Genre: Comedy/Horror
Director: Pil Gam-sung
Cast: Cho Jung-seok, Lee Jung-eun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Yoon Kyung-ho, Choi Yu-riy
Runtime: 1 hr 54 mins
Rating: NC16 (Some Violence)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures
Official Website:
Opening Day: 28 August 2025
Synopsis: “Zombies are not your family!” To protect her daughter, Soo-ah, who has been infected by a zombie virus that has spread across the world, Jung-hwan heads to Eunbong-ri, a quiet seaside village where his mother, Bam- soon, lives. As society hunts down the infected, the family secretly lives together, hiding their unusual family bond. Refusing to give up on his daughter, Jung-hwan draws on his experience as a wild animal trainer and embarks on a life-or-death mission – taming a zombie.
Movie Review:
One look at the poster and you can tell this Korean film isn’t cut from the same cloth as other zombie hits like Train to Busan or Kingdom. Instead of dark, gritty tones, the splash of bright colours and the goofy expressions on the characters give away its true nature—a comedy. And it delivers just that.
The “most intense” scene plays out like a domestic squabble, but is in fact an infected wife attacking her hapless husband. Even the sight of hordes of zombies flooding the streets leans more slapstick than scary. And without giving too much away, you may find yourself chuckling at the idea that being bitten by a grandma zombie isn’t necessarily the end of the world.
Adapted from Yun-chang Lee’s webtoon of the same name, this comedy directed by Pil Gam-sung leans into heartwarming humour. At its centre is Jung-hwan (Cho Jung-seok), a tiger trainer whose antics include a hilarious video of him teaching a tiger to dance. His life takes a chaotic turn when his daughter Soo-a (Choi Yu-ri) is bitten by a zombie. Determined to protect her, he brings her to his mother’s (Lee Jung-eun) rural home, where a string of comedic misadventures unfolds as the family scrambles to keep her dangerous secret under wraps. Rounding out the chaos are his loyal friend (Yoon Kyung-ho) and potential love interest (Cho Yeo-jeong), adding just enough spark for this 114-minute caper.
The film leans on familiar but effective plot devices to keep things engaging and entertaining. Moments like Jung-hwan’s mother disciplining Soo-a with nothing more than a stern glare are funny, while her tender attempts to jog the girl’s memory with favourite foods add a sweet touch. For broader laughs, the story stages extended sequences at an amusement park and a school—convenient setups that provide plenty of opportunities for humour.
At its core, the film is anchored by Jung-hwan’s unwavering love for his daughter. What lingers after the credits roll is the portrait of a father willing to risk everything to protect his little girl. The absence of Soo-a’s mother—explained through a mid-film twist—creates space for Jung-hwan to give his all as a parent. Touching moments, such as him documenting her progress in a scrapbook, build toward a dramatic finale that underscores the enduring power of a father’s love.
Maybe it’s just us, but we half-expected the film to end on a devastating note. Then again, it probably wouldn’t have become this year’s highest-grossing South Korean film if it hadn’t gone the crowd-pleasing route.
We last saw Cho in Kim Han-Kyul’s Pilot (2024), where he made us laugh as a man forced into cross-dressing. This time, the 44-year-old actor delivers an even more layered performance, navigating a role filled with emotional twists and turns. Cho proves he is far more than just a charming face—his portrayal of a father who pours every ounce of himself into protecting his daughter is deeply moving, a performance that will resonate with fathers and daughters alike, capturing the fierce love and tender bonds they share.
Movie Rating:
(Cho Jung-seok delivers a moving performance that grounds this heartwarming comedy, turning familiar laughs into something genuinely touching)
Review by John Li
Genre: Romance/Drama
Director: Celine Song
Cast: Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, Pedro Pascal, Zoe Winters, Marin Ireland, Dasha Nekrasova
Runtime: 1 hr 57 mins
Rating: NC16 (Some Mature Content)
Released By: Sony Pictures
Official Website:
Opening Day: 28 August 2025
Synopsis: A young, ambitious New York City matchmaker finds herself torn between the perfect match and her imperfect ex.
Movie Review:
Writer-director Celine Song returns with another exploration of the elusive concept of love. Is it a calculated transaction or is Cupid truly at work?
