Genre: Horror/Thriller
Director: Derrick Hao, Mak Ho-Pong
Cast: Athena Chu, Louis Cheung, Bob Cheung, Terry Zou, Li Fung
RunTime: 1 hr 27 mins
Rating: PG13 (Horror)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 18 October 2018

Synopsis: On New Year's Eve, Qingyi (Athena Chu) and her son, Dawa, were waiting for her husband to come home from work but he never showed up. Meanwhile, Dawa keeps seeing a stranger who is invisible to Qingyi. Leaving Dawa under the care of her neighbour, she heads to the village to find out her husband’s whrereabouts. Qingyi returns home and sees a stranger hiding in her house… Upon hearing about his mother’s death, Xinzhong (Louis Cheung) returns to his hometown. When he was handling issues regarding her death, a real estate agent appeared and asked Xinzhong to sell his mother’s mansion. Xinzhong must now find the property certificate to sell it. While finding it, strange things keep happening. Are these really just accidents, or was Qingyi warning her son?

Movie Review:

For a 46 year old, Athena Chu looks gorgeous. The Hong Kongactress is the object of fantasy for many guys. Before her charming performance in Jeffrey Lau’s Chinese Odyssey movies starring Stephen Chow, she had already gained popularity in showbiz by appearing in Wong Jing’s infamous Raped by an Angel franchise. Yup, she was known for being a sex goddess and taking on jobs which mainly required the actress to look pretty (affectionately known as “flower vase roles”).

Are things going to change with her involvement in this horror movie directed Derrick Hao and Mak Ho Pong? Unfortunately, we don’t think so.

Chu plays a woman whose husband dies in a worksite accident. The poor lady is left alone in a big mansion with her young son. It doesn’t take long before paranormal activities begin occurring, but to sustain the length of a feature film, the two of them continue living in the haunted house. Years pass and the son grows up to be an ambitious young man (played by the underrated Louis Cheung). After hearing news of his mother’s death, he returns to the mansion with his girlfriend and yup, strange things continue to happen.

This is the kind of movie that was clearly conceptualised to make some quick bucks from horror buffs at the box office. However, being a PG13 title, you probably know things are going to be quite watered down. The premise of the movie, while not particularly innovative, showed some promise initially. A loving widow who will do anything for her only son? Relatively touching, if you ask us. An unfilial son who wants to be disassociated with his mother because she is a vegetable seller in the village? You’ve got some nice drama brewing. A mother and son reunion that may end up in a blood bath? A nice horror flick is taking shape.

But alas, the 87 minute movie decides to take a turn in its last act to make this an emotional drama about parental love. Couple that with a ridiculously unwarranted plot twist and not only do you get disappointed fans who were hoping to be scared sh*tless, you also lose the viewers who appreciate a good screenplay.

The jump scares littered throughout the movie are obligatory and unoriginal. A TV that switches itself on, a tap that runs on its own, a mysterious force that strangles the protagonists, low toned murmurs that come on whenever the room goes dark. While these scare tactics are sometimes effective, they may barely satisfy the hard core fans of the horror genre.

Chueng (L Storm) does his best to play an uninspiring and unlikeable character (he has to put on a hideous wig at one point), while Chuputs in effort to emote (she has to put on hideous make up to play an old woman at one point). The actors who signed up for this movie probably know that it isn’t award winning material, but we are not sure whether they were aware that the final product borders on being a yawn fest.   

Movie Rating:

(Despite the occasional jump scares, this horror movie won’t please fans of the genre)

Review by John Li

Genre: Action
Director: Adrian Teh
Cast: Hairul Azreen, Ammar Alfian, Henley Hii, Taufiq Hanafi, Gambit Saifullah, Hafizul Kamal, Theebaan G, Jasmine Suraya Chin
RunTime: 1 hr 55 mins
Rating: TBA
Released By: Golden Village Pictures
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 11 October 2018

Synopsis: Lieutenant Commander Arman Anwar is a Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia (TLDM) Special Force PASKAL Operative; One with an illustrious service history. Having lost Arman’s father to the same cause, his mother has always been bitter about Arman’s choices and predicament. In one of his dangerous mission, one of his teammate died and another one was dismissed. Just when Arman decided to ask for transfer he is needed for one last mission that would change his world forever.

