James Marsh
Originally from England, James is a freelance film critic and journalist who has been based in Hong Kong since 2001. In addition to writing for the Post, he is resident film critic on RTHK Radio 3’s Morning Brew, and Asian Editor of ScreenAnarchy.com. He serves as a consultant for Fantastic Fest, and has a problematic addiction to physical media.
Originally from England, James is a freelance film critic and journalist who has been based in Hong Kong since 2001. In addition to writing for the Post, he is resident film critic on RTHK Radio 3’s Morning Brew, and Asian Editor of ScreenAnarchy.com. He serves as a consultant for Fantastic Fest, and has a problematic addiction to physical media.
Languages Spoken:
English
Initially mocked, the low-budget film by a first-time animator and his mum is now being hailed as a bastion of hard work and free expression.
This culturally authentic and wholly accessible origin story is a visually dazzling infusion of Chinese and Western storytelling conventions.
Choi Woo-sik and Jang Hye-jin star as a pampered son and his doting mother who always cooks for him until tragedy strikes their family.
Exploring family dynamics and modernity in a heartfelt Teochew romance, Lan Hongchun’s Back to Love charms with its cultural themes.
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This year’s Cine Fan Summer International Film Festival boasts 37 features, from regional premieres to 4K restorations of Hong Kong classics.
Lee is back alongside Kim Hye-jun to take on assassins in this new season that has so far prioritised narrative set-up over splashy violence.
Jun Ji-hyun’s role as a brash young woman in the 2001 romcom subverted gender stereotypes, today inspiring actresses like Park Eun-bin.
Isabel Coixet’s adaptation of Michela Murgia’s celebrated novel highlights how we should appreciate what we have in the time gifted to us.
Ultra violence and slapstick humour continue in Evil Dead Burn, the latest instalment of the hit horror franchise that started in 1981.
Director Lee Yi-shan delivers a quietly powerful Taiwanese sports drama in A Dance with Rainbows, starring Lin Yi-ting.
This exciting tale of a mysterious serial killer who can turn into a murderous cloud of gas is a reimagining of a classic Japanese thriller.
The 2026 Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival boasts a formidable programme of horror, action, science fiction and fantasy titles.
Lan Hongchun’s film on love, loyalty and immigrant struggles is a sensation in China, with lead Li Sitong giving a career-making performance.
Hong Kong-born director Mary Stephen’s documentary explores her obscure heritage against a background of colonialism and self-reinvention.
Supergirl, Minions & Monsters, Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Resident Evil also feature on our list of the biggest films this summer.
Nicholas Galitzine stars as He-Man beside Idris Elba, Jared Leto and Camila Mendes in a film that shows the 1980s hero still has the power.
A bold horror tale directed by YouTube creator Kane Parsons, Backrooms was inspired by the popular Portal video games.
Rene Liu stars as a woman whose successful career is put on hold when she continues a risky pregnancy in this poorly conceived drama.
Kaouther Ben Hania’s gripping docudrama about a young girl trapped in a car uses real voice recordings to help expose the brutal cost of war.
Jun Ji-hyun stars as a biotech professor battling bloodthirsty zombies in Train to Busan director Yeon Sang-ho’s new film.
Korean drama The Wonderfools mixes comedy, romance and action as three misfits gain superpowers and grapple with a sinister conspiracy.
Neighbouring hotel guests develop a relationship over the course of their 21-day quarantine in Hong Kong in Guan Hu’s pandemic-set drama.
A 47-minute compilation of Yohei Kameyama’s animated series, Milky Subway provides more laughs and surprises than many feature-length films.
The lives of four women in different eras on one farm are intertwined with haunting narratives of trauma and liberation in Sound of Falling.
Erika Toda delivers a memorable turn as Kazuko Hosoki in this series tracing the controversial Japanese soothsayer’s life over 60 years.
Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Cailee Spaeny and Charles Melton star as two feuding couples in a follow-up lacking what made season one great.
Featuring voices including Natalie Portman and Mark Ruffalo, Ugo Bienvenu’s directorial debut Arco delivers a powerful ecological message.
Shen Teng stars as a former rally champion who has fallen on hard times in Pegasus 3, which really takes off in its exhilarating third act.
Taiwanese director Hsieh reflects on the strength of women, preferring hand-drawn animation over AI, and using violence in film.