Dakota Johnson stars as Lucy Mason, a professional matchmaker in New York who ironically prefers to stay single, or, if she must marry, to choose someone wealthy. At a former client’s wedding reception, Lucy is approached by the groom’s brother, Harry (Pedro Pascal, a.k.a. “Mr. Fantastic”), a charming, affluent banker who owns a sprawling Tribeca penthouse. One moment they’re exchanging flirty banter; the next, they’re in bed.
Is this the start of true love? Perhaps even a fairy-tale wedding?
Enter Lucy’s ex-boyfriend, John (Chris Evans), a struggling part-time actor and cater-waiter who reappears years after their breakup which happened over, of all things, parking money. Unsurprisingly, a love triangle begins to take shape.
But Song isn’t here to give us a breezy Nora Ephron or Nancy Meyers-style rom-com. Materialists digs into the complexities and frustrations of modern dating, requiring some patience as it unpacks Lucy’s cynical views on marriage and romance. In the most commercial way imaginable, Lucy “sells” love to the richest, the loneliest, and those desperate for companionship. She believes there’s a match for everyone except herself.
Caught between a wealthy man and someone who sees right through her (and still loves her despite his beat-up Volvo and near-empty bank account), Lucy’s dilemma feels most compelling in her scenes with John. Song’s script offers glimpses of why they split, making their dynamic more magnetic than Lucy’s lust-at-first-sight romance with Harry.
The film occasionally detours into a subplot involving Sophie, one of Lucy’s clients, who ends up matched with an abusive man and blames Lucy for it. While this thread adds a layer of drama, it ultimately feels more like a distraction than a meaningful addition. Cutting it might have allowed for more development of Harry though, to be fair, Pedro Pascal’s character suffers from corny writing and an unnecessary “twist.”
The three leads are naturally charismatic: Johnson redeems herself after the Madame Web misfire, Evans proves he’s still got leading-man appeal and Pascal oozes charm despite the script’s missteps.
Ultimately, Materialists caters to audiences looking for a less conventional romantic comedy. There are flashes of sharp humor such as Song poking fun at older men who only date younger women but these moments are too scarce to win over mainstream rom-com fans. Still, the film serves as a cinematic love letter to New York, making the most of on-location shoots in Manhattan and Brooklyn despite not ticking all the right boxes.
Movie Rating:
(A mature love story on modern dating)
Review by Linus Tee
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SKECHERS X TONY LEUNGPosted on 14 Aug 2025 |
Genre: War/Drama
Director: Ao Shen
Cast: Liu Haoran, Wang Chuanjun, Gao Ye, Yang Enyou
Runtime: 2 hr 17 mins
Rating: NC16 (Violence)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website:
Opening Day: 28 August 2025
Synopsis: In the Nanjing Massacre of 1937, in order to save his life, postman A Chang pretended to be a photo developer in a photo studio and developed photos for the Japanese army. He also took in a group of Chinese soldiers and civilians, turning the studio into a temporary shelter. However, in the face of the Japanese army's cruel atrocities, A Chang risked his life to safely transfer the refugees and exposed the evidence of the massacre to the public.
Movie Review:
This is not an easy movie to sit through — and it rightfully shouldn’t be. Set against the backdrop of the 1937 Nanjing Massacre, when invading Japanese forces slaughtered hundreds of thousands of civilians and committed widespread atrocities, the film forces us to confront one of history’s darkest chapters. It is one thing to imagine the suffering the Chinese endured, and an entirely different experience to witness those horrors unfold on screen.
In one harrowing scene, a baby’s cries interrupt as Chinese captives are forced to pose for staged “happy” photographs. To silence it, a Japanese soldier rips the infant from its mother’s arms and hurls it to the ground. As if that cruelty were not enough, the baby is lifted again and thrusted into the arms of a terrified couple, forcing the woman to cradle it for a grotesque family portrait. In the cinema, the female viewer seated beside this reviewer could not bear to watch — she kept her hands pressed over her eyes the entire time.
It is little surprise that the wartime thriller released to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory in the War of Resistance Against Japan has dominated the domestic box office when it opened in China earlier this July. At the same time, it sparked debate for allegedly inciting anti-Japanese sentiments, particularly among younger audiences. One could argue at length about whether historical films should risk stoking such emotions by tapping into collective trauma. Yet, judged purely as a work of cinema, this film stands out as one of this reviewer’s favourites of the year.
