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Film reviews

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Film reviews
Hollywood blockbusters, local greats, European movies, Japanese and Korean dramas, animation, art house films, you can find them all here.
Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson in a still from Michael (category IIA), directed by Antoine Fuqua. Juliano Krue Valdi and Colman Domingo co-star. Photo: Glen Wilson/Lionsgate
American cinema

Review | Michael: ‘King of Pop’ biopic features all the hits, none of the controversy

While the film is packed with great performances, it is an utterly sanitised view of Michael Jackson’s life and the allegations he faced.

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European cinema

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

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Asian cinema: Chinese films

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

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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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Anson Kong in a still from We’re Nothing at All (category III, Cantonese), directed by Herman Yau. Patrick Tam and Anson Chan co-star.
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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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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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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Zazie Beetz in a still from They Will Kill You (category III), directed by Kirill Sokolov. Tom Felton and Patricia Arquette co-star.
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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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Ciao UFO: Charlene Choi leads nostalgic trip through Hong Kong history

Chui Tien-you and Wong You-nam join Charlene Choi in Patrick Leung’s poignant character drama that finally arrives at cinemas after debuting in 2019.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Gamer Girls: Angela Yuen leads beguiling Hong Kong esports drama

This engaging tale of an all-female esports team delivers an underdog story with a light touch and punches well above its modest budget.

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Angela Yuen as online gamer Summer in a still from Gamer Girls (category IIB, Cantonese), directed by Veronica Bassetto and Sophie Yang.
American cinema

Review | Project Hail Mary: Ryan Gosling is stranded in dull Martian clone

Ryan Gosling plays an astronaut on a mission to save Earth in this film directed by The Lego Movie’s Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.

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Ryan Gosling in a still from Project Hail Mary, directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. Sandra Hüller co-stars. Photo: Jonathan Olley
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Girlfriends: Fish Liew and Jennifer Yu reunite for tender lesbian romance

Tracy Choi’s semi-autobiographical, episodic drama gives an intimate portrait of a woman searching for her place at different stages of life.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Ultimate Revenge: Hong Kong crime thriller is all brawn and no brains

Loud, action-packed and completely chaotic, Terry Ng’s Ultimate Revenge is packed with thrills but fails to deliver on plot.

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American cinema

Review | Hoppers: Pixar’s new animation is a hilarious, heartfelt animal Avatar

Pixar’s Hoppers sees a young animal-lover use secret technology to pilot a robot beaver to recruit real ones and stop a construction project.

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(From left) Mabel Beaver (voiced by Piper Curda), King George (Bobby Moynihan), Tom Lizard (Tom Law) and Loaf (Eduardo Franco) in a still from Hoppers (category I), directed by Daniel Chong. Photo: Disney/Pixar
Asian cinema: Chinese films

Review | Scare Out: Zhang Yimou tackles national security in subpar Chinese spy thriller

A story of a mole inside a state security team in China, Scare Out is slickly executed but narratively muddled, and far from Zhang’s best.

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Jackson Yee as security operative Yan Di in a still from Scare Out (category IIB, Mandarin), directed by Zhang Yimou. Zhu Yilong and Song Jia co-star.
Asian cinema: Chinese films

Review | Double Happiness: Liu Kuan-ting, Jennifer Yu lead clever wedding comedy

A couple have two simultaneous wedding ceremonies to keep their parents apart in Double Happiness, an ingenious comedy of errors.

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Asian cinema: Japanese films

Review | A New Dawn: climate crisis meets fireworks in confusing Japanese anime

Yoshitoshi Shinomiya’s beautiful debut feature is sure to excite fans of Studio Ghibli’s Hayao Miyazaki, even if a muddled plot lets it down.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Blades of the Guardians: Wu Jing leads star-studded Chinese martial arts epic

Starring Wu Jing, Nicholas Tse and Chen Lijun, the visually stunning Blades of the Guardians is one of the fiercest wuxia films in years.

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Wu Jing (left) and Nicholas Tse in a still from Blades of the Guardians (category IIB, Mandarin), directed by Yuen Woo-ping. Chen Lijun co-stars.
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Jackie Chan’s hot streak continues with Panda Plan: The Magical Tribe

Panda Plan: The Magical Tribe manages to overcome its previous instalment’s failings to become a fun, wholesome family adventure.

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Asian cinema: Chinese films

Review | We Are All Strangers: Anthony Chen’s epic look at fatherhood in Singapore

A beautiful conclusion to Anthony Chen’s ‘Growing Up’ trilogy, We Are All Strangers is a study of family and love in all its forms.

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Night King: Dayo Wong, Sammi Cheng lead enjoyably fluffy nightclub comedy

While slightly disjointed and overlong, Night King delivers a fun blend of romance and nostalgic glamour set in Hong Kong’s nightclub scene.

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Sammi Cheng (left) and Dayo Wong in a still from Night King (category IIB, Cantonese), directed by Jack Ng. Louise Wong co-stars.
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | The Snowball on a Sunny Day: Mark Six miss turns into mayhem in family comedy

This witty Lunar New Year film follows a woman pretending to have won the Mark Six lottery after failing to buy the winning ticket.

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Chung Suet-ying (left) and Edan Lui in a still from The Snowball on a Sunny Day.
American cinema

Review | Wuthering Heights: Margot Robbie, Jacob Elordi sizzle in modern moorcore

Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights captivates with stunning visuals in the Yorkshire Moors and sizzling chemistry between Elordi and Robbie.

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Asian cinema: Japanese films

Review | Tokyo Taxi: Takuya Kimura and Chieko Baisho lead moving Yoji Yamada drama

Tokyo Taxi is an utterly captivating ride that sees an elderly woman bond with her taxi driver while reminiscing about her eventful life.

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Asian cinema: Japanese films

Review | All You Need Is Kill: Japanese novel behind Edge of Tomorrow gets animated

A young recruit is stuck in a time loop amid an alien invasion in All You Need Is Kill, an animated sci-fi thriller based on a light novel.

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A still from All You Need Is Kill (category IIA, Japanese), directed by Kenichiro Akimoto. The film delivers dazzling anime sci-fi thrills. Photo: Hiroshi Sakurazaka/Shueisha
American cinema

Review | Send Help: Rachel McAdams leads bloody island survival satire

McAdams has a ball as an office drone stranded on a desert island with her boss in this entertaining horror/black comedy from Sam Raimi.

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Rachel McAdams in a still from Send Help (category IIB), directed by Sam Raimi and co-starring Dylan O’Brien. Photo: 20th Century Studios
Asian cinema: Chinese films

Review | Gezhi Town: Chinese war drama with Xiao Zhan dares to entertain

Civilians try to fend off Japanese soldiers in this thrilling drama that focuses on character dynamics rather than patriotic grandstanding.

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American cinema

Review | Mercy: Chris Pratt battles a virtual judge in flawed AI courtroom thriller

Chris Pratt plays a detective accused of murder who has 90 minutes to clear his name in this ‘screenlife’ thriller that fluffs its third act.

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