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Cinema

Cinema
Views, news, and reviews of films, from the latest releases to classic oldies.
Hong Kong actor and singer Bowie Woo with his Lifetime Achievement Award at the 41st Hong Kong Film Awards at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui, on April 16, 2023. Woo set a Guinness World Record in June 2026 as the oldest Chinese artist to hold a solo concert at the age of 94. Photo: Dickson Lee
Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Profile | How 94-year-old Bowie Woo became Hong Kong’s ultimate evergreen entertainer

Since becoming a film star in 1953, ‘Sau Gor’ has adapted to remain a feature of Hong Kong screens, and his recent concert set a world record.

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Prolific Hong Kong director Andrew Lau looks back on his most iconic films

American cinema

Review | The Odyssey: Christopher Nolan adapts Homer for an anti-war masterpiece

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Classic Hong Kong cinema

In this feature series on the best of Hong Kong cinema, we examine the legacy of classic films, re-evaluate the careers of its greatest stars and revisit some of the lesser-known aspects of the beloved industry.

Maggie Cheung Man-yuk and Tony Leung Chiu-wai in the film “In The Mood For Love”. Photo: Jet Tone Production
American cinema

East meets West

In this feature series, we spotlight world cinema where East meets West, including notable China-US co-productions.

Asian cinema

Review | The President’s Cake: Cannes-winning Iraqi drama is an instant classic

Hasan Hadi’s profound film follows a young Iraqi girl trying to find ingredients for a cake to celebrate Saddam Hussein’s birthday.

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Hong Kong culture

Movie stars, minister pay tribute to ‘legendary’ Hong Kong producer Shi Nan-sun

Shi died peacefully at the Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital after suffering multiple organ failure.

Shi Nan-sun with her award for best independent producer at the 67th Locarno International Film Festival in 2014. Photo: EPA
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Kung Fu Soccer: Stephen Chow loses his touch with Shaolin Soccer spin-off

Dilraba Dilmurat and Zhang Xiaofei lead a team of female football martial artists in Chow’s film that falls far short of its 2001 predecessor.

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Obituaries

Sam Neill, known for roles in Jurassic Park and The Piano, dead at 78

The New Zealand actor’s death was ‘sudden and unexpected’, his family says.

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

How pioneering studio UFO redefined early-1990s Hong Kong cinema

Peter Chan’s studio revolutionised Hong Kong cinema, scoring numerous hits during its short life, such as Comrades, Almost a Love Story.

The key people behind UFO, pictured in 1993: (clockwise from the front) Eric Tsang, Peter Chan, Jacob Cheung, Claudie Chung and Lee Chi-ngai. Photo: SCMP
European cinema

Why flop movie Shatter is a perfect 1970s Hong Kong time capsule

Shatter, featuring Peter Cushing, Lily Li and Ti Lung, was a box office failure in 1974, but offered a glimpse of a Hong Kong in transition.

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Stuart Whitman in a still from Shatter, a collaboration between the UK’s Hammer Film Productions and Hong Kong’s Shaw Brothers Studio. Photo: Hammer
American cinema

Review | Evil Dead Burn: gruesome new chapter proves there is life in the franchise

Ultra violence and slapstick humour continue in Evil Dead Burn, the latest instalment of the hit horror franchise that started in 1981.

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American cinema

Review | Moana: Catherine Laga’aia shines in Disney’s vibrant live-action remake

Moana features a breakout performance by Catherine Laga’aia as the titular Moana – but the remake loses some of the magic of the original.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

6 surprising facts from Jet Li’s new book, including his near-death moment

From his many names to dishwasher woes, Beyond Life and Death shares things about the Chinese martial artist fans may not have been aware of.

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In his new book Beyond Life and Death: The Way of True Freedom, Li says he has always been searching for his true self, and finally found it through practising Tibetan Buddhism. He wrote the book to share the spiritual benefits of these practices. Photo: handout
Singapore

Do Singapore ministers watch films? Joke raises hackles amid dialect debate

The culture minister’s quip about being too busy to go to the cinema has some critics jumping up from their seats.

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Women take a photo with “Dear You” posters during its premiere in Singapore on June 17. Photo: Xinhua
Mainland China

Video | How a Chinese indie film conquered the box office

Lan Hongchun’s story about love, loyalty and immigrant struggles has struck a chord with the overseas Chinese diaspora, topping the box office with US$290 million.

Asian cinema: Chinese films

Review | A Dance with Rainbows: Taiwanese coming-of-age boxing drama packs a punch

Director Lee Yi-shan delivers a quietly powerful Taiwanese sports drama in A Dance with Rainbows, starring Lin Yi-ting.

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Hong Kong culture

Opinion | Before we hail Hong Kong cinema’s return, let’s ensure its survival

The rules we make around artificial intelligence and creative work today will define what the city’s culture and economy look like tomorrow.

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A patron visits the “Hong Kong Film Archive Stories: Treasure Hunting for 25 Years” exhibition at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum. Photo: Karma Lo
Asian cinema: Korean films

‘Oldboy’ Choi Min-sik on revenge, craft and Notes from the Last Row

Choi Min-sik points out parallels between 2003’s Oldboy and his new role in Netflix series Notes from the Last Row.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Beyond The Killer: why Law with Two Phases is Danny Lee’s best police film

Danny Lee’s nuanced role in Law with Two Phases redefined Hong Kong police dramas, showcasing gritty realism and complex character arcs.

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Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Profile | How Twins’ Charlene Choi went from Cantopop teen idol to top Hong Kong actress

Since finding fame with Twins’ Gillian Chung 25 years ago, “Ah Sa” has navigated scandals and reinvented herself to become a force in showbiz.

Charlene Choi on the red carpet of the 34th Hong Kong Film Awards at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, in Tsim Sha Tsui, in April 2015. Choi was nominated for the best actress award that year for her role in the film Sara. Photo: Sam Tsang
Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong’s box office takings for first half of 2026 up 25% year on year

Comedy film Night King, starring Dayo Wong and Sammi Cheng, emerges as highest-grossing movie over six-month period.

Night King, starring Sammi Cheng (left) and Dayo Wong, was the biggest local box office earner for the first half of the year. Photo: Handout
Fame and celebrity

California to institute Bruce Lee Day, in first for a Chinese-American

May 17, the day Lee returned to San Francisco after spending his childhood in Hong Kong, will be his annual namesake day.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Unidentified Murder: twisty Hong Kong comedy shows admirable ambition

This award-winning comedy about an online prank that ends in a murder is a quirky story underpinned by the performances of its lead actors.

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Hong Kong

Will Fosun’s luxury project revive Hong Kong’s Movietown magic?

Fosun Group begins HK$10 billion transformation of legendary studio, signalling confidence in Hong Kong’s property recovery.

Fosun International chairman Guo Guangchang speaks Monday at the groundbreaking ceremony of a HK$10 billion residential project at the site of the Shaw Brothers studio in Clear Water Bay. Photo: Fosun
TV shows and streaming video

Review | Human Vapor: Shun Oguri, Yu Aoi anchor Netflix’s bold sci-fi thriller reboot

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.

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Uta Uchida in a still from Human Vapor. Photo: Netflix.
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

How Running on Karma with Andy Lau hid a Buddhist tragedy behind muscles

Lau played a muscular monk-turned-stripper with karmic visions opposite Cecilia Cheung in this film that began light and then got grim.

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American cinema

From the Vault: culturally significant films

In the From the Vault feature series, the South China Morning Post’s film experts reflect on culturally significant films celebrating notable anniversaries.

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