The story follows a postman (Liu Haoran, at his earnest best) who survives by masquerading as a photo developer for the Japanese army. Beneath this façade, the studio he “works” in doubles as a precarious refuge — sheltering the Chinese owner of the studio (Wang Xiao), his family, a wounded soldier (Zhou You), and a struggling actress (Gao Ye). Hovering uneasily over them is a Chinese translator (Wang Chuanjun), reviled by some as a traitor, though he insists his collaboration is the only way to survive.
Their fates become entangled with a Japanese soldier (Daichi Harashima), assigned to photograph the supposed “triumphs” of the occupation. The film intriguingly frames him not as a one-dimensional villain, but as a man driven by his mission to capture the most striking images — his obsession with taking the “perfect” photograph becomes both his duty and his personal motivation.
One can see the immense potential for a stirring film here, and director Ao Shen seizes it fully — delivering a work that swells with emotion and is bound to move audiences to tears more than once. In his previous film No More Bets (2023), he gripped viewers with a tense, fast-paced tale about the dark world of online scams and human exploitation. This time, he achieves the same level of engrossing storytelling, but amplifies it further — tugging at our heartstrings with a haunting portrayal of survival, sacrifice, and the fragile humanity that endures even in the face of atrocity.
The film masterfully weaves the motif of photography throughout its narrative. Stark black-and-white photographs are juxtaposed with vivid, colour-moving sequences, creating a striking visual contrast. In one profoundly moving moment, the stoic studio owner unveils canvas backdrops of iconic Chinese landmarks during one of the group’s final gatherings. Perhaps most haunting is a voiceover sequence that juxtaposes studio portraits of happy individuals with the grim realities they later face. Some may call it sensationalism, but it is an undeniably powerful storytelling device—and this film wields it with precision.
Movie Rating:
(Not an easy movie to watch, but undeniably one of the most powerful and emotionally charged cinematic experiences in recent memory)
Review by John Li
Genre: Thriller
Director: Francis Lawrence
Cast: Mark Hamill, Judy Greer, Ben Wang, Garrett Wareing, Charlie Plummer, David Jonsson, Cooper Hoffman
Runtime: 1 hr 48 mins
Rating: M18 (Coarse Language and Violence)
Released By: Encore Films
Official Website:
Opening Day: 11 September 2025
Synopsis: In a dystopian United States ruled by a totalitarian regime, a group of young men enter an annual walking contest where they must walk at three miles per hour non-stop or be executed until only one of them is left alive.
Movie Review:
Francis Lawrence is no stranger to dystopian cinema, but those expecting ‘The Long Walk’ to be as spectacular as ‘The Hunger Games’ will probably come off sorely disappointed.
To be sure, that is of no fault of Lawrence, who does his best to fashion a feature-length adaptation from Stephen King’s very first book. For those keen to know, King wrote it when he was just 19 years old, although it wasn’t published until years later under his pseudonym Richard Bachman. And over the decades, there has been many attempts to bring it to screen – as well as good reason why George A. Romero, Frank Darabont, and André Øvredal have failed.
The premise is simple – and by and large, Lawrence and his screenwriter JT Mollner stay faithful to it. A horrific war had taken place close to 20 years ago, and the country had since been in a period of severe economic depression. In order to raise morale and counteract what is described as an “epidemic of laziness”, an annual ritual has been created. The rules are simple: gather 50 young men, one from each state and chosen by lottery, and have them walk at no less than three miles per hour, until only one of them stands. That person left stands to gain a financial windfall or the granting of a single wish.
The catch? Those who do not make it are given three warnings, before they are shot in the head. Except for a couple of flashbacks, the entire length of the movie is concentrated on the titular walk, which lasts for days and hundreds of miles. There are incidents along the way all right, and Lawrence’s achievement is capturing the humanity of the story with a character-driven approach.
The lead – and whom you probably can guess will make it almost to the very end – is Ray (Cooper Hoffman, son of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, whom Lawrence had directed in several instalments of ‘The Hunger Games’). Only towards the later half of the movie are we told of Ray’s agenda, and his personal motivation for trying to make it to the finish line, which, without giving anything away for those not familiar with the source material, is not because of the riches.