Movie Review:

Count us mightily impressed by ‘Paskal The Movie’, named after the elite Royal Malaysian Navy unit known as Pasukan Khas Laut and inspired by real-life events that the special operations force was involved in. Largely avoiding the sort of heavy-handed flag-waving patriotism which such military films are oft guilty of, it showcases the tactical precision of these highly-trained team of soldiers, and depicts their courage, heroism and sacrifice in the line of duty. These are in plain and even remarkable display in the elaborate set-pieces which bookend the film, which not only represent a high water mark for Malaysian action cinema, but also are no less worthy of regard as that of much more lavishly budgeted Hollywood and even Chinese films.

Hard to believe that the director is Adrian Teh, whose filmography before this consisted of comedies like ‘The Wedding Diary’ and ‘King of Mahjong’, but Teh signals unequivocally that he is perfectly comfortable in action-movie territory, kicking off with a high-octane sequence on the high seas. From the point the crew of the cargo vessel Laurel 11 in the Gulf of Aden spot the Somalian pirates on radar approaching on three separate skiffs, Teh builds up methodically the sequence of events: the communication between Laurel 11 and the Royal Malaysian Navy ship Bunga Mas 5;  the emergency measures undertaken by the crew of the Laurel 11 to avoid being taken hostage; the seven-men Paskal team led by Arman Rahmat (Hairul Azreen) boarding Laurel 11 and taking out the pirates one by one; and last but not least, a brief hostage standoff that is over as quickly as it emerges.

As it turns out, Arman also happens to be the main character of the subsequent story, which establishes that he had followed his late father’s footsteps to join the Paskals, much to his mother’s chagrin, and after coming home to find his mother alone and passed out on the dining table, he decides to write to his commanding officer Marzan for a transfer. Marzan agrees to put in a word for Arman to be a trainer in Lumut henceforth, provided that Arman lead his men on one final mission to capture the notorious pirate Rudi at the Filipino Market in Kota Kinabalu. What was supposed to be a straightforward operation turns out anything but, when Arman spots his former Paskal team member Jeb (Ammar Alfian) in cahoots with Rudi, especially given Jeb’s knowledge of their protocols and SOPs.

Even before that fateful reunion, a series of flashbacks convey the backstory between Arman and Jeb, who were fellow Paskal trainees with another buddy Joshua (Henley Hii) and were chosen at the point of their graduation to undergo further training with the US Navy Seals. Together with the Chinese soldier Han (Hollywood veteran Tiger Chen Hu), Arman, Joshua and Jeb were deployed as UN peacekeepers in 2011; alas, a skirmish with some armed hostiles led to the impulsive and egoistic Jeb inadvertently causing Joshua’s death, and Jeb’s subsequent execution of one of the hostiles at point blank, which led Jeb to be given a dishonourable discharge. Still bitter and even less restrained than before, Jeb threatens to harm Joshua’s wife Lily (Jasmine Suraya Chin) and two-year-old son Joey unless Arman butts out from investigating him further.

Not surprisingly, that won’t be the last Arman crosses paths with Jeb; neither for that matter can Lily avoid getting into their crosshairs, culminating in a hostage situation at an offshore oil rig off the coast of Sabah where Lily works. To rescue Lily and the rest of the crew of the rig, two teams of Paskal men will launch a pre-dawn raid against the pirates. Among the notable scenes within the meticulously choreographed finale are an open shootout on the deck of the rig; another below deck along the narrow confines of a corridor; a booby-trapped room with multiple grenades connected to one another via taut wires attached to their firing pins; and last but not least, a mano-a-mano knife fight between Arman and Jeb on a narrow bridge atop the rig. That last half-hour is intense to say the very least, and certainly a noteworthy achievement for Teh and his crew in terms of design, planning and execution.

If it isn’t yet obvious, there isn’t much story or character development to speak of, both of which seem to be in service of the action. Oh yes, there are hardly any surprises in the narrative at all, or any sophistication in the delineation between hero and villain, so you can see right from the start where it’s all headed. Besides Arman and Jeb, there is little we learn about the rest of the supporting characters too, and we could certainly do more with the sort of scene where Arman goes out with Joshua and Lily to get her wedding ring that shows the brotherhood among the Paskal team members. That Arman and Jeb make much of an impression is in large part credit to Azreen and Alfian, who play their respective archetypes convincingly and charismatically.

