anyway?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3349329/not-pretty-enough-joey-yung-became-one-hong-kongs-biggest-cantopop-idols-anyway?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 23:15:07 +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 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee For an actress often hailed by the Taiwanese press as the “box office guarantee” of her generation, Gingle Wang Ching began her career with a startling lack of vocabulary: she had no idea what the word “action” meant on a film set. Her very first scene in her debut feature, 2017’s All Because of Love, required her to walk down a school corridor, open a classroom door and step inside. What should have taken minutes instead took 33 takes. “I didn’t understand anything at all,” Wang, 28, tells the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348889/how-gingle-wang-went-clueless-novice-one-taiwans-top-young-actresses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348889/how-gingle-wang-went-clueless-novice-one-taiwans-top-young-actresses?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 23:15:10 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Celebrated novelist Eileen Chang Ai-ling was not only a film fan, but she also worked as a film critic and wrote movie scripts. Chang’s own novellas were often considered difficult to adapt for the screen. “Her stories are beautiful because of their language and details, not their plots,” critic Paul Fonoroff wrote in the South China Morning Post. Nevertheless, the great Hong Kong director Ann Hui On-wah has tried three times, with Love in a Fallen City (1984), Eighteen Springs (1997) and Love... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348750/how-did-ann-hui-bring-eileen-changs-love-fallen-city-and-eighteen-springs-life?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348750/how-did-ann-hui-bring-eileen-changs-love-fallen-city-and-eighteen-springs-life?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 11:15:08 +0000 Edith Lin Edith Lin An award-winning documentary capturing the lives of six girls over 10 years by Hong Kong director Mabel Cheung Yuen-ting will be screened at a film festival in Italy, three years after it was pulled from local cinemas due to a lack of consent from interviewees. To My Nineteen-year-old Self, which centres on Ying Wa Girls’ School, was one of the four special screenings revealed in the Far East Film Festival’s line-up on Thursday. The film festival, to be held between April 24 and May 2 in Udine,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3348981/hong-kong-documentary-pulled-cinemas-3-years-ago-set-be-screened?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3348981/hong-kong-documentary-pulled-cinemas-3-years-ago-set-be-screened?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 10:43:40 +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 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee 2.5/5 stars A bus blast on Valentine’s Day in 1998 that killed 16 and injured dozens in Wuhan, in China’s Hubei province, provides the blueprint for We’re Nothing at All, a trenchant drama that marks a rare rekindling of Herman Yau Lai-to’s passion for socially conscious storytelling after the veteran Hong Kong filmmaker’s mostly bombastic action blockbusters over the past decade. Anchored by visceral performances from a pair of singer-actors, who play the misanthropic gay couple at the heart of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348613/were-nothing-all-movie-review-herman-yaus-grim-social-critique-too-heavy-handed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348613/were-nothing-all-movie-review-herman-yaus-grim-social-critique-too-heavy-handed?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 11:15:08 +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 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Anthony Wong Chau-sang is generally known as a character actor who specialises in crazed and outlandish roles. However, long before the Hong Kong cinema veteran became associated with these extreme stereotypes, he spent the early 1990s proving his expansive acting range, as showcased in these three films. 1. Full Contact (1992) Wong plays second fiddle to Chow Yun-fat in Ringo Lam Ling-tung’s hyperviolent actioner, but it is a meaty supporting role that links Chow to his would-be nemesis, played... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3347937/3-anthony-wong-films-early-1990s-show-hong-kong-actors-wide-range?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3347937/3-anthony-wong-films-early-1990s-show-hong-kong-actors-wide-range?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 03:15:07 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak This is the 73rd instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. In the golden age of Hong Kong’s entertainment industry, Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing was a star so bright that he rewrote the rules of conservative Asian society. Affectionately nicknamed Gor Gor – Cantonese for “older brother” – the Cantopop legend’s talent spanned disciplines and extended far beyond the city’s borders. Even now, decades after his death in 2003, fans from around the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348009/how-leslie-cheung-broke-all-rules-become-hong-kongs-greatest-modern-superstar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348009/how-leslie-cheung-broke-all-rules-become-hong-kongs-greatest-modern-superstar?