Advertisement
Advertisement
TOPIC

Cinema

Cinema
Views, news, and reviews of films, from the latest releases to classic oldies.
Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kane Parsons and Robert Bobroczkyi of Backrooms. Photos: AP, Getty Images
Fame and celebrity

Meet Backrooms actor Robert Bobroczkyi, who’s 7ft 7 inches tall

It may be summer, but horror films are all the craze right now, the latest being Backrooms starring Chiwetel Ejiofor – but who is the actor playing Pirate Clark?

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

How Sharla Cheung excelled next to Stephen Chow in 1990s Hong Kong cinema

videocam
Get to Know

Meet Curry Barker, director of blockbuster horror film Obsession

American cinema

Why Moulin Rouge remains a divisive masterpiece 25 years after its release

Whether you love it, hate it or veer deliriously between the two, Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 romantic musical is an experience you don’t forget.

videocam
Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor in a still from Moulin Rouge (2001), directed by Baz Luhrmann. The film is the final part of Luhrmann’s Red Curtain Trilogy, following Strictly Ballroom (1992) and Romeo + Juliet (1996).
What to do in Hong Kong

5 of the best things to do in Hong Kong this weekend, May 29-31

See Mads Mikkelsen and other stars at Hong Kong Comic Con 2026, indulge in a two-day wellness retreat, watch top cabaret shows and more.

videocam
American cinema

Review | Backrooms: A24’s liminal space horror is a stunning, disorienting debut

A bold horror tale directed by YouTube creator Kane Parsons, Backrooms was inspired by the popular Portal video games.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
India

Reel politik: India tells filmmakers to drop ‘China-bashing’ as ties warm

India’s diplomatic thaw with China is causing films about the 2020 Galwan Valley clash to be retitled, reshot or shelved entirely.

videocam
5
China’s President Xi Jinping shakes hands with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the welcoming ceremony of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin last August. Photo: Indian Press Information Bureau/AFP
Fame and celebrity

Hans Zimmer just scored Euphoria Season 3: here’s what to know about him

The award-winning composer, who scored over 100 films and won his first Oscar with The Lion King in 1995, replaced Labrinth this season.

videocam
France

Louvre heist to be turned into film

The daring robbery sent shock waves around the world, and the stolen jewels – worth around US$100 million – remain unrecovered.

videocam
Asian cinema: Chinese films

Review | Unexpected Courage: Rene Liu’s mid-40s career woman risks life over pregnancy

Rene Liu stars as a woman whose successful career is put on hold when she continues a risky pregnancy in this poorly conceived drama.

videocam
Rene Liu (right) as relentless career woman Le-fu and Hsueh Shih-ling, her boyfriend 12 years her junior, in a still from Unexpected Courage (category IIA, Mandarin), directed by Shawn Yu.
ByteDance

ByteDance AI films shake up Cannes as TikTok owner challenges Hollywood norms

A new cinematic tool, Seedance 2.0, can generate feature-length movies for a fraction of traditional costs.

videocam
In this photo illustration, the logo of ByteDance’s AI video model, Seedance 2.0, is displayed on a smartphone screen in China’s Jiangsu province. Illustration: Getty Images
European cinema

Best movies from the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, from Fjord to Minotaur

The 2026 Cannes Film Festival may have lacked its usual blockbusters, but that gave indie films more exposure. Here are 10 of the best.

videocam
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

The best car stunts in Hong Kong cinema: Police Story, Initial D and more

The most famous car stunt in Hong Kong movie history, and one that made its stuntman instantly famous, feature on our list of the best.

videocam
China’s film industry

Editorial | Indie hit Dear You shows the power of storytelling over big budgets

The surprise hit, filmed on a shoestring budget and shot entirely in a southern Chinese dialect, has resonated strongly with audiences.

A poster for Dear You, an independent film set in Chaoshan, Guangdong province, which has become an unexpected box office hit in China. Photo: Handout
Cannes Film Festival

‘Fjord’ by Romania’s Mungiu wins Palme d’Or at Cannes

The film stars Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve as a couple who have their children taken from them by child services for spanking them.

Director Cristian Mungiu, Palme d’Or award winner for the film “Fjord”, poses after the closing ceremony of the 79th Cannes Film Festival on Saturday. Photo: Reuters
European cinema

Review | The Voice of Hind Rajab: harrowing Gaza docudrama is vital cinema

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.

videocam
Cannes Film Festival

The stand-out looks at Cannes – from Demi Moore to Daisy Edgar-Jones

Kristen Stewart sneaked trainers under her Chanel gown, Sharon Stone stunned in Miss Sohee and Garatti, and Cate Blanchett turned heads in Givenchy.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Asian cinema: Japanese films

Review | The Samurai and the Prisoner: Kiyoshi Kurosawa back with feudal-era thriller

The veteran Japanese director’s new film with Masahiro Motoki as a besieged warlord is an intelligent, captivating spin on the samurai genre.

videocam
(From left) Yuriko Yoshitaka, Masahiro Motoki and Ryota Miyadate in a still from The Samurai and the Prisoner.
American cinema

Review | Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu plays like an extended TV episode

Star Wars fans may find The Mandalorian and Grogu an entertaining watch but it lacks real depth and feels more like a TV episode than a film.

videocam
European cinema

Review | Bitter Christmas: Pedro Almodovar engrosses with his latest meta movie

A film within a film within a film, Bitter Christmas examines the relationship between life and cinema.

videocam
Asian cinema: Korean films

How Colony features a new kind of zombie to reflect modern fears

Director Yeon Sang-ho of Train to Busan fame explains how AI and social media anxiety inspired the zombies in his new horror film.

videocam
A still from Colony.
European cinema

Review | Fjord: Sebastian Stan, Renate Reinsve anchor ice-cold child welfare drama

Fjord, set in a remote Norwegian village with stunning backdrops, explores a religious couple’s clash with Norway’s Child Protection Services.

Renate Reinsve and Sebastian Stan play a married couple with five children in the film Fjord, directed by Cristian Mungiu. Jonathan Ciprian Breazu (far left) and Vanessa Ceban (right) co-star.
Asian cinema: Korean films

Review | Hope: director Na Hong-jin of The Wailing fame returns with a monster mess

A promising beginning and strong performances are not enough to save Hope from being a messy spectacle with woeful CGI monsters.

videocam
American cinema

Review | Paper Tiger: Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson lead dark gangster movie

Director James Gray returns to his mob roots in this film about two brothers who fall foul of the Russian mafia in New York. Also stars Miles Teller.

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Why Alex Law and Mabel Cheung’s nostalgic films are among their finest

Two of the most poignant movies by life partners Law and Cheung explore migration and memory, and star the likes of Sammo Hung and Simon Yam.

videocam
Simon Yam (left) and Sandra Ng in a still from Echoes of the Rainbow (2010).
Asian cinema: Japanese films

Review | Sheep in the Box: Hirokazu Koreeda tackles grief in sci-fi drama

Hirokazu Koreeda’s Cannes entry probes grief, artificial intelligence and family bonds, but its subplots leave the film scattered.

videocam
(From left) Daigo Yamamoto, Rimu Kuwaki and Haruka Ayase in a still from Sheep in the Box.
K-drama news

Profile | Who is Cha Eun-woo, K-pop idol starring in Netflix K-drama The Wonderfools?

Since his 2014 debut, the ‘Face Genius’ has embodied a fantasy figure in many roles. His latest hits screens as he performs military service.

China’s film industry

How a tiny indie movie sparked a major tourist boom in southern China

Made on a shoestring budget, the hit drama Dear You has triggered a surge of interest in the history of southern China’s Teochew diaspora.

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