But insofar as profiling the heretofore little-known Paskal, this movie certainly does these unsung heroes justice. Much has been said about the training which the actors went through to prepare for their roles in the movie, and that preparation definitely shows in both their physicality and agility. Teh’s emphasis on authenticity also pays off, such that one never feels at any point during the movie that the portrayals are inaccurate or less than realistic. Certainly, if one of his objectives is to raise the bar for action movies in Malaysia, Teh has accomplished it handily, beautifully and even outstandingly. The action is adrenaline-pumping all right, but well-choreographed, well-filmed and well-edited to ensure suspense, continuity and sheer thrill. As far as demonstrating the skill, grit and bravery of the Malaysian armed forces, it sure beats our ‘Ah Boys to Men’ hands down.

Movie Rating:

(An impressive display of courage, heroism and sacrifice of its titular elite special forces, 'Paskal The Movie' also sets a new high water mark for Malaysian action cinema)

Review by Gabriel Chong

Genre: Drama
Director: Dan Fogelman
Cast: Olivia Cooke, Olivia Wilde, Antonio Banderas, Oscar Isaac, Laia Costa, Annette Bening, Mandy Patinkin
Runtime: 1 hr 58 mins
Rating: NC16 (Coarse Language And Some Violence)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 6 December 2018

Synopsis: As a young New York couple goes from college romance to marriage and the birth of their first child, the unexpected twists of their journey create reverberations that echo over continents and through lifetimes in LIFE ITSELF. Director and writer Dan Fogelman (“This Is Us”) examines the perils and rewards of everyday life in a multigenerational saga featuring an international ensemble including Oscar Isaac, Olivia Wilde, Antonio Banderas, Annette Bening, Olivia Cooke, Sergio Peris- Mencheta, Laia Costa, Alex Monner and Mandy Patinkin. Set in New York City and Carmona, Spain, LIFE ITSELF celebrates the human condition and all of its complications with humor, poignancy and love.

Movie Review:

‘Life Itself’ is probably one of the worst-reviewed Hollywood films this year, but contrary to what you may fear, this multi-generational ensemble drama isn’t at all that awful; in fact, as much as we agree that it is flawed, writer-director Dan Fogelman’s sophomore film is a lot more poignant than we were expecting it to be.

Like his hit NBC TV series ‘This Is Us’, Fogelman interweaves separate but connected stories about family that are laced with a generous dose of sentimentality and coincidence. Structured as five chapters of different lengths, the twisty, tangled narrative which intertwines the fates of two sprawling families are built around his usual themes of loss, coping and love.

Each chapter is named after its central character(s), and the first titled ‘The Hero’ sees Fogelman stumbling out of the gate. Narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, it spends a good 10 minutes trying to show off how it can pull a rug from right under your feet – one minute we think the story might be about the handsome gay man sitting across from his therapist Dr Cait Morris (Annette Bening); yet another, we are left horrified as Dr Morris is hit by a bus right after saying hi to Will Dempsey (Oscar Isaac), who says he is her fan; and then another, we see a much more dishevelled Will making a public nuisance of himself while ordering coffee at a café.

You’ll probably figure out later on that it is all part of Fogelman’s conceit that perhaps life itself is the most unreliable narrator, but the entire device itself is in fact unnecessary and superfluous. Still, by the end of the first chapter, you’ll have acquainted yourself with Will and his late wife Abby (Olivia Wilde), a pair of ‘Pulp Fiction’-loving college sweethearts whose relationship comprised an impromptu marriage proposal at a Halloween party where they were dressed as Vincent Vega and Mia Wallace, arguing about Bob Dylan in bed, a sweet little dog named Fuckface, and a baby on the way before tragedy strikes one of them.

