The best films at the cinema this May

What to see in Beijing cinemas this month

Every month we round up the best films on general release in Beijing cinemas. Take a look at our picks of the best upcoming releases in May and be sure to also catch our pick of movies released last month before they're out of theatres.

The Young Karl Marx

In cinemas now

It's 1843 and a firebrand young journalist gets into trouble with the German police for defending the rights of peasants to scavenge dead wood from a landowner's forest. Five years later and Karl Marx, son of a Jewish convert, would co-write The Communist Manifesto, a defining moment in the history of modern thought. This sturdy biopic examines the formative journey between those two points, as Marx finds a trusted friend and collaborator in Friedrich Engels.

Avengers: Infinity War

In cinemas May 11

Aptly titled, the nearly three-hour Infinity War pours on the action – some of it grandly operatic, some of it breezy and fun – but mainly, it's about a big purple goon on a bling quest. Genocidal Thanos (Josh Brolin, ready to grumble) hopes to collect six Infinity Stones for his Pandora bracelet and thereby enact a purge of 'half of humanity'. Combining the casts of The Avengers, Black Panther, Doctor Strange and Guardians of the Galaxy, you'll cheer the arrival of your favourite characters (our biggest whoo-hoo came with Black Panther's ever-furious warrior woman Okoye, played by Danai Gurira).

Megan Leavey

In cinemas May 11
Megan Leavey tells the true story of an American marine and her bomb-sniffing dog Rex, from the time they served together in Afghanistan, to the time after when Leavey struggles to adopt Rex. While the not-so-subtle American politics and flag-waving might be a bother, the core of this story is about the bond between a woman and her faithful, furry companion.

A Quiet Place

In cinemas May 18
Like Aliens retooled as a militant librarian's fantasy, actor-director John Krasinski's relentlessly effective horror film thrives on a nifty premise: In a post-apocalyptic world, a family holes up in a farmhouse and tries to survive in a countryside where the slightest sound brings out deadly monsters. It's a high concept that demands the dialogue be kept to a minimum; characters communicate by subtitled sign language, eye contact and extreme whispering. It all adds up to a monster movie worth shouting about – or, come to think about it, maybe not.

Solo: A Star Wars Story

In cinemas May 25
Yes, it's another Star Wars film, but this time it's a Western-style sci-fi spinoff focusing on the origins of fan-favourite puckish rogue Han Solo as he meets hairy sidekick Chewbacca and smooth criminal Lando Calrissian on 'a heist that anyone else would be insane to try'. Alden Ehrenreich fills the biggest flying boots and leather jacket in the movies.

Perfect Strangers

In cinemas May 25
In Perfect Strangers, a group of friends gather for a home-cooked dinner when they decide to spice things up. All phones on the table, and whatever texts or calls arrive must be shared with the party. The transparency that follows builds comedy and drama that tackles questions about intimacy, privacy and friendship with a deft and delightful touch.

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

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