Ray’s companions comprise of the oddly cheerful Pete (David Jonsson), the wisecracking Hank (Ben Wang), the optimist Art (Tut Nyuot), and the scary wild card Barkovitch (Charlie Plummer). Not surprisingly, the movie’s moral centre is the warm friendship between Ray and Pete, with the duo encouraging, supporting and uplifting each other along the way. Ultimately, how much you enjoy the movie rests on how much you embrace their friendship, because probably close to half the time is spent in conversations about life and death as well as finding hope, meaning and purpose in their otherwise miserable existence.
Some might wonder about the violence within – suffice to say that the initial shots to the head are startling in their savagery, but it gets increasingly numb and mundane thereafter. Don’t get us wrong: we are not advocating for Lawrence to have taken a sensationalistic approach to the material, but it is the nature of the material that Lawrence is beholden to, and which undeniably can get dreary over the course of the movie.
With the emphasis on the young men chosen for the walk, there is also arguably little emphasis on The Major (a nearly unrecognisable Mark Hamill), who oversees the walk from his jeep with his aviator sunglasses, delivering a series of profanity-laden pep talks. There is a nice mid-film sequence where the participants enter into a spirited chant of ‘Fuck The Long Walk’, but otherwise like we said, it does get repetitive.
We will add that the finale does rewrite the book’s ending, but we suspect not even that can defy the weariness of the entire exercise. Like we said, the fault isn’t Lawrence, who to his credit, tries valiantly to bring the material to the big screen; rather, there is good reason why others have tried and given up. What is the purpose of the walk? Is there a larger message about the politics of today? Why is the Midwest they trudge along so static? These are questions that make ‘The Long Walk’ unsatisfying despite Lawrence’s cinematic efforts, and what we think will leave you exhausted than energised at the end of it.
Movie Rating:
(As valiant as this effort may be to bring Stephen King's book to the screen, it remains an enervating watch that saps rather than zaps life into yet another version of dystopian America)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Director: Michael Chaves
Cast: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Mia Tomlinson, Ben Hardy
Runtime: 2 hr 15 mins
Rating: NC16 (Horror and Violence)
Released By: Warner Bros
Official Website:
Opening Day: 4 September 2025
Synopsis: The Conjuring: Last Rites delivers another thrilling chapter of the iconic Conjuring cinematic Universe, based on real events. Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson reunite for one last case as renowned, real- life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren in a powerful and spine-chilling addition to the global box office-breaking franchise. Experience the case that strikes at the core of Ed and Lorraine’s mission and attacks the very heart of the Warren family… their daughter, Judy.
Movie Review:
It’s only a matter of time — like every movie universe, The Conjuring saga will eventually come to a close. Since its debut, the horror franchise has been a commercial powerhouse, drawing audiences into the chilling, “based-on-true-events” tales of Ed and Lorraine Warren, real-life paranormal investigators.
The husband-and-wife duo became synonymous with some of the most infamous — and controversial — haunting cases ever recorded. Beyond their investigations, the universe expanded with spine-tingling spin-offs, most notably featuring Annabelle, the cursed doll, and the terrifying demonic Nun, each adding fresh layers of fear to the growing mythology.
The ninth and final entry in the series is aptly titled Last Rites, bringing closure to the hauntings that have haunted audiences since 2013. Over the years, the franchise has delivered some unforgettable moments — who could forget the chilling clap in the dark from the very first film, a scene that still lingers in horror fans’ minds?
Of course, not every installment was flawless, but each contributed to the eerie legacy of the Warrens’ cinematic journey. While Last Rites may not strike every note needed to send shivers racing down your spine, it succeeds in a different way — by reminding us how far the Warrens have come, not just as paranormal investigators, but as a family.
The film opens with a near-tragedy during the birth of the Warrens’ daughter, Judy — an emotionally charged sequence anchored by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, who once again bring gravitas to their roles. As the narrative progresses, Judy (played with quiet sensitivity by Mia Tomlinson) comes into her own, experiencing first love and a budding romance with a young man (Ben Hardy).
Interestingly, much of the dramatic weight comes not from supernatural encounters, but from the Warrens’ reactions to Judy’s growing independence. For long stretches of the 135-minute runtime, the film trades in haunted-house scares for domestic drama, blurring the line between horror and family melodrama. While this shift in focus may surprise audiences expecting relentless chills, it does lend the characters a grounded, human dimension rarely explored in the franchise.