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 23:15:13 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Since the pandemic, the once-mighty South Korean film industry has struggled to return to its former glory. The year 2025 proved particularly trying, as it failed to produce a large-scale breakout capable of reminding audiences what they were missing. That dry spell finally came to a decisive end over the past few weeks, thanks to the staggering success of the Lunar New Year holiday title The King’s Warden, a broadly appealing period drama that continues to defy expectations on its... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-movies/article/3347651/10-most-watched-korean-films-ever-kings-warden-draws-nearly-15-million-film-goers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-movies/article/3347651/10-most-watched-korean-films-ever-kings-warden-draws-nearly-15-million-film-goers?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 09:15:07 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis The late Hong Kong action maestro Benny Chan Muk-sing made his name with the hit triad love story A Moment of Romance (1990) and the acclaimed police thriller Big Bullet (1996), before going on to direct popular action extravaganzas such as 2013’s The White Storm. Bridging these two eras are two pivotal films from the early 2000s that demonstrate Chan’s unique flair for action – Heroic Duo and Invisible Target. Heroic Duo (2003) Shot before 2002’s mega-hit Infernal Affairs fully rejuvenated the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3347240/how-two-benny-chans-2000s-films-bridged-old-school-stunts-and-modern-hong-kong-action?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3347240/how-two-benny-chans-2000s-films-bridged-old-school-stunts-and-modern-hong-kong-action?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 10:15:11 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Chuck Norris, the US martial artist and Hollywood action star most famous for his role in Walker, Texas Ranger, has died, his family said on Friday. He was 86. The martial arts expert turned actor starred in a slew of action films since his acting debut with a cameo in a 1968 Dean Martin film The Wrecking Crew. Four years later, his epic fight with the kung fu superstar Bruce Lee in The Way of The Dragon helped turn Norris into an icon on big and small screens alike. “It is with heavy hearts... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3347388/action-movie-star-chuck-norris-dies-86?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3347388/action-movie-star-chuck-norris-dies-86?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 15:09:00 +0000 Matt Glasby Matt Glasby This is the latest instalment in a feature series reflecting on instances of East meets West in world cinema, including China-US co-productions. In the early 2000s, long before China began opening up to the commercial possibilities of Western cinema, the idea of filming a potential blockbuster in the country seemed nothing short of revolutionary. Previous efforts were either prestige pictures, such as 1987’s The Last Emperor or tiny indies like A Great Wall (1986). But anyone who could mount an... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346728/how-doa-dead-or-alive-tried-create-new-kind-blockbuster-amid-chaotic-china-shoot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346728/how-doa-dead-or-alive-tried-create-new-kind-blockbuster-amid-chaotic-china-shoot?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 09:15:07 +0000 Gavin Yeung Gavin Yeung After the dust settles following the March madness of Art Basel, Art Central and the Hong Kong Arts Festival, the Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) is due to celebrate its semi-centennial this April – a milestone that serves as a retrospective of the city’s storied cinematic output. Despite arriving at a difficult time for the local film industry, amid a slew of cinema closures, the 50th edition, which runs from April 1 to 12, strikes a hopeful note with a strong showing of the... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3347107/see-chen-kaige-and-juliette-binoche-hong-kong-international-film-festival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3347107/see-chen-kaige-and-juliette-binoche-hong-kong-international-film-festival?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 00:00:13 +0000 Mavis Teo Mavis Teo Despite the high crime rates that dogged Johor Bahru from the 1980s to the 2000s, the closest Malaysian city kept luring Singaporeans with its cheap seafood and groceries – and even petrol. The crowds still descend, but these days the capital of Johor state draws visitors for a variety of other reasons. Even in-the-know foreign tourists to Singapore slip across the 1km-long causeway for a change of scene – undeterred by the traffic jams. The five-minute ride on the KTM Shuttle Tebrau train,... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3347037/insiders-guide-johor-bahru-malaysia-hipster-fashion-desserts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3347037/insiders-guide-johor-bahru-malaysia-hipster-fashion-desserts?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 10:00:37 +0000 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee 4/5 stars Life rarely turns out the way one may have hoped – that is the core idea behind Ciao UFO. The engrossing drama takes a sci-fi-tinged urban legend as its launch pad for a nostalgic trip through instantly recognisable scenes from recent Hong Kong history, as experienced by three former childhood friends who find their dreams slipping away as adults. Having premiered at the 2019 Hong Kong Asian Film Festival, this delicate tale of longing and regret by director Patrick Leung Pak-kin... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3347002/ciao-ufo-movie-review-charlene-choi-leads-nostalgic-trip-through-recent-hong-kong-history?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3347002/ciao-ufo-movie-review-charlene-choi-leads-nostalgic-trip-through-recent-hong-kong-history?