‘Zi’ Review: Michelle Mao Is Magnificent in Kogonada’s Transcendent Meditation on Time

Two strangers meet on the streets of Hong Kong in Kogonada’s bold, beautiful, and beguiling “Zi,” each heading up the stairs in the same direction. This encounter, seemingly one of chance, will reshape what may be a past, present and future that are all blurring together.

It’s an exhilarating experience that feels as though the classic hangout film “Before Sunset” has been joyously merged with the sensibilities of the sci-fi masterpiece “La jetée” to become something that is, in a sense...