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Asian cinema

Asian cinema
Views, news, and reviews of films from the continent's biggest movie production centres.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM
Sarita Rai in her home in Dharavi, Mumbai. Photos: Neville Sukhia; Atul Loke; Amrit Dhillon

Lessons in flavour and frugality from home cooks in Dharavi, 'Asia's largest slum'

A book of recipes from eight women living in Mumbai's Dharavi slum highlights the area's culinary diversity and shows how delicious fresh, seasonal, subtly spiced food can be, writes Amrit Dhillon

Reading Time:6 minutes
Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Photo: Shutterstock

Insider’s guide to Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Reading Time:5 minutes
Apple Chui, assistant professor in the School of Life Sciences at Chinese University. Photo: courtesy of Coral Academy

Hong Kong has more coral reef species than the Caribbean – and they’re worth saving

Reading Time:4 minutes
Kai Ching Estate in Kai Tak, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Photo: Alexander Mak

Too shiny, straight, serious, samey: when architecture stops feeling human

Reading Time:9 minutes
The living room in the Ap Lei Chau apartment in Hong Kong, designed by Stylus Studio. Photo: Steven Ko

A seaside retreat where a finance couple can escape their kids

Reading Time:3 minutes
Coco Capitán poses for a portrait at ArtisTree, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong ahead of her upcoming show. Photo: Jocelyn Tam

From pirate dreams to public text, a restless creative voice arrives in the city

Reading Time:8 minutes
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Content from SCMP's Specialist Publications
Tang Wei (left) and Tony Leung Chiu-wai in a still from Lust, Caution. Photo: Edko Films
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

How Lust, Caution made waves for its sex scenes but overdid the caution

Although beautifully staged, this Hong Kong-US-China production starring Tony Leung and Tang Wei had a muddled story and misguided messages.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Hong Kong’s Category III adult film industry laid bare in 2 films

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Profile | Adult film legend Amy Yip bares all about her soft porn career

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

How the Erotic Ghost Story films shocked and seduced Hong Kong

The trio of 1990s adult movies with Hong Kong sex symbols like Amy Yip and Japanese adult-video actresses like Kudo Hitomi were a huge hit.

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(From left) Amy Yip, Man Siu and Kudo Hitomi in a still from Erotic Ghost Story.
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

The Hong Kong films released in 2024, ranked from worst to best

From We 12 to Papa, Fly Me to the Moon and The Last Dance, our ranking of the Hong Kong films that hit cinemas in the course of the year.

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

How Chingmy Yau shocked Hong Kong and became one of its biggest sex symbols

Chingmy Yau’s transition from respectable actress to star of Category III adult films full of sex and violence like ‘Naked Killer’ was quite the revelation in Hong Kong in the 1990s.

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Asian cinema: Korean films

‘I’m second,’ says South Korean star Hyun Bin on life now he’s a dad

Hyun Bin says his son and his wife, Crash Landing on You co-star Son Ye-jin, are his priorities, and reveals the pressures of making Harbin.

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Korean actor Hyun Bin with his wife Son Ye-jin. The couple married in March 2022 and had their son in November the same year. Photo: Instagram/hyunbinactor
The Philippines

‘Bombas’: the Philippine sex films whose stars were household names

Cheaply made and with female characters who were either predators or victims, bombas thrived despite Catholic Church opposition; they also often represented the hardships of everyday life for Filipinos under the Marcos dictatorship.

Asian cinema: Korean films

5 career-defining roles for Hyun Bin – yes, one of them is Secret Garden

From Hyun Bin’s breakthrough in the 2005 drama My Lovely Sam Soon to huge hit Secret Garden to Netflix series Crash Landing on You, five of the Korean actor’s career-defining roles as he turns 41.

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Is Simon Yam Hong Kong cinema’s hardest working actor?

Adults-only and mainstream crime films, sex films, and serious dramas with Alex Law and Ann Hui – Simon Yam has done them all. Good-looking and with an expressive face, he has a work ethic second to none.

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Simon Yam at the 2017 Hong Kong Film Awards presentation ceremony. Photo: Edward Wong
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

How director Benny Chan bridged old-school stunts and modern action

2003’s Heroic Duo and 2007’s Invisible Target were full of the director’s flair for action, reckless stunts and literal explosive scenes.

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Nicholas Tse in a still from Invisible Target (2007), directed by Benny Chan, whose 2000s films were a blend of classic stunts and modern action.
United States

Action movie star Chuck Norris dies at 86

His epic fight with kung fu superstar Bruce Lee in ‘The Way of The Dragon’ helped turn Norris into an icon.

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American cinema

How the eye-catchingly sexist DOA: Dead or Alive survived chaotic China shoot

Filmed at Hengdian World Studios, DOA: Dead or Alive helped pioneer East-West cinema collaboration – even if it bombed at the box office.

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On Our Radar

Hong Kong International Film Festival brings out the big guns for its 50th year

The city’s flagship cinema event marks its Golden Jubilee with a global slate, major auteurs and a spotlight on Asian storytelling.

Yeo Yann Yann and Andi Lim in a still from We Are All Strangers, directed by Anthony Chen. Photo: courtesy Giraffe Pictures.
Locals' Guide

Insider’s guide to Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Derelict houses reborn as hip cafes and a showcase for local fashion talent are some of the draws in Johor’s capital, actress Debbie Goh reveals.

Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Photo: Shutterstock
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Ciao UFO: Charlene Choi leads nostalgic trip through Hong Kong history

Chui Tien-you and Wong You-nam join Charlene Choi in Patrick Leung’s poignant character drama that finally arrives at cinemas after debuting in 2019.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Best movies to watch at the Hong Kong International Film Festival 2026

Silent Friend, Sirat, Good Boy and Pillion are among our top picks at this year’s festival, which is celebrating its 50th edition.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

How Herman Yau transitioned from gory cult films to action blockbusters

Once known for Category III shockers such as Ebola Syndrome, Herman Yau has become the go-to director for action blockbusters.