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 09:20:31 +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 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Herman Yau Lai-to began his career as a cinematographer before transitioning to the director’s chair. He gained notoriety as a pioneer of Hong Kong’s Category III (adults-only) exploitation era, directing gruesome genre classics such as the 1993 serial killer thriller The Untold Story and 1996’s Ebola Syndrome. Since then, the prolific filmmaker – an academic with a PhD in cultural studies who is just as often recognised by his signature rock ‘n’ roll T-shirts – has worked ceaselessly. Known for... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346304/how-hong-kong-director-herman-yau-went-gory-cult-films-action-blockbusters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346304/how-hong-kong-director-herman-yau-went-gory-cult-films-action-blockbusters?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 04:45:07 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Singer-turned-actor Seo In-guk is currently starring in Netflix’s high-concept workplace romantic comedy Boyfriend on Demand. The 38-year-old shares the screen with another performer who has recently traded the concert stage for sound stages: Blackpink’s Jisoo. Born in Ulsan in southeast South Korea, Seo grew up in a working-class household; his mother worked at a recycling centre and his father was a welder. Seo was athletic as a child, taking part in ssireum (traditional Korean wrestling),... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3346353/who-seo-guk-jisoos-co-star-netflix-k-drama-boyfriend-demand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3346353/who-seo-guk-jisoos-co-star-netflix-k-drama-boyfriend-demand?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 08:15:08 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu This is the 72nd instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. What do Chow Yun-fat, Timothee Chalamet and Doh Kyung-soo have in common? They have all had to keep up with the razor-sharp mind of Hong Kong actress and television host Carol “Dodo” Cheng Yu-ling. From teaching Hollywood heartthrobs Cantonese to hosting the city’s most prestigious galas, Cheng’s presence is ubiquitous. Anyone who has watched the TVB anniversary awards or the local... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346208/how-carol-dodo-cheng-went-acting-chow-yun-fat-interviewing-hollywood-stars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346208/how-carol-dodo-cheng-went-acting-chow-yun-fat-interviewing-hollywood-stars?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 00:15:07 +0000 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee 3/5 stars One of the most beguiling aspects of Gamer Girls is that it never acknowledges its characters’ gaming addiction for what it is. Too distracted by the craving for just one more match to function at your day job? Never mind. Needing to grind out another 500 hours of playtime within weeks to qualify for tournament selection? No problem. Despite its casual treatment of the gruelling, burnout-inducing realities of esports, and its light-touch approach to the toxic misogyny that often... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346211/gamer-girls-movie-review-angela-yuen-leads-ensemble-beguiling-hong-kong-esports-drama?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346211/gamer-girls-movie-review-angela-yuen-leads-ensemble-beguiling-hong-kong-esports-drama?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 11:15:07 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Hong Kong martial arts maestro Chang Cheh’s legendary acrobatic fighters, the Venom Mob, have remained firm favourites of genre fans abroad since their screen debut in 1978. The bedrock of that enduring popularity is The Five Venoms (also known as Five Deadly Venoms), the cult classic that launched their iconic run. For the uninitiated, the Venom Mob are not a fictional movie team like Marvel’s Avengers, but a group of actors – brought together by Chang – who appeared in different roles in a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3345671/how-five-venoms-pioneered-superhero-team-chinese-martial-arts-cinema?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3345671/how-five-venoms-pioneered-superhero-team-chinese-martial-arts-cinema?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 09:15:07 +0000 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee 3/5 stars Macau filmmaker Tracy Choi Ian-sin revisits the tender, nostalgic tone of her directorial debut, Sisterhood (2016), for this semi-autobiographical lesbian drama. Girlfriends charts a young woman’s coming-of-age experience and ongoing quest to find her place in the world through three episodes from separate periods of her life, unfolding in reverse chronological order and under different names. It opens in 2024 Hong Kong, where the Macau-born director Lok (Fish Liew Chi-yu) has been... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3345395/girlfriends-movie-review-fish-liew-and-jennifer-yu-reunite-tender-lesbian-romance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3345395/girlfriends-movie-review-fish-liew-and-jennifer-yu-reunite-tender-lesbian-romance?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 11:15:07 +0000 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee 2/5 stars Viewers who like their cops-and-robbers thrillers loud, frenetic and illogical are in for a blast – along with car chases, bruising one-on-one fights and all too many extended shoot-outs – with Ultimate Revenge, an unabashedly derivative addition to Hong Kong’s once-feted action cinema tradition. While its gritty approach to action might excite diehard fans of the genre, this latest effort by emerging director Terry Ng Ka-wai (The Unwavering Brotherhood, 2024) has presumably blown most... