Top five films to watch in Hong Kong this week (October 12-18), from Suburra to Teiichi: Battle of Supreme High

Harrison Ford in Blade Runner sequel, the mafia in Rome, Japanese school politics, a documentary on Hong Kong’s domestic helpers, and a German coming-of-age tale make up this week’s top picks

Film reviews

Edmund Lee

Published: 8:00am, 12 Oct 2017

Why you can trust SCMP

Click on film titles to read SCMP.com reviews

1. Blade Runner 2049

Apart from being a superior sequel to Ridley Scott’s 1982 sci-fi masterpiece, director Denis Villeneuve’s visually stunning and surprisingly poignant film also completes a hat trick for Harrison Ford in gracefully reviving his iconic characters from the 1980s: Han Solo, Indiana Jones and Rick Deckard. (Now showing)

2. Suburra

Having recently turned the 2008 mafia epic Gomorrah into a worthy TV series, Italian director Stefano Sollima all but confirms his mastery of the genre with this utterly engrossing ensemble crime thriller set in Rome. Next up for him: a follow-up to the gripping drug cartel thriller Sicario (2015). (Opens on October 12)

3. Teiichi: Battle of Supreme High

A political fable set in an elite high school, this buoyant manga adaptation hilariously satirises the passion and tactics as politicians try to gain the upper hand over their rivals. Masaki Suda is inspired in the title role, as an ultra-ambitious student who hopes to become Japan’s prime minister one day. (Opens on October 12)

4. The Helper

Hong Kong-based documentary filmmaker Joanna Bowers delves into the stories of several foreign domestic helpers working in the city with this earnest portrait. The exploits of The Unsung Heroes, a volunteer choir comprised of domestic workers, are a particular bright spot in their often challenging lives. (Now showing)

5. Goodbye Berlin

Best known for such harsh but powerful dramas as Head-On and The Edge of Heaven, Turkish-German director Fatih Akin proves just as adept in telling coming-of-age stories with this gently humorous road movie, adapted from Wolfgang Herrndorf’s novel Tschick. (October 13, part of the KINO/17 programme)

Want more articles like this? Follow SCMP Film on Facebook

Post