https://www.scmp.com/rss/330491/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com 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 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 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 Winnie Chung Winnie Chung When the Hong Kong political crime thriller Cold War was released in 2012, it arguably shook up the market. Here was a big-budget actioner helmed by two industry veterans – Longman Leung Lok-man and Sunny Luk Kim-ching – making their directing debut, and headlined by a cast of some of Hong Kong’s biggest names such as Tony Leung Ka-fai, Aaron Kwok Fu-shing and Andy Lau Tak-wah. But if the directors were still unrecognisable, the film’s producer was not. Bill Kong Chi-keung, known for producing... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3347175/downton-abbey-game-thrones-actors-starring-cold-war-1994-exploring-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3347175/downton-abbey-game-thrones-actors-starring-cold-war-1994-exploring-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 04:15:08 +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 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 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 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 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 Daniel Eagan Daniel Eagan It has been more than seven years since Yuen Woo-ping last directed a feature film. Opening for Lunar New Year 2026, Blades of the Guardians marks a return to the kind of martial arts blockbusters that the Hong Kong cinema icon helped define with works such as Drunken Master (1978) and Wing Chun (1994). Based on a popular comics series, the new film follows bounty hunter Dao Ma (Wu Jing), the “second most wanted fugitive” in the Sui dynasty (581-618), as he tries to lead a rebel leader across... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3343880/director-yuen-woo-ping-revives-wuxia-blockbuster-blades-guardians?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3343880/director-yuen-woo-ping-revives-wuxia-blockbuster-blades-guardians?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 08:15:07 +0000 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee 3.5/5 stars Fans of Chinese-language martial arts movies could hardly have asked for a more satisfying revival than this ferocious wuxia epic, directed by the legendary Yuen Woo-ping (Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy) and anchored by a visceral turn from superstar Wu Jing (Wolf Warrior 2) as a master swordsman haunted by his past. Adapted from a popular Chinese comics series of the same name by a quartet of screenwriters, Blades of the Guardians is, as expected, crammed with so many semi-developed... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3343820/blades-guardians-movie-review-wu-jing-leads-star-studded-chinese-martial-arts-epic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3343820/blades-guardians-movie-review-wu-jing-leads-star-studded-chinese-martial-arts-epic?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 09:01:18 +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 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee 3/5 stars You cannot blame Jack Ng Wai-lun for trying to catch lightning in a bottle twice. The veteran screenwriter made history as the first Hong Kong filmmaker to gross over HK$100 million (US$12.8 million) locally – with his directorial debut, A Guilty Conscience (2023) – and the temptation for an encore must have been irresistible. Ng’s strategy is to revisit the golden formula of his previous hit. He once again depicts Dayo Wong Tsz-wah as a slick professional losing his footing in a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3343732/night-king-movie-review-dayo-wong-sammi-cheng-lead-enjoyably-fluffy-nightclub-comedy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3343732/night-king-movie-review-dayo-wong-sammi-cheng-lead-enjoyably-fluffy-nightclub-comedy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Feb 2026 09:12:59 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Hong Kong New Wave director Allen Fong Yuk-ping transitioned from television to filmmaking later than his contemporaries, but his neo-realist social dramas did prove immediately successful. He won best film and best director at the inaugural Hong Kong Film Awards in 1982 for his debut feature, Father and Son, and repeated the double for his next film, Ah Ying, two years later. He won best director again in 1987 for his third effort, Just Like Weather. Here, we take a deep dive into Fong’s first... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3343267/why-hong-kong-new-wave-director-allen-fongs-father-and-son-and-ah-ying-are-true-gems?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3343267/why-hong-kong-new-wave-director-allen-fongs-father-and-son-and-ah-ying-are-true-gems?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Feb 2026 07:15:08 +0000 Lisa Cam Lisa Cam This is the 70th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. For many of her admirers, the defining image of Athena Chu Yan remains a single, fleeting moment from 1995. As the Zixia Fairy in the two-part film A Chinese Odyssey, she gazes at the Monkey King (Stephen Chow Sing-chi) and delivers a wink – playful, radiant and hopeful. That split second transformed Chu into not just an icon of Hong Kong cinema but also one of its most popular “sexy... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3343404/how-hong-kong-actress-athena-chu-escaped-sex-symbol-trap-after-chinese-odyssey-fame?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3343404/how-hong-kong-actress-athena-chu-escaped-sex-symbol-trap-after-chinese-odyssey-fame?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 09:15:09 +0000 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee 3.5/5 stars A botched attempt to purchase a Mark Six ticket with the winning numbers snowballs into an emotional journey for a working-class family in The Snowball on a Sunny Day. Part sweet tear-jerker, part love letter to Hong Kong cinema and the craft of filmmaking, this Lunar New Year offering reveals an unexpectedly whimsical side of the writer-director Philip Yung Tsz-kwong. A radical departure from the gritty crime dramas that define his award-winning oeuvre to date (Papa, Port of Call),... