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Asian cinema
Film reviews
American cinema
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Donnie Yen in a still from the television drama series Fist of Fury (1995).
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

How Stephen Chow and Donnie Yen reinvented Bruce Lee’s classic Chen Zhen

Fist of Fury 1991 with Stephen Chow and TV series Fist of Fury with Donnie Yen saw two different versions of Bruce Lee’s famous character.

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Korean drama reviews

The 15 best K-dramas of 2025 ranked, from Melo Movie to Squid Game 3

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Asian cinema: Japanese films

How mega-hit Kokuho could make Japanese live-action films global contenders

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Korean drama reviews

Idol I: Choi Soo-young, Kim Jae-young lead K-pop-infused legal K-drama

Choi Soo-young plays a lawyer defending Kim Jae-young’s K-pop star – who she’s secretly obsessed with – in this new Korean drama.

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Choi Soo-young as lawyer Maeng Se-na in a still from Idol I, a new K-drama on Netflix.
Choi Soo-young as lawyer Maeng Se-na in a still from Idol I, a new K-drama on Netflix.
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

The Hong Kong films released in 2025 ranked from worst to best

It was a rough year for Hong Kong cinema – only Another World made more than HK$14 million locally – but there were still some gems released.

Korean drama reviews

Review | Cashero: Lee Jun-ho can’t save this messy superhero K-drama

While it has a compelling concept and potentially great characters, Cashero’s poor writing means the K-drama fails to deliver.

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American cinema

How The Joy Luck Club opened the door for majority-Asian casts in Hollywood

The Joy Luck Club (1993) is a complex tale of intergenerational trauma focusing on four Chinese mothers and their daughters in San Francisco.

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Lisa Lu (left) and Rosalind Chao in a still from The Joy Luck Club (1993). The film stands 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.
Lisa Lu (left) and Rosalind Chao in a still from The Joy Luck Club (1993). The film stands 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.
Asian cinema: Chinese films

7 film stories from 2025 that readers loved, including a Chow Yun-fat profile

Profiles of Chow Yun-fat, Faye Wong and Deanie Ip and a look at Donnie Yen’s early films were among stories popular with readers this year.

Chinese culture

How China fell in love with My Little Pony collectible cards

When My Little Pony first aired on TV in China, it didn’t take off. Instead, it was collectible cards that saw it become a galloping success.

Korean drama reviews

Love Me: Seo Hyun-jin leads slow-burn family K-drama with heavy emotions

Loneliness and redemption are explored through family drama and romance in Love Me, starring Seo Hyun-jin, Yoo Jae-myung and Chang Ryul.

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Seo Hyun-jin as Seo Jun-kyung, an obstetrician-gynaecologist, in a still from Love Me, a new Korean drama exploring grief, guilt and healing through family bonds.
Tourism

Tours to visit Christmas movie locations in US state prove huge hit

Fans of Hallmark’s feel-good and family-friendly TV films are taking tours around locations in Connecticut, home to at least 22 productions.

Norwich City Hall is decorated for the annual “Light Up City Hall” event in Norwich, Connecticut, on December 5, 2025. Scenes from the 2021 Hallmark movie Sugar Plum Twist were filmed at the hall. Photo: AP
Norwich City Hall is decorated for the annual “Light Up City Hall” event in Norwich, Connecticut, on December 5, 2025. Scenes from the 2021 Hallmark movie Sugar Plum Twist were filmed at the hall. Photo: AP
Korean drama reviews

Villains: Yoo Ji-tae leads unconvincing counterfeiting thriller K-drama

Starring Yoo Ji-tae, Lee Min-jung, Lee Beom-soo and Kwak Do-won, new Korean drama Villains is already in danger of being quickly forgotten.

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TV shows and streaming video

7 of the best TV shows from 2025, from Adolescence to The Pitt

Need a show or two to binge this Christmas season? Check out some of the best shows from 2025, such as the stand-out Adolescence on Netflix.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

3 forgotten Hong Kong wuxia gems from director Chor Yuen

Chor Yuen’s Duel for Gold, Clans of Intrigue and Jade Tiger may be less famous than some of his other films, but are just as groundbreaking.

