TOPIC

Film reviews

Related Topics:
Asian cinema: Chinese films
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film
Asian cinema: Japanese films
Asian cinema: Korean films
Chinese-American films
China’s film industry
Academy Awards
Hong Kong Film Awards
American cinema
Cinema
European cinema
Chinese language cinema
Golden Horse awards
Netflix
TV shows and streaming video
Film reviews
Hollywood blockbusters, local greats, European movies, Japanese and Korean dramas, animation, art house films, you can find them all here.
Andy Lau as equity analyst Todd Zhang in a still from A Gilded Game (category IIA; Mandarin), directed by Herman Yau Lai-to. Oho Ou co-stars.
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | A Gilded Game: Oho Ou, Andy Lau lead moralistic financial drama

Lau plays an equity analyst and Ou his protégé, a fresh-faced bank hire chasing a big deal, in Herman Yau’s financial drama.

videocam
Asian cinema: Korean films

Review | Holy Night: Demon Hunters – Ma Dong-seok can’t save tiring action horror

videocam
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | ‎The Dumpling Queen: founding of a Hong Kong food brand

videocam
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Vital Signs: Louis Koo, Neo Yau play ambulance paramedics in wistful drama

Polar opposites come together and have changes of heart in Cheuk Wan-chi’s film. Seeing Koo without a gun in his hand is refreshing.

videocam
Louis Koo Tin-lok as paramedic Ma Chi-yip in a still from Vital Signs, written and directed by Cheuk Wan-chi. Neo Yau and Angela Chan co-star.
American cinema

Review | Thunderbolts*: Marvel’s new team-up movie lacks a real sense of danger

Despite some good fight scenes and a great performance from Florence Pugh, Thunderbolts* just feels like a set-up for Avengers: Doomsday.

videocam
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Montages of a Modern Motherhood: Hedwig Tam shines in bleak drama

Hong Kong writer-director Oliver Chan, a mother herself, paints a grim picture of maternity in a patriarchal Chinese society.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
American cinema

Review | The Accountant 2: Ben Affleck, Jon Bernthal back for illogical sequel

Ben Affleck returns as a mob-trained, autistic accountant in this convoluted sequel that, despite some good action, is disappointingly thin.

videocam
Jon Bernthal (left) as Brax and Ben Affleck as Christian Wolff in a still from The Accountant 2 (category IIB), directed by Gavin O’Connor. Cynthia Addai-Robinson co-stars. Photo: Warrick Page/Prime
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Smashing Frank: Hedwig Tam robs the rich and powerful in slick drama

Director Trevor Choi tries to explore Hong Kong’s generational and class divide with a film that sees the poor and young steal from the rich.

videocam
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Once Upon a Lie: Irene Wan chases much younger man in unconvincing romance

Irene Wan plays a lovesick divorcee catfishing a much younger man, played by Bruce Hung, in a superficial film that lacks any chemistry.

videocam
Asian cinema: Japanese films

Review | Bullet Train Explosion, nail-biting remake of Japanese disaster thriller

Shinji Higuchi’s new Netflix movie Bullet Train Explosion is a white-knuckle ride across Japan starring Tsuyoshi Kusanagi and Non.

videocam
A still from Bullet Train Explosion. Photo: Netflix.
American cinema

Review | Drop: date night dilemma in Happy Death Day director’s new thriller

The White Lotus’ Meghann Fahy plays a widow on a first date who faces a terrifying quandary in Christopher Landon’s implausible film.

videocam
Meghann Fahy as Violet in a still from Drop. Photo: Universal Pictures
American cinema

Review | The Amateur: Rami Malek, Laurence Fishburne in muddled revenge thriller

This story of a CIA analyst looking for vengeance has all the elements necessary for success, but somehow fails to pull them together.

videocam
American cinema

Review | A Minecraft Movie: video game adaptation is nonsensical but fun

Jack Black, Jason Momoa and Jennifer Coolidge bring the laughs in this zany adaptation of the world’s most successful video game.

videocam
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | The Last Dance (extended version): what the deleted scenes entail

The highest grossing Hong Kong film ever returns with 12 minutes of extra scenes that add some comedy, but do they warrant a re-release?