It isn’t hard to guess just what happened to Abby that left Will so distraught that he ended up spending months at a mental institution before landing in Dr Morris’ office, but you’ll probably not be prepared by what happens at the end of the chapter, which unfortunates just reiterates how misbegotten it is. Thankfully, things pick up from there, with the second chapter titled ‘Dylan Dempsey’ devoted to Will and Abby’s daughter in her teenage years. Not surprisingly for someone whose life is marked by tragedy from the very start, Dylan grows up into a brooding young woman with plenty of pent-up angst that she expresses in her punk-rock music.

Chapters three and four follow the fates of the Spanish couple Javier Gonzalez (Sergio Peris-Mencheta) and his wife Isabel Diaz (Laia Costa), as well as that of their son Rodrigo (Adrian Marrero). Javier and Isabel’s story is essentially a love triangle which involves the wealthy Mr Vincent Saccione (Antonio Banderas), who is the owner of the olive grove where Javier works as foreman. At some point, the paths of Javier, Isabel and Rodrigo will intersect with that of Will, Abby and Dylan, and just as it does for Dylan, that pivotal moment will also have repercussions on Rodrigo’s teenage life. Without giving away too much, let’s just say Rodrigo will visit New York City twice – once when he is just a boy on holiday, and another when he is a teenage student.

To say anything about the brief concluding chapter that definitively ties the Dempseys and the Gonzalezs by no less than (yes, we had to say it) life itself would be giving away too much, but as shamelessly manipulative as it is, the ending is both elegiac and elegant at the same time. If the portrayals in the earlier chapters seem contrived, the finale that reflects on everything past makes it clear that tragedy can indeed happen in life when you least expect it, change the course of life for all those involved, but somehow still bring opportunities for hope, love and peace if we allow or choose it for ourselves.

Oh yes, Fogelman could certainly have approached his own material with a lot more subtlety and nuance, but it is undeniable that the motivation comes from a heartfelt place (he was inspired by the sudden death of his mother to write this movie). Though overused, Bob Dylan’s ‘Make You Feel My Love’ is ultimately an inspired addition to the movie, perfectly capturing the mood and melancholy that pervades all five chapters. Needless to say, the performances here are all excellent, and that itself has been acknowledged by even critics of the film. Like we said, you’ll know Fogelman was pulling the strings all along, but that doesn’t mean you won’t still be moved to tears by an earnest climax that reminds you of how much and what of life itself you may actually be in control of.

Movie Rating:

(It's manipulative, messy and unsubtle all right, but 'Life Itself' still manages to paint a resonant, poignant and heartfelt message about the unpredictabilities of life itself)

Review by Gabriel Chong

Genre: Drama
Director: Koichiro Miki
Cast: Sôta Fukushi, Mitsuki Takahata (voice), Yuko Takeuchi, Alice Hirose, Takuro Ohno, Ryosuke Yamamoto, Tomoya Maeno
RunTime: 1 hr 58 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: Filmgarde
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 26 October 2018

Synopsis: Adapted from the international bestselling novel by Hiro Arikawa. A cat isn’t just a pet – it’s family. Satoru (Sôta Fukushi – from BLEACH, LAUGHING UNDER THE CLOUDS and LAPLACE’S WITCH) has known this since childhood when he had a kitten Hachi who was always by his side through good times and bad. As an adult, Satoru then adopted a stray he named Nana (the voice of Mitsuki Takahata – from DESTINY: THE TALE OF KAMAKURA) after the poor cat was hit by a car but miraculously survived. However, Satoru must now unfortunately give his beloved cat Nana away. So, he travels to meet various important people in his life who may be able to take in Nana; his childhood best friend, a couple he knew in high school, and his favourite aunt.

Movie Review:

It's not the journey that counts but who is at your side - Quote from The Travelling Cat Chronicles (Book)

Based on the best-selling book of the same name by Hiro Arikawa and translated to English by Philip Gabriel, The Travelling Cat Chronicles is a heartfelt movie narrated by a cat named Nana but deservedly made for busy, mortal human beings liked you and me. 

The prologue tells us how Nana, a stray feline ends up being adopted by a young man, Satoru (Sota Fukushi from Bleach and Laplace’s Witch) after being involved in an accident while on the way to a “cat meeting”. Shortly after, we learnt that Satoru and Nana is going on a road trip as Satoru tries to find a new home for his beloved cat. 