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3345268/ultimate-revenge-movie-review-hong-kong-police-and-robbers-drama-all-brawn-and-no-brains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3345268/ultimate-revenge-movie-review-hong-kong-police-and-robbers-drama-all-brawn-and-no-brains?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 11:15:07 +0000 James Mottram James Mottram There is a mild, modest satisfaction when we ask Hikari how she feels about her career to date. “So far, so good,” she says briskly. It is a little more than that. The Japanese-born director established her art-house credentials in 2019 with her prize-winning feature debut 37 Seconds. She went on to direct episodes of prestige American TV, including the water-cooler show Beef. Now comes her second feature-length movie, Rental Family, a gentle, sometimes mournful Tokyo-set comedy that strikes a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3345114/who-hikari-japanese-director-behind-beef-and-brendan-fraser-starrer-rental-family?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3345114/who-hikari-japanese-director-behind-beef-and-brendan-fraser-starrer-rental-family?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 10:15:07 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Patrick Lung Kong, also known as Long Gang, is an anomaly among Hong Kong filmmakers. Working at a time when martial arts films ruled the local box office, Lung made socially conscious contemporary dramas that focused on Hong Kong issues and were highly didactic. Lung, who died in 2014, believed that society’s ills, rather than an individual’s failings, turned citizens to crime, and he was not afraid to express this explicitly in his work. But Lung also realised that audiences did not like to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3344718/love-better-tomorrow-hong-kong-director-and-film-inspired-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3344718/love-better-tomorrow-hong-kong-director-and-film-inspired-it?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 11:15:08 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung This is the 71st instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. Back in the first decade of his entertainment career, which began in the mid-1980s, Michael Tse Tin-wah was a face you recognised but a name you might have struggled to place. He was a backup dancer hitting his marks behind Cantopop icons; a fiercely loyal triad henchman swinging a machete in the Young and Dangerous films; a dependable character actor equipped with a sinister,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3344408/why-michael-tse-hong-kong-actor-behind-laughing-gor-lesson-resilience?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3344408/why-michael-tse-hong-kong-actor-behind-laughing-gor-lesson-resilience?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 23:15:07 +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 Mottram James Mottram The Berlin International Film Festival has always been a politically charged event, but this year’s 76th edition was a cauldron. Early on, author Arundhati Roy resigned from her duties at the festival after Wim Wenders, the German filmmaker and head of the jury, said filmmakers should stay out of politics. This followed a jury press conference where a journalist questioned the festival’s stance on showing solidarity with victims of global conflicts, but ignoring Gaza. In the wake of this, over... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3344441/10-best-movies-2026-berlin-film-festival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3344441/10-best-movies-2026-berlin-film-festival?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 09:12:21 +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 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Legendary Hong Kong film director Li Han-hsiang is best known for stately historical dramas like the lavish Empress Wu Tse-tien (1963), but he also made important huangmei diao opera films. Originating in mainland China’s Hubei province, this folk opera style spawned massive 1960s box office hits. Notably, these productions were not filmed stage operas but fully formed cinematic experiences, akin to Hollywood musicals. Here we look at two very different huangmei diao films directed by Li. The... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3344075/how-2-films-li-han-hsiang-became-classics-hong-kongs-chinese-folk-opera-cinema?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3344075/how-2-films-li-han-hsiang-became-classics-hong-kongs-chinese-folk-opera-cinema?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 09:15:08 +0000 James Mottram James Mottram Art-house movie trilogies are rare beasts, and even rarer when they are unintended. “I think it was completely accidental,” says Singaporean filmmaker Anthony Chen of the 13-year odyssey to complete his “Growing Up” trilogy. It began in 2013 with his debut Ilo Ilo, the sensitive tale of a boy’s bond with his domestic helper. The film won Chen the Camera d’Or at Cannes, the prize awarded for best first feature. He followed it six years later with Wet Season, in which a teacher finds herself drawn... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3344024/how-anthony-chens-we-are-all-strangers-captures-beauty-working-class-singapore?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3344024/how-anthony-chens-we-are-all-strangers-captures-beauty-working-class-singapore?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 04:45:08 +0000