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3343193/snowball-sunny-day-movie-review-family-comedy-doubles-love-letter-cinema?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3343193/snowball-sunny-day-movie-review-family-comedy-doubles-love-letter-cinema?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 09:15:07 +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 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee It says much about the lack of quality and quantity in today’s Hong Kong cinema that the three films leading the race for honours in the 44th Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA) are all “urban myth” titles – high-profile projects that wrapped years ago but languished on the shelf until 2025. This year’s nominations are dominated by high-concept genre filmmaking, with Juno Mak Chun-lung’s hyper-stylised crime thriller Sons of the Neon Night leading the pack with 12 nods, closely followed by the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3343068/hong-kong-film-awards-2026-nominations-full-sons-neon-night-leads-disputed-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3343068/hong-kong-film-awards-2026-nominations-full-sons-neon-night-leads-disputed-race?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 10:09:53 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis To the uninitiated, the sight of a blood-soaked swordsman fighting on with an arrow lodged in his chest seems absurd. Yet, in the world of Hong Kong cinema, realism is rarely the point. Martial arts films, whether “kung fu” fisticuffs or “wuxia” sword-fighting, operate on a unique logic of physical poetry and historical myth. Below, to help find your footing, we punch out some commonly held misconceptions about this widely cherished tradition. Why the unrealistic fights and injuries? Martial... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3342311/beginners-guide-watching-hong-kong-martial-arts-movies-and-why-realism-doesnt-matter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3342311/beginners-guide-watching-hong-kong-martial-arts-movies-and-why-realism-doesnt-matter?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Feb 2026 09:15:07 +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 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Hong Kong cinema has always prided itself on speed and adaptability, yet the industry has often been guilty of merely repackaging old formulas. However, the 1990s brought a wave of existential anxiety – both political and commercial – that forced filmmakers to take drastic risks. Below, we revisit two ambitious productions from the beginning of that decade and the turn of the next one that attempted to rewrite the rule book: one a dark fantasy reliant on extravagant home-grown special effects,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3341761/how-hong-kong-movies-wicked-city-and-2000-ad-rewrote-citys-cinema-rule-book?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3341761/how-hong-kong-movies-wicked-city-and-2000-ad-rewrote-citys-cinema-rule-book?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Feb 2026 09:15:07 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu This is the 69th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. Between 2024 and 2025, Hins Cheung King-hin performed a record 31 shows across two concert series at The Londoner Arena in Macau. The feat not only broke his personal best but also set a new benchmark for the most concerts by an artist within a year in the city. That is just another piece of trivia about Cheung, who has emerged as both a cultural custodian and a bridge between the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3341539/how-hins-cheung-went-shenzhen-bar-singer-hong-kong-icon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3341539/how-hins-cheung-went-shenzhen-bar-singer-hong-kong-icon?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 23:15:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Alexander Fu Sheng, who died in a car crash in 1983 aged 28, is best remembered for his Shaolin kung fu films, such as 1974’s Heroes Two. But the martial arts star, born Cheung Fu-sheng, also expanded his range through his short career, performing in modern-day actioners like Chinatown Kid and kung fu comedies. Here, we look at a few of Fu’s more unusual later works. Chinatown Kid (1977) A hit with fans abroad, Fu’s rare foray into modern-day action was a good fit for his cheeky persona and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3340777/3-hong-kong-martial-arts-legend-alexander-fu-shengs-more-unusual-movies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3340777/3-hong-kong-martial-arts-legend-alexander-fu-shengs-more-unusual-movies?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Jan 2026 09:15:08 +0000 James Mottram James Mottram In a world where streamers often get a bad rap for force-feeding audiences mainstream fare, this month sees the arrival of something distinctive. On Mubi, fans of Asian experimental cinema are in for a treat. The Asian Avant-Garde collection, now streaming on the platform, is a mix of 10 shorts and features, from Dead Knot (1969), an early black-and-white work co-written by John Woo Yu-sum, to An Asian Ghost Story (2023), a haunting slice of docufiction centres on the Hong Kong wig industry in... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3340643/m-and-chanel-bring-john-woo-movie-plus-other-rare-asian-avant-garde-films-mubi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3340643/m-and-chanel-bring-john-woo-movie-plus-other-rare-asian-avant-garde-films-mubi?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2026 08:15:10 +0000 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee Ciao UFO, a nostalgic drama that waited over six years to reappear on the big screen after its film festival premiere, has been voted the best Hong Kong film of 2025 by the Hong Kong Film Critics Society (HKFCS), the organisation announced on January 19. The win is a vindication for the film, directed by Patrick Leung Pak-kin (Born Wild), that premiered at the 2019 Hong Kong Asian Film Festival but faced a prolonged delay in release, reportedly due to an investor’s reluctance to greenlight a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3340491/ciao-ufo-wins-best-picture-2025-hong-kong-film-critics-society-awards?