Why is Satoru giving up on Nana? Is he going abroad to work? Did he somehow develop a chronic allergic to cats? Well, it’s not a difficult question to answer if you are a seasoned movie-goer or you have actually finished reading the book yet it’s definitely a well-worth journey to tag along to find out why.  

Their first stop is at a photo studio run by Satoru’s childhood best friend, Kosuke (Ryosuke Yamamoto). Although Kosuke on the surface looks like the best choice to adopt his cat since they both shared a liking for cats since young, his marriage at the moment is strained with his ill-tempered, cats-hating father not helping with the situation. But the biggest takeaway in this reunion is learning about Satoru’s tragic past. His doting parents were tragically killed in a traffic accident while the two were away on a field trip to Kyoto years ago. And this is the point where the entire story starts to unravel as we see a different side to our seemingly cheerful young man and protagonist, Satoru. 

As they arrived next in an animals-friendly B&B in the mountainous region, we learnt that the place is run by a couple, Sugi (Takuro Ohno) and Chikako (Alice Hirose), both of them being former high school classmates of Satoru. Again, a touching flashback tells us that a teenage Chikako once had feelings for Satoru but the latter somehow decides to give up pursuing the relationship further upon knowing that Sugi also has feelings for Chikako. It’s another bittersweet meetup and unfruitful match for Nana (as she has trouble getting along with Sugi’s dog) as we continue our journey with Satoru and his furry friend. 

Although Nana serves as the “voice” and narrator, she is more or less the comedic sidekick that provides the occasional laugh with her cynicism look at the world and the human companions around her. Always ready with some choice words, sarcastic and not easily bribed, Nana is the typical cocky feline who treasured her freedom though her love for her owner is never a doubt.   

After exhausting all possibilities and travelling past the majestic Mt Fuji and lush canola field, their final stop happened to be at the house of Satoru’s aunt, Noriko (Yuko Takeuchi), the only selfless relative who adopted young Satoru after the death of his parents. By then, you probably had shed a couple of tears though not surprisingly the worst is yet to come as we learnt yet another piece of devasting truth about Satoru’s childhood.  

Despite a never-ending list of sadness and negativities, The Travelling Cat Chronicles is at no time a movie about being despair or throwing in the towel in life. In fact, there is an immensely powerful message lying in the character of Satoru in which you need to watch this flick to believe in. Shockingly with a cat as a central character, this is actually not the typical pet movie but one enlightening movie that is filled to the brim with themes about friendship, family, love and life. 

Movie Rating:

(Easily the contender for best movie of the year, The Travelling Cat Chronicles is ironically a dark movie that spreads positive messages while the cat provides comic relief)

Review by Linus Tee

SHADOW won a total of 4 GOLDEN HORSE AWARDS! Posted on 19 Nov 2018 At the recently concluded Golden Horse Awards, SHADOW won 4 awards out of a total of 12 nominations. That includes Zhang Yimou for Best Director, Samson Wong forBest Visual Effects, Ma Kwong Wing for Best Art Direction, Chen Minzheng forBest Makeup & Costume Design. _____________ THE MOST GOLDEN HORSE AWARD-NOMINATED FILM 'SHADOW' OPENS IN CINEMAS ON 11 OCTOBER Zhan ... more

Genre: Horror/Comedy
Director: Jacen Tan
Cast: Alaric Tay, Benjamin Heng, Joey Pink Lai, Chen Xiuhuan, Richard Low
RunTime: 1 hr 22 mins
Rating: PG13 (Violence)
Released By: mm2 Entertainment & Clover Films and JAB Films
Official Website: https://www.facebook.com/zombiepura/

Opening Day: 25 October 2018

Synopsis: The movie depicts a zombie outbreak in an isolated army camp. Corporal Tan Kayu (Alaric) is a lazy soldier doing guard duty during his mandatory reservist when a mysterious virus breaks out and turns his campmates into rabid zombies. Trapped together, Kayu must team up with his arch-rival, the tough Sergeant Lee Siao On (Benjamin Heng), to survive. Cut off from the outside world, their military training is put to the test and they must find out what it means to be real soldiers.

