Rating: 4.0

Slick and taught action thriller with a sci-fi twist, ‘Spiritwalker’ is a fine slice of modern Korean filmmaking that propels along on mounting tension, a committed cast and a fun concept.

A first class cop thriller, that despite it’s flaws and over dramatics is riveting viewing and shows Wilson Yip is one of the best directors working in Hong Kong at the minute.

Sticking with ‘SPL 2’ makes for an overall rewarding experience as director Soi Cheang takes the viewer on a wild, thrilling and at times incredibly dark ride.

‘Still Walking’ is mature cinema, thoughtful and deceptively powerful, another significant contribution to world cinema by Hirokazu Koreeda.

There is actually a story here and it is a surprisingly good one that manages to develop some emotional content behind the main characters as well as building upon the backgrounds laid down within the game.

A fantastic mix of drama and action, ‘Stuntman’ is at once an ode to the action giants of yesteryear and how the modern movie-making world has changed drastically since their heyday, and a touching family drama about redemption.

This is ‘Spaghetti Western’ done Miike style, and one of his strengths is his ability to construct a world that you can’t find anywhere else and that you don’t want to leave.

Imbued with that understated eccentricity that many Japanese comedies have used so effectively, Masayuki Suo’s homage to his country’s unique culture proves to be a winning effort.

Go into ‘Sunny’ with the right mind-set and its as enjoyable a piece of commercial film-making as you’re likely to get – just don’t be too surprised if you encounter feelings of narrative deja-vu.

The great on-screen chemistry of the two leads help this stylish and hugely enjoyable caper move along at a leisurely, but absorbing pace.

If you just remember to bring a sense of humour, and wonder, you’ll be rewarded with what is easily one of the best Japanese films of the year.

‘Suspect X’ plays with the usual hero/villain dynamic before settling into a denouement that reveals the complexity the audience was hitherto unaware of.