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3340491/ciao-ufo-wins-best-picture-2025-hong-kong-film-critics-society-awards?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 03:19:31 +0000 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee On January 13, the Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA) Association released its provisional list of contenders for the 44th edition of the city’s most prestigious film ceremony. The film list is meant to be a routine administrative update, a roll-call of the artistic output from the 2025 calendar year, and the definitive source of reference for HKFA voters filling out their nomination forms. However, this year’s list quickly threw the industry into turmoil. In an unprecedented development, four... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3340395/why-did-hong-kong-film-awards-drop-4-eligible-films-its-2026-list?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3340395/why-did-hong-kong-film-awards-drop-4-eligible-films-its-2026-list?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 09:14:14 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Hong Kong filmmaker Ronny Yu Yan-tai’s little-seen The Postman Fights Back (1982) is a highly unusual martial arts film that plays more like an American Western than a traditional wuxia. It features Leung Kar-yan as a courier in Republican China tasked with delivering a mysterious cargo to a violent mountain bandit, whose motley crew of associates includes a young Chow Yun-fat. Here we discuss The Postman Fights Back with film historian Frank Djeng, who provided the commentary with Yu for the 88... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3340019/why-ronny-yus-postman-fights-back-starring-leung-kar-yan-unusual-wuxia-gem?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3340019/why-ronny-yus-postman-fights-back-starring-leung-kar-yan-unusual-wuxia-gem?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Jan 2026 09:15:09 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung This is the 68th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. With her signature forehead mole, infectious laughter and seemingly ageless, indomitable spirit, Nancy Sit Ka-yin has earned her title as the “elder sister” of Hong Kong’s entertainment industry. To the generations who grew up watching her, she is simply Ka-yin Je (Big Sister Ka-yin), or Ka-yin Mama, a symbol of warmth, resilience and unshakeable joy. Yet, to view her journey solely... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3339831/how-nancy-sit-went-princess-cantonese-cinema-hong-kongs-beloved-tv-matriarch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3339831/how-nancy-sit-went-princess-cantonese-cinema-hong-kongs-beloved-tv-matriarch?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jan 2026 23:15:07 +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 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee 2.5/5 stars The Hong Kong diaspora in Canada is subjected to an exercise in classic miserabilism in Finch & Midland, a delicately acted but loosely scripted portrait of ageing and loneliness that revolves around the uniformly depressing lives of four immigrants who arrived in the 1990s. Although the title references a Toronto intersection synonymous with the city’s Hong Kong community, this character drama – the first feature of Canada-born writer-director Timothy Yeung – shows scant interest in... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3339815/finch-midland-movie-review-anthony-wong-and-patrick-tam-cant-save-grim-diaspora-drama?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3339815/finch-midland-movie-review-anthony-wong-and-patrick-tam-cant-save-grim-diaspora-drama?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 07:30:14 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Hong Kong’s film industry has made a promising start to the new year with science fiction blockbuster Back to the Past hitting box office records. But with overall takings dropping in recent years and more cinemas having shut down – the latest being Emperor Cinemas in Ma On Shan – the way forward for the creative industry remains challenging. Bagging no less than HK$45.4 million (US$5.8 million), the time-travel story based on a popular television drama series in 2001 has overtaken A Guilty... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3339549/amid-back-pasts-success-hong-kong-cinema-should-look-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3339549/amid-back-pasts-success-hong-kong-cinema-should-look-future?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jan 2026 23:15:09 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Chinese superstar Gong Li rose to fame as the muse of China’s Fifth Generation directors, starring in art-house classics such as Ju Dou, Raise the Red Lantern and Farewell My Concubine. But during the 1990s, she found time to make a batch of lesser-known commercial films in Hong Kong. Below, we revisit a few of her most noteworthy outings in the city. 1. Flirting Scholar (1993) Gong had appeared with superstar comedian Stephen Chow Sing-chi once before, in a dual role in 1991’s God of Gamblers... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3339254/3-times-gong-li-surprised-hong-kong-films-including-flirting-scholar-stephen-chow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3339254/3-times-gong-li-surprised-hong-kong-films-including-flirting-scholar-stephen-chow?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Jan 2026 09:15:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Hong Kong producer-writer-director Wong Jing churned out so many films in the 1990s that some were bound to succeed. The underrated gem The New Legend of Shaolin, starring Jet Li Lianjie, stands out as a highlight, marrying lighthearted comedy and above-average action to good effect. The storyline, while simple, is logical and tightly structured, with highs and lows hitting the right beats. Moreover, Wong’s signature penchant for lowbrow comedy is deployed with restraint. When the cheesy jokes... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3338386/why-jet-li-and-wong-jings-1994-martial-arts-movie-new-legend-shaolin-underrated?