The wholesome family moments are punctuated by chilling sequences drawn from the infamous Smurl hauntings in Pennsylvania, the real-life case on which the film is based. These set pieces are staged with unsettling precision — from a young girl violently expelling blood to a man overtaken by possession in the dead of night.
The tension escalates further when Judy herself begins to encounter the supernatural, with one particularly memorable scene trapping her inside a suffocating, mirror-lined changing room. Inevitably, the path leads the Warrens to the Smurl residence, where the film builds toward its climactic confrontation between the couple and the demonic entity.
The scares in Last Rites lean toward standard studio fare — slick, polished, and safely executed, which may explain why the film never feels as raw or unsettling as earlier entries. That said, it’s far from a disappointment (unless you’re firmly against horror altogether). As a finale, it works reasonably well, offering a fitting send-off for the Warrens, with the narrative framing this as their final case due to its devastating toll.
Of course, whether this truly marks the end of the Conjuring universe remains to be seen. Given the array of cursed artifacts still sitting in the Warrens’ occult museum, it wouldn’t be surprising if more stories eventually crawl their way onto the big screen.
Movie Rating:
(In the end, The Conjuring Universe closes not with a scream, but with the reminder that it’s family that lingers)
Review by John Li
SYNOPSIS: She can get away from anything. Except him.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Eenie Meanie is the nickname of our protagonist, Edie (Samara Weaving), given to her by crime boss Nico (Andy Garcia). On paper, it sounds like a stylish heist flick with a dash of dark comedy. In reality, it ends up cold, frustrating, and yet another lifeless streaming release.
Despite trying to leave her shady past behind, Edie is roped into serving as the getaway driver for a casino heist by her hapless ex-boyfriend, John (Karl Glusman), who has run afoul of Nico. Hoping this will be her final crime spree especially since she’s pregnant with John’s child—Edie reluctantly agrees. But things quickly spiral when their old rival Perm (Marshawn Lynch) muscles into the plan.
The film starts off strong. We see how Edie began her “getaway” career at just 14, followed years later by a hilariously outrageous sequence where a butt-naked John flees his enemies while Edie saves the day from behind the wheel. The tone in these early scenes is wild, funny, and fueled by a frenetic old-school car chase.
But writer-director Shawn Simmons derails his own momentum by introducing too many characters into the mix. Jermaine Fowler turns up as a so-called “Chaperone” for the heist. Lynch’s Perm inexplicably becomes the main antagonist instead of Nico. Steve Zahn, wasted as Edie’s father, barely registers, while Randall Park delivers a standout cameo. Unfortunately, Simmons neither has the sharpness to pull off an Ocean’s Eleven-style caper nor the resources to mount a bombastic Fast & Furious spectacle.
What’s left is a directionless crime caper. The final act delivers some thrillingly staged chase sequences, with Edie evading both cops and Perm, but even the kinetic action can’t save the film. An awkwardly placed “epiphany” Edie has about John feels forced and tonally inconsistent, draining what little momentum is left.
Samara Weaving, to her credit, elevates the material. She’s convincing and magnetic despite the script’s flaws, standing out as the film’s only real strength. Glusman is serviceable as the useless ex, while Garcia coasts through for an easy paycheck.
If you’re in the mood for a heist film about a getaway driver, skip Eenie Meanie and revisit Baby Driver instead. This one’s destined to be forgotten—another pulpy, disposable streaming title.
MOVIE RATING:
Review by Linus Tee
SYNOPSIS: Four irrepressible retirees spend their time solving cold case murders for fun, but their causal sleuthing takes a thrilling turn when they find themselves with a real whodunit on their hands. Based on Richard Osman’s bestselling novel.
MOVIE REVIEW:
When one of the characters in The Thursday Murder Club mutters, “Uh, just be patient,” he isn’t far from the truth.
Directed by Chris Columbus (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Mrs Doubtfire) and produced by Steven Spielberg, The Thursday Murder Club is a British whodunit that boasts perhaps the finest ensemble of Hollywood “retirees” ever assembled. With Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan and Ben Kingsley leading the cast, you’d expect a murder mystery compelling enough to draw such talent and you’d be right.
