The best films at the cinema this month

Every month we round up the best films on general release in Shanghai's cinemas. For all you Marvel fans, no Avengers: Infinity War in China this month. That'll be released here May 11. Be sure to catch our pick of movies released in March before they're out of theatres.

Until then, we've got movies about dogs, a movie where Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson plays a primatologist and more. Read on for the best imported and domestic films at Shanghai cinemas this month.

Pup Star

Pup Star: this month's film about real dogs. The creators of the classic dog-athlete film franchise Air Bud have evolved from a basketball-playing golden retriever to a singing Yorkshire terrier named Tiny. Follow her on her journey from reality show talent to dog-napping victim with high-pitched songs along the way.

On general release. Extract QR to book tickets.

Isle of Dogs

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The other movie about dogs stars an ensemble cast (Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Bill Murray and Jeff Goldblum) voicing very good boys (dogs) who help a Japanese boy find his lost good boy. With director Wes Anderson doing his usual auteur thing, this movie will ooze playful wit blurred with straight-faced drama. The stop-motion animation will definitely tip the scales towards the former.

On general release April 20.

Knife in the Clear Water

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Knife in the Clear Water (清水里的刀子) is an art-house film that offers an unvarnished view into Muslim Hui minority life in the arid moonscape of China's Ningxia province. The film, lacking any music, poetically evokes humanity's relationship to religion and the land they inhabit and has won several awards at independent film festivals.

On general release April 4.

Ready Player One 

Ready Player One is a wiki’s worth of pop-culture references stitched together with a derivative plot. It’s a CGI-heavy fantasia that will pop your eyeballs, but giddy as it is, it never quite sells its characters or gets much purchase on your emotions. Still, it's got some great references.

On general release. Extract QR to book tickets.

The Commuter

Liam Neeson punches another ticket in his trademark genre of cartoonishly over-the-top, yet gritty and realistic action films. This time, he plays a businessman who gets taken for a ride in a criminal conspiracy during his daily commute (See what they did there?). You could also say The Commuter is a commentary on the USA's crumbling public transit system. 

On general release. Extract QR to book tickets.

Mary and the Witch's Flower

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Fans of Studio Ghibli animated features will enjoy Mary and the Witch's Flower, directed by former Studio Ghibli animator Hirosama Yonebayashi, who worked on Spirited Away and other projects under director Hayao Miyazaki. Mary, based on the novel The Little Broomstick by Mary Stewart, is a fun and imaginative adventure filled with breathtaking animation.

On general release April 28.

Rampage

It's been said that giant-monster/kaiju films are a symptom of societal anxiety about nuclear annihilation. And so here's another one starring Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson destroying everything in his path with the help of giant monsters. Rampage, loosely based on the eponymous 90's video game, won't be anything to write home about, but will be one to see with the 4D gimbal chair that blows theatre smells in your face.

On general release April 13.

Annihilation

Annihilation is already on Netflix, but here's your chance to see it on the big screen in China. In the film, a team of scientists goes on a secret expedition into a disaster zone that defies the law of nature. Director Alex Garland, hot off his critically acclaimed Ex Machina, delivers a trippy sci-fi thriller with meditative and mysterious ambience, starring Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Oscar Isaac and others.

On general release April 13.

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