10 New Movies to Watch in Hong Kong Cinemas This December 2021

In May 2019, a number of prominent Chinese writers and scholars gathered in a village located in the Shanxi Province—the naive home of director Jia Zhang-ke. Images that took place from this literary event open an 18-chapter symphony that spans since 1949.

The movie is told through the memories of late writer-activist Ma Feng and the testimonies of three major writers that are still active today: Jia Pangwa, Yu Hua and Liang Hong. The writers reflect back on their own lives, literary careers to allow the movie to weave in a 70-year spiritual history.

Release: December 2

Benedict Cumberbatch and cats? The Electrical Life of Louis Wain is the extraordinary story of British artist, Louis Wain whose playful pictures helped shape the public’s view of cats.

Taking place from the late 1800s to the 1930s, we follow his adventure as he seeks to discover the mysteries of the world, where along the way, he finds pieces of his own life that he never understood.

Release: December 2

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Helmed by Golden Horse Film Festival Best New Director awardee, Fiona Feng-i Roan, American Girl follows 13-year-old Fen. When her mother is diagnosed with breast cancer, she leaves the US to relocate to Taiwan in 2003 during the SARS outbreak.

The movie follows her struggles to adapt to her new life and her attempt to reconnect with her estranged father. At the same time, her relationship with her mother worsens.

Release: December 9

One of the highly-talked about movies this year is Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Drive My Car which brought home several film awards including Best Screenplay at the Cannes Film Festival. Based on the short story by Haruki Murakami, the movie revolves around struggling stage actor and director, Yusuke Kafuku. His wife, Oto suddenly dies—leaving behind a secret. Two days later, he receives an offer to direct a play in Hiroshima.

Needing a chauffeur, he tasks Misaka. The two didn’t go along in the beginning. But as they spend time together, something in Kafuku changes.

Release: December 9

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Death Notice centres around a killer who goes by the moniker, Darker and has been leaving behind death notification cards after murdering people who evaded the law. The police responded by forming a task force comprising of the best of the best in each field.

The ragtag team comprises of a high IQ but low EQ criminalist, an ill-mannered profile, an inflexible captain, a crime lab specialist, a goth-loving forensic pathologist and a genius hacker. The crew must work together and set aside their differences to find the mysterious vigilante.

Release: December 9

Tom Holland returns as Spider-Man but this time he’s not welcome. For the first time, the friendly neighbourhood hero is unmasked and is no longer able to separate his normal life and superhero life. What’s worse is that he’s hated by almost everyone. Because of this, he asks Doctor Strange for help to erase him from people’s memories. But the stakes are high and enemies beyond this universe start coming for him and his friends.

Release: December 15

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After almost two decades, Neo and Trinity make a comeback in the long-awaited fourth instalment of the groundbreaking franchise. Lena Wachowski returns to the director’s seat for the movie which is set 20 years after the events of The Matrix Revolutions. Neo now lives an ordinary life as Thomas Anderson in San Francisco—or so it seems. He visits his therapist, saying that he’s been having “dreams” and gets prescribed blue pills.

He also crosses paths with Trinity but both of them didn’t recognise each other. Later, he meets Yahya Abdul-Mateen’s character (likey to be Morpheus as revealed by Mateen on Instagram) who gives him the red pill which reopens his mind to the Matrix.

Release: December 22

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Spencer is a reimaging of what might have happened when the marriage of Princess Diana and Prince Charles have gone cold. Rumours of affairs and divorce fly around but the couple put on a face for the Christmas festivities at the Queen’s estate. Diana grows tired of playing the game and takes matters into her own hands.

Release: December 23

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G Storm is the sequel to 2019’s P Storm which sees the return of Louis Koo as ICAC investigator, William Luk. While working on a Customs corruption case, Luk finds out that it’s linked to King, the leader of an international human trafficking group. They’ve also uncovered that the group involves the Chief of Justice of Southeast Asia. Luk and his team—Ching and Lau—must work together to bring King to justice.

This movie is also the fifth and final instalment of the Storm series.

Release: December 31

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