Adapted from Richard Osman’s best-selling novel, the story takes place in Coopers Chase, a seemingly ordinary retirement home. Hardly the typical setting for a murder mystery. But here, four eccentric residents—Elizabeth (Mirren), Ron (Brosnan), Ibrahim (Kingsley), and newcomer Joyce (Celia Imrie), a former nurse form a club dedicated to solving cold cases. Don’t worry too much about how or why this club began; the film dives straight into their latest investigation: the decades-old unsolved murder of Angela Hughes, dating back to 1973.
Trouble soon arrives closer to home when Tony (Geoff Bell), one of Coopers Chase’s co-owners, is found dead after his partner Ian (David Tennant) announces plans to sell the land for new apartments. Naturally, suspicion falls on Ian. But, as with any good mystery, the truth is never so simple. Elizabeth and her team join forces with rookie police officers Donna (Naomi Ackie) and Chris (Daniel Mays) to untangle the web of clues.
The Thursday Murder Club feels like an old-school mystery in the spirit of Agatha Christie. Its closest modern comparison might be the witty Only Murders in the Building rather than big-budget Christie adaptations like Murder on the Orient Express or Death on the Nile. There are no flashy visuals or CGI distractions here, just straight-forward storytelling and seasoned performances.
Mirren is the undeniable star, bringing both charm and enigma to Elizabeth, whose mysterious background hints at ties to MI6. Brosnan adds some much-needed humor, while Kingsley and Imrie hold their own amidst the lively proceedings. Supporting appearances from Jonathan Pryce and Richard E. Grant, though brief, are delightful.
Columbus approaches the adaptation with the same warm sensibilities similar to The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel with the exception of a murder mystery twist. The pacing is leisurely, sometimes too leisurely. The investigation is engaging but rarely mind-bending, and the film avoids action or violence altogether. In fact, the most “explosive” moment is Elizabeth maneuvering her Aston Martin through a chaotic cobblestone street.
Ultimately, The Thursday Murder Club won’t appeal to everyone. Younger audiences especially may find its slow-burn pacing trying, as the story doesn’t truly take off until about half an hour in. Still, for fans of cozy mysteries and sharp performances, it’s a charming watch. With at least four more books in the series, here’s hoping Columbus and Netflix keep the franchise going before Mirren and company grow too old to chase murderers.
MOVIE RATING:
Review by Linus Tee
SYNOPSIS: Devastated by the death of her son, a mother begs a mysterious woman to summon his soul into a doll but something far more sinister may have returned.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Danny Pang, one half of the Pang Brothers who once terrified audiences with the now-classic horror The Eye, returns to the genre that made his name though not with the same success.
In this direct-to-streaming horror flick, TVB actress Venus Wong (daughter-in-law of Eric Tsang and wife of filmmaker Derek Tsang) plays Xue Ting, a grieving mother who loses her young son (Lokman Leung) to a illness. Instead of seeking psychiatric help to cope with her loss, Ting turns to a one-eyed medium, Aunt Mui (veteran actress Helena Law Lan), who gives her a rag doll said to be possessed by her son’s spirit. Ting accepts it against the wishes of her skeptical husband, Ho Wah (Eddie Cheung).
Much like adopting the cuddly Gizmo from Gremlins, the doll comes with a single ominous warning: “Never damage the doll.” Predictably, once it enters the household, eerie happenings ensue or at least, they should. At a lean 85 minutes, the film feels more lifeless than chilling.
As often with the Pang Brothers, the concept is stronger than the execution. Reborn aka Deadly Doll, a remake of Pang’s own little-known Reborn (2022), suffers from a total lack of suspense and genuine scares. The result feels less like a professional production and more like a middling student project.
Rather than embracing a straightforward horror setup, Pang tries to inject psychological ambiguity into the narrative. Is Xue Ting merely hallucinating her son’s presence? Or is it truly his spirit roaming the home? Unfortunately, Pang is no Mike Flanagan whose adaptations of Stephen King’s works skillfully balance grief and terror. Here, the heavy use of flashbacks and backstory undermines rather than enriches the story, and the supposed twist ending lands with a thud, more lazy than revelatory.
To their credit, the cast do what they can. Wong delivers a believable performance as a mother consumed by grief, Cheung does his best as the weary husband and the 90-year-old Law Lan continues to lean on her horror icon status. But even their efforts cannot rescue this sinking ship.