Movie Review:

So Singapore finally has a zombie movie to call its own, and we’re proud to say that ‘Zombiepura’ is a hilariously entertaining horror comedy that is uniquely Singaporean. No other genre entry has had the inspiration to unfold a zombie outbreak within the confines of an army camp, but then again, there are few countries within which military life is such a keystone of its national identity. It was while serving his duty to nation that first-time feature film director Jacen Tan got the inspiration for this movie, which probably explains how steeped in National Service (NS) routines, archetypes and customs it is, aside from being a movie where a bunch of people try to outrun, outlive and outwit a horde of flesh-eating zombies.

The pre-opening credits scene sets the tone for what is to come – an overweight soldier is squatting in a clearing in a forest, taking a dump in the middle of the night, when he is scared shitless (pun intended) by rustling in the undergrowth that turns out to be a zombie in army fatigues. Oh yes, those who have been through NS will immediately recognise that familiar scene from outfield; ditto the weariness of meeting a ‘siao on’ regular who thinks that In-Camp Trainings should be as ‘garang’ as full-time serviceman (NSF) days, that is captured ever so sharply and succinctly in the subsequent scenes which establish our two simply-named main characters – Corporal Tan Kayu (Alaric Tay) and Sergeant Lee Siao On (Benjamin Heng). 

It is with complete respect to the ins and outs of our NS life that Tan has conceived this movie, but with tongue firmly in cheek that he pokes fun at certain familiarities – whether the common malingering excuses that Corporal Tan encounters at the medical centre while there to ‘report sick’; or the commonly bandied maxims of surviving NS like ‘act blur live longer, act stupid live forever’; or even the classic personas within the army camp, exemplified here by the fierce Regimental Sergeant Major ‘Mad Dog’ Lee (Richard Low), the ‘white horse’ medical doctor Captain Yap (Edward Choy), the ‘old chio’ canteen auntie Susie (Chen Xiuhuan), and her attractive daughter Xiaoling (Joeypink Lai).

Within these established settings, Tan imagines what would happen in the face of something as unprecedented as a zombie attack. Wisely, Tan confines the backdrop to a single army camp and the events to within a single day, whereupon Corporal Tan, Sergeant Lee and Xiaoling are challenged to exercise ingenuity, wit and courage to escape the rest of the soldiers-turned-zombies. Both Corporal Tan and Sergeant Lee will be tested in their own ways – whereas Corporal Tan has to overcome his cowardly tendencies, Sergeant Lee will have to get in front of the army SOPs that he is familiar and comfortable with. At the same time, the trio will also have to confront the usual selfish suspects, typified here by Captain Yap and his associate Corporal Chua (Rayve Zen), who have no qualms sacrificing who they need to in order to survive.

Frankly, at slightly less than one and a half hours, there is little plot in the movie to speak of; in fact, the movie comprises largely of four extended sequences – first, the medical centre where Patient Zero is brought in from outfield and spreads the zombie virus; second, a storage facility behind roller shutters holding zombies at bay where our trio engages in a tense confrontation with Corporal Chua and Captain Yap; three, a room with army stores where they share a pivotal emotional moment and prepare for a showdown with the zombies; and four, the do-or-die showdown dubbed ‘Operation Crazies’ in full battle order on the camp’s parade square. But the script, co-written by Tan and Nash Siow, has just enough detail and character definition to sustain the film, which is ultimately anchored by the spot-on performances of its leads Tay and Heng.

Tan has described how both actors were involved in scripting the movie with him, and it shows in how well Tay and Heng grasp their respective characters, even if the character arcs in the story could be sharper. There is an infectious verve in their back-and-forth, especially in how Heng’s domineering Sergeant Lee struggles to assert his authority over Tay’s nonchalant Corporal Tan when things go south and his consequent exasperation. Lai plays her role as complement to Corporal Tan and Sergeant Lee nicely, and holds her own as the resourceful female who proves to be even braver than her two male companions. The rest of the veteran supporting cast are expectedly solid, but the extras playing the flesh-hungry zombies deserve special mention for their admirable commitment in keeping the horror real and present.

