May kicks off with China’s beloved Labor Day holiday, and while crowds flood tourist spots, a cozy cinema seat might just be the perfect escape from the heat and hustle.
Later this month, May 20—celebrated as China’s modern Lover’s Day—also offers the perfect excuse to swap flowers for film tickets and fall into stories of romance, courage, nostalgia, and wonder.
Thunderbolts*
April 30 / May 1
Marvel’s Thunderbolts* pulls together some of the MCU’s most complex, rough-edged characters and tosses them into a mission that’s as dangerous as it is morally messy.
Photo by Marvel Studios/Courtesy of Marvel Studios
Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Red Guardian (David Harbour), and others find themselves tasked with jobs that not even the Avengers could stomach, promising a team dynamic full of friction, dark humor, and bruised loyalties.
Photo by Marvel Studios/Courtesy of Marvel Studios
Set after the chaotic fallout of Phase Four, Thunderbolts* feels less like a superhero film and more like a gritty espionage thriller powered by anti-heroes trying to outrun their pasts.
Photo by Marvel Studios/Courtesy of Marvel Studios
Directed by Jake Schreier, and already earning early praise for its grounded action and emotionally charged character arcs, this latest MCU chapter promises to be a fresh and gripping ride for both diehard Marvel fans and audiences craving something a little less squeaky-clean from their superheroes.
Princess Mononoke
May 1
One of Hayao Miyazaki’s greatest masterpieces, Princess Mononoke finally makes its majestic big-screen debut in China, almost three decades after it first enchanted audiences around the world.
This richly layered epic tells the story of Ashitaka, a young prince caught between a dying forest’s guardian spirits and a rapidly advancing human settlement driven by industry and ambition.
Unlike typical ‘good vs evil’ tales, Princess Mononoke presents a world of moral gray areas, where nature and humanity clash not out of cruelty, but out of desperate survival.
Whether you’re a lifelong Studio Ghibli fan or entering Miyazaki’s world for the first time, this cinematic event is not just a movie but a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Ghost in the Shell 4K Remake
May 10
As it celebrates its 30th anniversary, Ghost in the Shell returns to cinemas in a breathtaking 4K restoration, inviting a new generation to question what it truly means to be alive.
Set in a neon-drenched future where cybernetic enhancements blur the line between human and machine, the story follows Major Motoko Kusanagi, a cyborg security agent chasing a mysterious hacker known as the Puppet Master.
Beyond its iconic action sequences and cyberpunk aesthetics, Ghost in the Shell dives into existential questions about identity, consciousness, and the very soul in an age of technological transformation.
Widely credited as a major influence on films like The Matrix and countless sci-fi franchises, Mamoru Oshii’s visionary classic remains just as haunting, philosophical, and visually dazzling today as it was in 1995.
The Accountant 2
May 16
Ben Affleck returns as Christian Wolff, the mathematical savant with a secret life of dodging bullets and balancing books for criminal organizations, in the highly anticipated The Accountant 2.
Picking up where the first film left off, this sequel thrusts Wolff back into a labyrinth of puzzles, betrayals, and adrenaline-fueled action, as he uncovers a conspiracy that could shake his already fragile moral compass.
Love Letter
May 20
Timed perfectly with China’s Lover’s Day, Love Letter returns to theaters like a whispered memory carried on winter’s breath, reminding us that some stories never lose their power to break and heal our hearts.
Directed by Shunji Iwai, this 1995 Japanese romantic drama tells a delicate, aching tale of a woman who, in writing a letter to her deceased fiancé, unexpectedly stirs up old feelings and hidden connections across time and space.
Set against snowy Hokkaido landscapes, Love Letter is built not on melodrama but on quiet, everyday moments, capturing the bittersweet beauty of love that lingers long after goodbyes.
However, before you venture out to book your tickets, we must remind you that non-English films will be shown in their original language, with only Chinese subtitles available.
Lilo & Stitch
May 23
Everyone’s favorite chaotic alien crash-lands into the live-action world as Lilo & Stitch hits theaters, reviving the story of unlikely friendship, loss, and ‘ohana’ (family) for a new generation.
This Disney remake follows the fiercely independent Lilo, a young Hawaiian girl, who adopts what she thinks is a dog—but turns out to be Stitch, an escaped alien experiment with a penchant for destruction (and surprising sweetness).
While Disney’s recent live-action remakes have faced mixed results, there’s real hope that Stitch’s unstoppable energy, Lilo’s heart, and the lush island setting will translate beautifully to the big screen without losing the original’s quirky, heartfelt soul.
Fans will be watching closely to see if this version captures the humor, emotion, and chaos that made the 2002 animation a cult favorite, especially given Disney’s recent struggles with adapting its animated classics.
Here’s hoping that in a summer crowded with big-budget spectacles, a small blue alien and a lonely little girl remind us all what real family means.
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