The truth is, Danny Pang's career has been in free fall for years, and films like Death Stranding and now Deadly Doll only cement his recline. At least The Eye remains a watchable relic of their legacy unlike this pointless exercise. And no, despite the original title, this is nowhere near a “Chinese Annabelle.”
MOVIE RATING:
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Action/Crime
Director: Juno Mak
Cast: Takeshi Kaneshiro, Sean Lau, Tony Leung Ka Fai, Louis Koo, Gao Yuan Yuan, Alex To, Nina Paw, Wilson Lam, Lowell Lo, Jiang Pei Yao, Michelle Wai, Kam Kwok Leung, Lo Hoi Pang, Lau Wing, Carl Ng, Lloyd Hutchinson
Runtime: 2 hr 12 mins
Rating: NC16 (Some Violence and Nudity)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website:
Opening Day: 9 October 2025
Synopsis: In a snow-blanketed Hong Kong that echoes the dystopian qualities of Gotham City, a turbulent chain of events begins. Among the dead is a powerful businessman. Although his family's empire spans various industries, he remains the hidden leader of a notorious drug cartel, secretly detained in the hospital where the chaos unfolds. With law enforcement in disarray and rival factions vying for dominance, the youngest son becomes embroiled in a conflict where he is determined to dismantle his family's criminal legacy. However, his mission is jeopardized by his fugitive older brother and the ruthless lieutenants loyal to their deceased father, each manoeuvring to seize control...
Movie Review:
After years in gestation, Juno Mak’s second film after the much-lauded Rigor Mortis (2013) finally arrives—an ambitious, moody, and visually intoxicating crime epic that feels both familiar and foreign in today’s Hong Kong cinema landscape. In the closing credits, Mak thanks two titans of the industry, Wong Kar Wai and Peter Chan, and it’s easy to sense their influence in the film’s brooding atmosphere and painterly precision. Whether Mak is consciously borrowing from these veterans or merely echoing their legacy is open to debate. What’s clear, though, is that he’s working in a different era—one where Hong Kong’s cinematic language has evolved into something colder, slicker, and more fractured. Whether that’s a good thing is another question entirely, as viewers’ tastes and attention spans continue to shift with the times.
The first thing that strikes you is how stunning the film looks. Every frame feels deliberate, every reflection and snowflake placed with painterly precision. It’s as though Mak has turned the city into a living art installation—a neon graveyard of fading ideals and lost souls. The cinematography is extraordinary; the visuals alone could justify the ticket price for viewers whose main focus are on how the film looks. Even when the narrative wanders, the camera never does. It captures Hong Kong as a place where beauty is inseparable from decay.
Of course, the biggest draw for most audiences will be the cast, and Mak knows it. The film boasts a line-up that reads like a wish list for Hong Kong cinema devotees: Takeshi Kaneshiro (oh, how audiences have missed him), Sean Lau, Tony Leung Ka Fai and Louis Koo. It doesn’t stop there, as familiar faces like Richie Jen, Nina Paw, Alex To, Wilson Lam, and Lo Hoi Pang show up in supporting roles. Their very presence signals the kind of industry support and star power most directors can only dream of. Kaneshiro, in particular, is magnetic—he could be staring into blank space and still command the frame. Mak seems fully aware of his appeal, keeping the camera trained on him in loving close-ups that make even cigarette smoke look glamorous.
Yet, for all its beauty and star wattage, Sons of the Neon Night struggles to connect on an emotional level. The characters move like shadows through the snow, cool and composed but somewhat hollow. The film often feels like a music video stretched into a noir epic—impeccably styled, meticulously lit, but emotionally distant. Everyone looks incredible, but few feel alive.
In the end, Sons of the Neon Night is a triumph of form over feeling—a dazzling, meticulous vision of a city frozen in time. Juno Mak has crafted a haunting visual symphony that pays homage to Wong Kar Wai and Peter Chan while carving out its own aesthetic identity. It’s hypnotic, ambitious, and undeniably beautiful. But as the snow keeps falling, you can’t help wishing it would melt—just enough to let a little warmth in. Still, this isn’t a bad film by any measure. It will likely appeal to those who go to the movies to be visually transported rather than emotionally moved—and for that audience, it’s pure cinema.
Movie Rating:
(Visually, Juno Mak's second feature film is a stunning work of art—but its icy perfection may leave those seeking emotional connection out in the cold)
Review by John Li
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