If at first the idea of a zombie movie set in an army camp seemed odd, we have to say that Tan has made it work surprisingly well; probably most inspired is how he gently satirises the strict adherence to NS routines through the habits of the zombies, due to so-called ‘muscle memory’. Tan also carefully balances the level of self-awareness in his movie, avoiding going completely self-aware as a spoof would but with occasional ‘wink-wink’ references (e.g., ’28 hours later’). Like we said, this is a Uniquely Singaporean take on the genre, such that some of the references to NS life will be lost on someone unfamiliar with it. But we were genuinely amused and entertained by its unique blend of NS and ‘zombie movie’ tropes, and let’s just say we’re more than thrilled for another helping of ‘Zombiepura’ that the epilogue teases. 

Movie Rating:

(Blending NS and ‘zombie movie’ tropes into a Uniquely Singaporean take on the zombie genre, ‘Zombiepura’ is a rib-tickling horror comedy that every Singaporean son – and possibly daughter – will enjoy)

Review by Gabriel Chong

'HALLOWEEN' RE-WRITES FORTY YEARS OF LEGACY Posted on 07 Oct 2018 Forty years after he terrorised the residents of Haddonfield, Illinois after escaping from the sanitorium he has been imprisoned in since a child, Michael Myers is back to finish what he started with Laurie Strode. Then a teenage babysitter, she and her friends were stalked by Michael and one by one, killed by Michael in cold blood. As envisioned by director David Gordon Green and ... more

Genre: Art
Director: John Clang
Cast: Beon Kan, Boon Hock Lim, Doreen Toh, Joavien Ng
RunTime: 1 hr 41 minutes
Rating: M18 (Nudity and sexual scenes)
Released By: Screened at Painting with Light: Festival of International Films on Art
Official Website: https://www.nationalgallery.sg/festivals/painting-with-light-2018

Opening Day: 5 October 2018

Synopsis: Their Remaining Journey weaves together three different stories: a theatre actress meets an untimely death and awaits reincarnation while her soul is trapped with an unknown family in Singapore; a pilates instructor travels to New York, unable to escape from the memory of a dead-end relationship; and a Singapore immigrant in Taiwan desperately tries to muster the courage to tell his wife of his illness and remorse. Connected through their loneliness, the protagonists attempt to negotiate personal loss and displacement. 

Movie Review:

Movie Rating:

(A meditative and reflective piece of art that may give you a new perspective of life, and in this instance - death)

Review by John Li

SYNOPSIS: In the grim Alaskan winter, a naturalist hunts for wolves blamed for killing a local boy, but he soon finds himself swept into a chilling mystery. 

MOVIE REVIEW:

No matter what you had thought about ‘Hold the Dark’, you’d probably end up surprised, even shocked, by the places that this bleak Alaska-set thriller goes.

On the surface – and what is the movie’s first act – you might be fooled into thinking that it is a man-versus-wolves survivalist thriller. The man in this case is wolf expert Russell Core (Jeffrey Wright), who journeys to the isolated Alaskan outpost of Keelut after receiving a letter from lonely military wife Medora Sloane (Riley Keough) that asks for his help in locating her missing boy she believes has been seized by wolves.

There is something off about Medora right from the start: on the first evening that Russell spends at her home, he catches her muttering to herself in the bath, and later on in the night, appears to him wearing only a tribal wooden wolf mask. Notwithstanding, Russell agrees to track the wolves the next day, and after trekking hours in the wilderness, chances upon a bloodied wolf pack gnawing at one of their own in the snow. It’s not that unusual, we later learn, that the wolves would sacrifice one of their younger ones if food is scarce.

But by the time Russell returns to Medora’s home for the evening, you’d already know that the movie is headed in a very different direction. Medora is gone, and in her basement, Russell discovers to his horror her son’s lifeless body. Just as well, an earlier sequence that shows Medora’s husband Vernon (Alexander Skarsgard) bleeding profusely from the neck after being hit by a stray bullet portends a potential showdown between the two men, as Vernon returns home wounded physically and psychologically, after receiving word on the way back of his son’s death.

Yet this is also not a mano-a-mano between two men caught in the crosshairs of Medora’s inexplicable deeds; oh no, as adapted by director Jeremy Saulnier and his co-writer Macon Blair from William Giraldi’s 2014 novel, the movie becomes a protracted cat-and-mouse chase which sees Vernon pursue Medora with a vengeance, seeking revenge for the death of his beloved son. The cost of that retribution is appalling to say the very least, as Vernon’s Native ally Cheeon (Julian Black Antelope) unleashes a bloodbath upon local law enforcement in order to buy Vernon more time to hunt down Medora without interference.