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Ti Lung in a still from Clans of Intrigue (1977). Photo: Celestial Pictures
China’s soft power

From Labubu to blockbuster films, was 2025 the year of China’s soft power?

Chinese lifestyle brands and other cultural exports proved to be a hit around the world this year, here are some of our most notable stories.

Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
K-drama news

Latest K-drama casting news about Lee Min-ho, Han Hyo-joo and more

Lee Min-ho may be joining Moon Ga-young in period drama Scent of the Night, while Han Hyo-joo has been confirmed to appear in Your Ground.

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Pass and Goal: Gigi Leung leads football-themed Hong Kong family comedy

Pass and Goal, starring Gigi Leung and newcomer Chau Tsz-yuet, defies expectations with its feel-good story, good acting and funny dialogue.

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Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Profile | The bold reinvention of 1990s Hong Kong sex symbol Veronica Yip

Veronica Yip posed topless for a Hong Kong magazine and acted in erotic films before becoming a pop singer, TV fixture and a tycoon’s wife.

Hong Kong entertainer Veronica Yip poses in a swimsuit in 1994. From soft-core star to mainstream success, Yip’s career was a masterclass in reinvention. Photo: SCMP
Hong Kong entertainer Veronica Yip poses in a swimsuit in 1994. From soft-core star to mainstream success, Yip’s career was a masterclass in reinvention. Photo: SCMP
American cinema

12 new Hollywood movies to watch this winter, from Hamnet to Song Sung Blue

Project Hail Mary, Wuthering Heights, Anaconda and Scream 7 join Hamnet, Song Sung Blue and others on our list of anticipated upcoming films.

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Fame and celebrity

Oscars will move to YouTube in 2029, leaving US network ABC

Landmark deal with Google’s video giant ends a 50-year TV broadcast era and takes Hollywood’s biggest night fully online.

Art

Want to watch Tolkien illustrator John Howe as he works? Now you can

At Howe’s ‘Tower of Fantasy’ studio in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, visitors can watch him as he creates and view hundreds of his illustrations.

Illustrator John Howe poses at La Tour du Fantastique (“The Tower of Fantasy”), a new museum in Neuchâtel, western Switzerland, on December 9, 2025. The 68-year-old is famed for his interpretation of Tolkien’s literary work, which ultimately saw him serve as a concept artist on movie trilogies The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Photo: AFP
TV shows and streaming video

‘Hollywood’s the dream’: how Korean actors are finally achieving it

Shows like Squid Game and KPop Demon Hunters are helping South Korean actors overcome barriers and find new opportunities in the US.

Misun Youm, actor, performs a scene for an English-language demo reel she plans to submit to Hollywood casting directors in Seoul, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Juwon Park)
Misun Youm, actor, performs a scene for an English-language demo reel she plans to submit to Hollywood casting directors in Seoul, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Juwon Park)
Asian cinema: Chinese films

Review | Good Autumn, Mommy: Shu Qi anchors gritty Chinese rural drama

Shu Qi stars as an impoverished woman who believes her newborn was taken from her in Good Autumn, Mommy, set in rural Guangzhou in 1995.

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American cinema

Review | Avatar: Fire and Ash – stunning visuals carry breathless third instalment

Avatar: Fire and Ash sees the Na’vi again fighting for survival in an action-packed sequel that introduces Pandora’s menacing Mangkwan clan.

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TV shows and streaming video

How KPop Demon Hunters finally gave Arden Cho her golden moment

Years of failing to find decent acting roles nearly broke Arden Cho. Her role as Rumi in Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters has changed everything.

Arden Cho voices the lead character Rumi in KPop Demon Hunters, the all-time most-streamed movie on Netflix. The Associated Press has just named her one of the “breakthrough entertainers of 2025”. Photo: AP
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