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Cinema

Cinema
Views, news, and reviews of films, from the latest releases to classic oldies.
Louis Koo in a still from Back to the Past.
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Who will win at the Hong Kong Film Awards 2026? Our predictions

SCMP film editor Edmund Lee forecasts the best film, director, screenplay, actors and supporting actors at this weekend’s 44th HKFA.

Hong Kong economy

Reel deals: Hong Kong to celebrate Cinema Day on April 25 with HK$30 tickets

Asian cinema: Chinese films

What A Foggy Tale taught Will Or and 9m88 about Taiwan’s White Terror era

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European cinema

Juliette Binoche isn’t worried about AI replacing human intelligence

Humanity and intuition are the secrets to great art, according to Juliette Binoche, who talks about her directorial debut In-I In Motion.

French actress Juliette Binoche at the Regent Hong Kong in April 2026. Binoche is in town to show her directorial debut, In-I In Motion, at the 50th Hong Kong International Film Festival. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Why these 3 Hong Kong comedies from the 1970s and 80s became local favourites

Itchy Fingers, Pom Pom and Where’s Officer Tuba? were mainstream films that shone amid the proliferation of kung fu and action comedies.

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K-drama news

Profile | Who is Byeon Woo-seok, IU’s co-star in romance K-drama Perfect Crown?

Coming to prominence in shows like Record of Youth and Strong Girl Nam-soon, Byeon Woo-seok returns this weekend in a hotly anticipated role.

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Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Profile | ‘Not pretty enough’? Joey Yung became a top Cantopop star anyway

From rejected teen singer to Cantopop legend, Joey Yung’s grit, voice and unwavering work ethic have outlasted her critics.

Singer Joey Yung at Lee Garden Two in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, in 2006. The singer defied early career setbacks to become a Cantopop icon. Photo: Oliver Tsang
European cinema

Review | Arco: Annecy winner is a charming Peter Pan-esque sci-fi fable for our times

Featuring voices including Natalie Portman and Mark Ruffalo, Ugo Bienvenu’s directorial debut Arco delivers a powerful ecological message.

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Asian cinema: Chinese films

Review | Pegasus 3: Shen Teng roars back in Han Han’s blockbuster racing sequel

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.

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Asian cinema: Chinese films

How Gingle Wang went from clueless novice to one of Taiwan’s top young actresses

Wang’s first-ever scene took 33 takes, but now she is a ‘box office guarantee’ in Taiwan and an increasingly familiar face internationally.

Taiwanese actress Gingle Wang at an interview with the SCMP in Tsim Sha Tsui on April 2, 2026. Photo: SCMP / Karma Lo
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

What happened when Ann Hui adapted Eileen Chang’s classic stories?

Director Ann Hui has adapted three of Eileen Chang’s stories for the big screen. We look at two: Love in a Fallen City and Eighteen Springs.

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Chow Yun-fat (left) and Cora Miao in a still from Love in a Fallen City (1984), directed by Ann Hui.
Hong Kong society

Student in contentious Hong Kong documentary hits out at Italian screening plan

Ah Ling, who featured in award-winning To My Nineteen-Year-Old Self, says no one consulted her about screening at film festival.

Fame and celebrity

Meet James Ortiz, voice of Rocky the alien in Project Hail Mary

The sci-fi epic based on Andy Weir’s novel of the same name is already a blockbuster hit – but who’s the voice behind Rocky the alien?

Asean

Cultural capitals: Southeast Asia seeks soft power to outlast the buzz

The region’s creators are going global, but the structures to sustain them are still catching up.

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Illustration: Mario Rivera
European cinema

Why the beloved romcom Bridget Jones’s Diary feels so dated 25 years on

The charms of Bridget Jones’s Diary are still obvious when viewed today, but its politics seem to be from a different century altogether.

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Renée Zellweger (left) and Colin Firth in a still from Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001), which turns 25 this month. Photo: Working Title Films
Asian cinema: Chinese films

Why fierce mothers and violent monsters star in Joe Hsieh’s animations

Taiwanese director Hsieh reflects on the strength of women, preferring hand-drawn animation over AI, and using violence in film.

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | We’re Nothing at All: Herman Yau’s grim social critique lacks all subtlety

A gripping drama, We’re Nothing at All explores societal apathy through a tragic bus blast – but its heavy-handed approach may deter viewers.

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American cinema

Review | The Super Mario Galaxy Movie: Nintendo sequel looks great but lacks laughs

Donald Glover, Brie Larson and Benny Safdie join the cast in this sequel to 2023’s hugely successful The Super Mario Bros Movie.

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(From left) Yoshi (voiced by Donald Glover), Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) in a screen grab from The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (category 1), directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic.
Asian cinema: Korean films

Review | Humint: dynamic Korean spy thriller from Ryoo Seung-wan on Netflix

Starring Zo In-sung, Park Jeong-min and Park Hae-joon, Humint rewards patient viewers with some of the best heroic bloodshed in recent times.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

3 Anthony Wong films from the early 90s that show his wide acting range

Before becoming stereotyped for extreme roles, Wong gave nuanced turns as a whiny gangster opposite Chow Yun-fat and as Veronica Yip’s tormentor.

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Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Profile | How Leslie Cheung broke all the rules to become a Hong Kong superstar

The music and cinema legend’s artistry, vulnerability and defiance in a conservative Asian society forever reshaped Hong Kong pop culture.

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Hong Kong pop icon Leslie Cheung on the set of director Wong Kar-wai’s Days of Being Wild in 1990. Cheung was a trailblazing Cantopop icon who reshaped Hong Kong’s entertainment scene. Photo: SCMP
Art

9 artists to look out for at this year’s Art Basel Hong Kong

From Kazakh warrior sculptures to speculative films by Andrew Thomas Huang and Ayoung Kim, these are the artworks defining this year’s programme.

The Deer of Nine Colors by Andrew Thomas Huang. Photo: Handout
American cinema

Review | They Will Kill You: Zazie Beetz leads a delicious slice of midnight madness

They Will Kill You delivers dark comic madness, with Zazie Beetz taking a magnetic turn as an ex-con battling satanic elites in New York.

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Asian cinema: Korean films

The 10 most-watched Korean films of all time, including The King’s Warden

Can The King’s Warden overtake The Admiral: Roaring Currents and Extreme Job to become the most-viewed South Korean film of all time?

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American cinema

Review | Ready or Not 2: Here I Come – Samara Weaving back for stale horror sequel

Good casting and funny moments aside, this horror sequel with Sarah Michelle Gellar is heavier on bloodshed than on new ideas.

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Samara Weaving (left) and Kathryn Newton in a still from Ready or Not 2: Here I Come (category: III), co-starring Elijah Wood. Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. Photo: Searchlight Pictures
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

How director Benny Chan bridged old-school stunts and modern action

2003’s Heroic Duo and 2007’s Invisible Target were full of the director’s flair for action, reckless stunts and literal explosive scenes.

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Nicholas Tse in a still from Invisible Target (2007), directed by Benny Chan, whose 2000s films were a blend of classic stunts and modern action.
United States

Action movie star Chuck Norris dies at 86

His epic fight with kung fu superstar Bruce Lee in ‘The Way of The Dragon’ helped turn Norris into an icon.

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American cinema

How the eye-catchingly sexist DOA: Dead or Alive survived chaotic China shoot

Filmed at Hengdian World Studios, DOA: Dead or Alive helped pioneer East-West cinema collaboration – even if it bombed at the box office.

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