Hong Kong social issue films: Socio-economic and mental precarization

The emergence of social issue films in Hong Kong cinema holds significant importance as a cultural response to the socio-political transformations before and after 2019. This study examines how these films address the intersections of precarization, socio-economic marginalization, and mental health challenges within the evolving local context. Using Mad World (一念無明 Jat Nim Mou Ming 2016) as a case study, the article explores how the film portrays the struggles of dispossessed lives and their experiences of precarity. Drawing on the concepts of dispossession, bipolarity, and the ethics of cohabitation, this research contributes to the broader discourse on precarity in cinema by demonstrating how Hong Kong social issue films function as both reflections of and responses to the challenges posed by neoliberal capitalism and the decline of social and political reform. By providing a nuanced analysis of these dynamics, the study underscores the critical role of socio-economic and mental precarization as central themes in social issue films, highlighting their capacity to capture the structure of feeling in post-2019 Hong Kong.