Cinema Escapist
Explore and connect the world through a cinematic lens
Review: “Better Days” Overcomes Censors to Explore Teen Bullying in China
BY Richard Yu
Banned by Chinese censors for a year, "Better Days" gets its big reveal with dark undertones about high school bullying.
Review: How Did “The Shadow Play” Make It Past Chinese Censors?
BY Richard Yu
Forced evictions, citizen protests, and government corruption do not a happy Communist Party make.
Review: “Battle of Jangsari” Gives A Little-Known Korean War Battle The Honor It Deserves
BY Richard Yu
A group of high schoolers put everything on the line to fight North Korea—but receive little recognition or support
Review: “The Climbers” Is a Birthday Present for the People’s Republic of China’s 70th Birthday
BY Richard Yu
Based on real-world Chinese ascents of Everest in the 1960s and 70s, "The Climbers" does little more than elevate Wu Jing's "action man" credentials and...
Review: Takashi Miike’s “First Love” Is More Violent Than Romantic
BY Richard Yu
The Japanese auteur builds on his signature theme of cartoonishly bloody action movies but eschews sympathetic characters and drama.
Review: “Tazza: The One Eyed Jack” Mixes the Thrills of High-Stakes Gambling and Heists
BY Richard Yu
The latest installment in the Tazza franchise features entertaining characters & a plot full of unexpected twists and turns.
Review: Chinese Movie Remake of “Midnight Diner” Falls Flat
BY Richard Yu
Lack of depth plagues China's redux of the eponymous Japanese series "Midnight Diner."
Review: Was China’s “Shanghai Fortress” Really That Bad?
BY Richard Yu
After Chinese netizens lambasted " Shanghai Fortress," Netflix has given the world a chance to comment this latest Chinese foray into scifi.
Review: “Fagara” Is a Touching Family Story…and Subtle Political Allegory
BY Richard Yu
Heiward Mak eschews direct mentions of cross-strait relations to focus on what family means.
Review: “The Bad Guys: Reign of Chaos” Pits Korean Cops & Gangsters Against Japan
BY Richard Yu
Two cops team up with a mob enforcer and illegal gambling site owner to take down a Japanese drug ring.