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3338386/why-jet-li-and-wong-jings-1994-martial-arts-movie-new-legend-shaolin-underrated?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Jan 2026 08:15:09 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak This is the 67th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. From growing up impoverished in a village in Huizhou, in east-central Guangdong province, to sending his son to an elite international school in Shanghai, the life of actor and singer Jordan Chan Siu-chun has been a roller coaster defined by extreme reinvention. Today, at 58, he has crafted a new image as a stellar husband and father, living in mainland China with a wife 16 years his... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3338135/how-actor-singer-jordan-chan-went-hong-kong-bad-boy-patriotic-family-man-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3338135/how-actor-singer-jordan-chan-went-hong-kong-bad-boy-patriotic-family-man-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jan 2026 23:15:08 +0000 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee 3/5 stars A film does not need to be a masterpiece to become a megahit, provided it strikes the perfect chord. Few contemporary Hong Kong releases prove this better than Back to the Past, a subpar historical sci-fi fantasy that is saved – and arguably even transcended – by the potent wave of nostalgia it inspires in its target audience. An effects-driven action adventure that picks up where the 2001 TVB drama series A Step into the Past left off, this long-gestating sequel co-directed by Ng... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3338164/back-past-movie-review-louis-koo-raymond-lam-lead-nostalgic-sequel-tvb-series?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3338164/back-past-movie-review-louis-koo-raymond-lam-lead-nostalgic-sequel-tvb-series?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 16:00:08 +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 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Chen Zhen, a fictional character first played by Bruce Lee in the 1972 film Fist of Fury, became a cultural phenomenon in Hong Kong because of the way he stood up to the Japanese in Shanghai in the early 1900s. A scene in which Chen makes students at a Japanese karate school eat the paper on which they had written “China is the sick man of Asia” was especially popular, as was the scene in which Chen smashes a sign outside a Shanghai public park reading “No dogs or Chinese”. Here, we look at two... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3337793/how-stephen-chow-and-donnie-yen-reinvented-bruce-lees-classic-chen-zhen-their-own-ways?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3337793/how-stephen-chow-and-donnie-yen-reinvented-bruce-lees-classic-chen-zhen-their-own-ways?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Dec 2025 09:15:07 +0000 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee There were, ultimately, no miracles for Hong Kong cinema in 2025. It was a regrettable year that began with reports of further cinema closures and ended in collective mourning after the Tai Po fire tragedy, which in turn pushed back the release of Avatar: Fire and Ash (now renamed Avatar 3) – previously earmarked as a saviour for cinema operators this Christmas. The forecast downturn in film investment has been keenly felt; even several “urban myth” titles – the label jokingly given to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3337807/hong-kong-films-released-2025-ranked-worst-best?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3337807/hong-kong-films-released-2025-ranked-worst-best?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Dec 2025 10:11:31 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung Whether you are drawn to the buzz of harbourside markets, the tranquillity of nature or the wonder of a curated exhibition space, Hong Kong offers a wide range of options to help you embrace the festive season’s spirit. Here are five things to do in the city this weekend. 1. AIA Carnival The AIA Carnival returns to Central Harbourfront this season, celebrating its 11th year and running until March 1. In addition to its extensive line-up of rides and games, which include new attractions like an... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3337787/5-best-things-do-hong-kong-weekend-december-26-28?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3337787/5-best-things-do-hong-kong-weekend-december-26-28?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Dec 2025 07:15:10 +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. When Wayne Wang’s The Joy Luck Club was released in 1993, it stood as only the second Hollywood film ever to tell a contemporary story with a majority Asian cast – the first, Flower Drum Song, had arrived 32 years prior. Based on the bestselling 1989 novel by Amy Tan, it tells of four Chinese mothers and their daughters in San Francisco. They play a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3337472/how-joy-luck-club-paved-way-asian-representation-long-crazy-rich-asians?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3337472/how-joy-luck-club-paved-way-asian-representation-long-crazy-rich-asians?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Dec 2025 23:15:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Hong Kong filmmaker Chor Yuen is known today for directing magical martial arts classics like The Sentimental Swordsman. Recently, however, a number of his rarer titles were made widely available again. Below we look at a few of his lesser-known wuxia gems. Duel for Gold (1971) Chor had only one martial arts film to his credit, Cold Blade, before joining Shaw Brothers in 1970. He had previously established himself by directing around 70 dramas and romances, many of which achieved both commercial... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3336890/how-chor-yuens-forgotten-hong-kong-wuxia-films-mixed-magic-realism-and-complex-heroes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3336890/how-chor-yuens-forgotten-hong-kong-wuxia-films-mixed-magic-realism-and-complex-heroes?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Dec 2025 09:15:08 +0000