5 Must-See Movies at the 2019 New York Asian Film Festival

Every summer, just when it starts to feel like you’d rather give up on movies forever than trek to the multiplex for yet another blockbuster sequel or remake, the New York Asian Film Festival shows up out of nowhere and saves the day — for New Yorkers, anyway. Unquestionably the country’s best (and most demented) annual showcase of new Asian cinema, NYAFF has established itself as a perennial godsend for cinephiles whose appetites are a bit too adventurous for Hollywood to satisfy, and the festival’s 18th edition — dubbed “Eighteen: Still Too Young to Die” in a cheeky reference to the Kudo Kankuro movie that blew the roof off in 2016 — boasts one of its most promising lineups to date.

From a samurai drama by the director of “Candyman,” to a mystical neo-western produced by Wong Kar-wai, a touching coming-of-age story directed by one of South Korea’s biggest action stars, and a can’t-miss celebration of legendary fight choreographer Yuen Woo-ping, NYAFF 2019 is jam-packed with essential screenings, and a rousing reminder as to why this has become of America’s most indispensable festivals.

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Here are five of the best things to see at this year’s edition.

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