Hong Kong filmmaker Herman Yau. We examine the Hong Kong director’s journey from cult horror films to action blockbusters. Photo: Jonathan Wong
K-drama news

Profile | Who is Seo In-guk, star of Netflix K-drama Boyfriend on Demand?

From his musical beginnings to his breakout role in Reply 1997 to his turn in Boyfriend on Demand, Seo In-guk stands out for his versatility.

Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Profile | From TVB queen to YouTube star, how Carol ‘Dodo’ Cheng does it all

Hong Kong icon Carol “Dodo” Cheng has worn many hats – actor, television host, content creator – continually reinventing herself across five decades.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Gamer Girls: Angela Yuen leads beguiling Hong Kong esports drama

This engaging tale of an all-female esports team delivers an underdog story with a light touch and punches well above its modest budget.

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Angela Yuen as online gamer Summer in a still from Gamer Girls (category IIB, Cantonese), directed by Veronica Bassetto and Sophie Yang.
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

This Hong Kong martial arts movie pioneered the superhero team in Chinese cinema

The Five Venoms launched the iconic run of the Venom Mob, a group of actors brought together by Chang Cheh that appeared in various films.

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Lo Mang (left) in a still from Five Deadly Venoms, Chang Cheh’s 1978 film.
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Girlfriends: Fish Liew and Jennifer Yu reunite for tender lesbian romance

Tracy Choi’s semi-autobiographical, episodic drama gives an intimate portrait of a woman searching for her place at different stages of life.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Ultimate Revenge: Hong Kong crime thriller is all brawn and no brains

Loud, action-packed and completely chaotic, Terry Ng’s Ultimate Revenge is packed with thrills but fails to deliver on plot.

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Asian cinema: Japanese films

Who is Hikari, the Japanese director behind Beef and Rental Family?

The filmmaker talks about her journey from Osaka to Hollywood and how her new film with Fraser as a fake dad was inspired by her childhood.

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Hikari at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival on February 21, 2026. The Japanese director shares her story and mission to “leave people feeling inspired”. Photo: AFP
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Love ‘A Better Tomorrow’? The Hong Kong director and film that inspired it

Patrick Lung Kong was known for films that imparted moral lessons. We look at ‘The Story of a Discharged Prisoner’ and ‘Teddy Girls’.

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The Hong Kong Film Archive of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department will commence another mini-showcase of “100 Must-See Hong Kong Movies” at North District Town Hall in November. Picture shows a film still of “A Better Tomorrow” (1986).
Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Profile | Why Michael Tse, Hong Kong actor behind Laughing Gor, is a lesson in resilience

Michael Tse’s journey from backup dancer to Young and Dangerous henchman to leading film and TV actor showcases his endurance and tenacity.

Asian cinema: Chinese films

Review | Scare Out: Zhang Yimou tackles national security in subpar Chinese spy thriller

A story of a mole inside a state security team in China, Scare Out is slickly executed but narratively muddled, and far from Zhang’s best.

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American cinema

10 of the best movies from the 2026 Berlin International Film Festival

Controversy overshadowed an engaging selection at this year’s Berlinale, the best of which included Rose, Josephine and Queen at Sea.

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Juliette Binoche (left) and Anna Calder-Marshall in a still from Queen at Sea, which won the Jury Prize at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival.
Juliette Binoche (left) and Anna Calder-Marshall in a still from Queen at Sea, which won the Jury Prize at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival.
Asian cinema: Chinese films

Review | Double Happiness: Liu Kuan-ting, Jennifer Yu lead clever wedding comedy

A couple have two simultaneous wedding ceremonies to keep their parents apart in Double Happiness, an ingenious comedy of errors.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

How these 2 films became classics of Hong Kong’s Chinese folk opera cinema

Love Eterne and Dream of the Red Chamber are two very different ‘huangmei diao’ films from legendary Hong Kong director Li Han-hsiang.

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Asian cinema: Chinese films

How Anthony Chen’s We Are All Strangers captures the beauty of Singapore

Singaporean director portrays ordinary folk with dignity in the final film in his ‘Growing Up’ trilogy with Yeo Yann Yann and Koh Jia Ler.

Yeo Yann Yann (left) in a still from We Are All Strangers, the third film in Anthony Chen’s “Growing Up” trilogy. Photo: Giraffe Pictures
American cinema

Why Saving Face is the most important Asian-American lesbian film ever made

Alice Wu fought to film Saving Grace with an all Asian-American cast, and the film inspired a generation of Asian-American filmmakers.

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Michelle Krusiec (left) and Lynn Chen in a still from Saving Face (2004), directed by Alice Wu.
Michelle Krusiec (left) and Lynn Chen in a still from Saving Face (2004), directed by Alice Wu.
Fame and celebrity

Video | Michelle Yeoh unveils star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

The honour came days after Yeoh won an award for lifetime achievement at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival.

Asian cinema: Japanese films

Review | A New Dawn: climate crisis meets fireworks in confusing Japanese anime

Yoshitoshi Shinomiya’s beautiful debut feature is sure to excite fans of Studio Ghibli’s Hayao Miyazaki, even if a muddled plot lets it down.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

With Blades of the Guardians, Yuen Woo-ping revives the wuxia blockbuster

Hong Kong martial arts choreographer and director Yuen Woo-ping returns with an epic wuxia, starring Wu Jing and Nicholas Tse.

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Wu Jing as Dao Ma in a still from Blades of the Guardians, directed by Yuen Woo-ping, who helped define the martial arts genre in cinema.