videocam
Dayo Wong as Dominic and Catherine Chau as Jade in a still from The Last Dance (extended version). The film (category III, Cantonese) is directed by Anselm Chan. Photo: Emperor Motion Pictures
American cinema

Review | Warfare, one of the most authentic combat movies of modern times

Alex Garland teams up with his military supervisor from Civil War for this survival tale based on the latter’s experience of the war in Iraq.

videocam
Will Poulter in a still from Warfare. Photo: A24
Asian cinema: Japanese films

Review | Grand Maison Paris: Takuya Kimura goes to France in Japanese chef drama

TV show La Grande Maison Tokyo spin-off with Ok Taec-yeon and Kyoka Suzuki a feast for the eyes but not the ears as Kimura butchers French.

videocam
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Peg O’ My Heart: great visuals, awful story in Nick Cheung horror thriller

Andy Lau cameo can’t save Cheung’s film starring himself, Fala Chen and Terrance Lau that is heavy on style but lacks convincing backstories.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Asian cinema: Japanese films

Review | In 1st Kiss, Japanese time-travel romance, Takako Matsu woos a younger man

Director Ayuko Tsukahara’s story follows a middle-aged woman who travels back in time to save her marriage and her husband’s life.

videocam
Hokuto Matsumura as Kakeru (left) and Takako Matsu as Kanna in a still from 1st Kiss.
American cinema

Review | Snow White: Rachel Zegler carries Disney’s bland live-action remake

Lacking the magic of some other live-action remakes of Disney classics, Snow White is missing the heart you expect from the House of Mouse.

videocam
Asian cinema: Chinese films

Review | In fencing-themed drama Pierce, Liu Hsiu-fu and Tsao Yu-ning are brothers

Singaporean filmmaker Nelicia Low’s feature film debut has some visual flourishes but is let down by glaring weaknesses in its narrative.

videocam
Asian cinema: Korean films

Review | Revelations: Ryu Jun-yeol leads Yeon Sang-ho’s disappointing Netflix thriller

A flimsy plot and sketchy logic spoil this story of a pastor and a detective who go after a recently released sex offender.

videocam
Ryu Jun-yeol as Sung Min-chan in a still from Revelations. Photo: Cho Wonjin/Netflix
Asian cinema: Japanese films

Review | The Solitary Gourmet review: beloved Japanese TV food comedy hits cinemas

Directed by and starring Yutaka Matsushige, The Solitary Gourmet movie gives a warmhearted tour of traditional Japanese small-town cuisine.

videocam
Yutaka Matsushige in a still from The Solitary Gourmet (Category I; Japanese).
American cinema

Review | Novocaine sees Jack Quaid play a bank manager aroused in action thriller

Quaid plays a timid introvert who dates a colleague, sees her abducted by a brutal gang and takes matters into his own hands to get her back.

videocam
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | True Love, for Once in My Life: self-indulgent Hong Kong romance

A self-financed autobiographical story, this film about a wife’s devotion to a love-cheat ex-husband is melodramatic and ill-judged.

videocam
Asian cinema: Chinese films

Review | In Salli, a dating scam leads Esther Liu to find her worth

Lien Chien-hung’s film follows a lonely chicken farmer who embarks on a journey of self-discovery after being scammed on a dating app.

videocam
Esther Liu in a still from Salli.
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Little Red Sweet: Stephy Tang, Simon Yam in Hong Kong family drama

A family and their dessert shop are turned upside down by illness in a film that chooses nostalgia over substance.

videocam
(From left) Jeffrey Ngai, Simon Yam, Mimi Kung and Tang in a still from Little Red Sweet.
Asian cinema: Korean films

Review | What Does that Nature Say to You: Hong Sang-soo finds humour in domesticity

Korean director’s film examines, with humour, the difficulties of artistic life through the lens of a man meeting his girlfriend’s family.

videocam
Asian cinema: Chinese films

Review | Ne Zha 2, record-breaking Chinese animated film, is the real deal

Complicated and convoluted, this sequel to the most successful animation ever continues the wild ride of half demon Ne Zha.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement