The best films at the cinema this week

A selection of the best movies currently screening in Beijing

The Greatest Showman

On general release until Mar 2

In a year with no Baz Luhrmann movie, The Greatest Showman fills the gap with a big, brassy, unashamedly over-the-(big)-top circus musical. As befits an origin story for legendary American impresario, entrepreneur and snake oil salesman PT Barnum and his troupe of talented oddballs and outsiders, it's low on subtlety and high on spectacle.

Secret Superstar

On general release until Feb 15

The story of a burkha-wearing Muslim teen who dreams of becoming a singer seems like it might be an unlikely hit in China, however since its release Secret Superstar has topped China's box office charts, earning a cool 66 million in less than two weeks. The latest success from Bollywood film star and producer Aamir Khan – who also brought us last year's hit film Dangal – Secret Superstar shines a light on gender discrimination, archaic religious practices and female defiance, themes which have gone on to resonate with China's youth.

Maze Runner: The Death Cure

On general release until Feb 23

Having survived robot-spider things and raging zombies, the earnest Thomas and his fresh-faced compadres are on a mission to rescue their one-time maze-running bro, Minho, having lost him to the shady white-coat corporation WCKD following a devastating act of betrayal by Thomas’ kinda-girlfriend Teresa.

Happy Death Day

On general release until Feb 23

Jessica Rothe (La La Land) stars as Tree, the insensitive sorority girl trapped in this morbid variation on Groundhog Day. After being killed by a baby-masked attacker on her birthday, she then wakes up and faces that same day again…and again and again, suffering a different demise each time. Instead of arming herself, setting a trap or taking some other course of action that would end the story in about 30 minutes, Tree devotes her recurring days to deducing her stalker’s identity, to the accompaniment of a pop soundtrack.

My Little Pony: The Movie

On general release until Feb 8

We gotta hand it to the My Little Pony folks: they sure do like puns. In this film based on the hugely popular toy franchise, the Mane 6 (that's Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rarity) embark on a journey that takes them beyond Equestria after a dark force conquers Canterlot.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

On general release until Feb 4

Rolling up with the kind of intergalactic swagger that gives us a cosmically infuriating phone prank within the first five minutes, Star Wars: The Last Jedi is a work of supreme confidence: witty, wild and free to roam unexplored territory. If J.J. Abrams’s franchise-rebooting The Force Awakens (2015) was the creation of a boy who lovingly dusted off old toys and put them through their expected poses, its superior sequel is made by a more inventive kid (director Rian Johnson).

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

On general release until Feb 8

The plot of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle feels less like a sequel to the Robin Williams movie about the magical board game and more like The Breakfast Club, upgraded with body-switcheroo comedy and some retro Indiana Jones thrills. It follows four high-school stereotypes sentenced to detention – jock, popular girl, nerd, brainiac – who find an old video console that sucks them into its jungle hell. Trapped inside the game, the gang find themselves in the bodies of its avatars.

To check out what else is currently screening in Beijing cinemas, hit 'Read more'.

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