It is violent all right, and those searching for reason why someone would show no compunction towards such senseless acts of violence will find themselves frustrated. Indeed, there are few rational answers to be found in the movie for the savagery that these denizens living on the outskirts of civilisation are disposed to, and within the labyrinthe mystery which unfolds are elements of indigenous folklore, Greek tragedy and rural revenge flicks.

As you may expect, Russell is our surrogate at the centre of all that craziness, dealing with the incomprehensible in a mix of astonishment, curiosity and fear. He becomes allies with the local sheriff Donald Marium (James Badge Dale), both of them unsure whether they are tracking Medora down for the murder of her son, or Vernon before he metes out his own brand of justice upon her, or both. Consider it fair warning that the ending is no neat resolution, so don’t hope for the sort of closure that will leave you feeling easy.

At its core, this is a mood piece through and through, one that hooks you in with his portrayal of the depths of evil that those living on the fringes can be capable of. Saulnier has crafted here a wintry harvest of madness, utterly evocative from its stunning locations to cinematographer Magnus Nordenhof Jønck’s haunting imagery. It is immersive all right, riveting to watch from start to finish, and gripping in its twists and turns that keep you unsettled. Wright and Skarsgard are also top-notch performers, and the former’s picture of vulnerability with the latter’s portrait of muted dysfunction is an intoxicating combination.

Precisely because it doesn’t adhere much to convention, ‘Hold the Dark’ won’t endear itself to the casual viewer; but we must admit that this atmospheric thriller held our attention throughout its two-hour duration. Even though we’re not quite sure at the end of its deeper meaning, or of the coherence of its unorthodox detours, there is definitely ambition, vision and imagination in this dark tale of the beast within. It is a potboiler of the highest regard, and even though there are no ghosts or otherworldly depictions here, there is enough darkness to leave you genuinely spooked.

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Gabriel Chong

SYNOPSIS: From the producers of Kelly Reichardt's "Certain Women" and Jeremy Saulnier's "Green Room" comes the story of Ruth (Melanie Lynskey), a nursing assistant suffering through a crisis of existential despair. But when her house is burglarized, Ruth discovers a renewed sense of purpose in tracking down the thieves. Accompanied by her obnoxious martial-arts-enthusiast neighbor Tony (Elijah Wood), they soon find themselves dangerously out of their depth against a pack of degenerate criminals. 

MOVIE REVIEW:

I Don’t Feel At Home In This World Anymore is that unknown quirky title that occasionally dropped in without much of an attention to it. If this is the past, it might be sitting in some deserted corner on the DVD rental shelves filled with cobwebs. However, with streaming giant Netflix picking this up, this indie title ought to be on your playlist next because it’s just too fun to miss.  

New Zealand actress Melanie Lynskey (Two and a Half Men) plays a soft-spoken, mild-mannered nursing assistant Ruth who is slowly turning ballistic after finding her home being burgled. With the local police force not exactly helping, she enlisted the help of her weird ninja-loving neighbor, Tony (Elijah Wood) and begins her journey of finding back her stolen valuables liked her laptop, silverware and medication not knowing that a trio of dangerous criminals are lurking around the corner. 

The movie begins as a harmless (even mundane) vigilante tale with two dysfunctional individuals who probably have difficulties fighting back anyone who jump queues in a supermarket. Ruth seems to be a nice lady stuck in an ugly world populated by selfish people while Tony’s only companions seem to be his shuriken and grizzly dog. But after the duo successfully retrieve Ruth’s stolen laptop from a bunch of rowdy teenagers (cue in Tony’s hilarious ninja-fighting skill), the entire flick seems to pick up its pacing and transform itself into a delightful dark violent comedy.  

The drastic turn involved a lanky pale young man, Christian who is teaming up with two other shady characters to rob his rich father. How in the world did Ruth and Tony get themselves into a hot mess with this bunch of creeps? That is one interesting setup you need to watch and this could also be the reason why some audiences might find it hard to stomach. 

It’s difficult to pair comedy with violence and it’s even more challenging to tell a good story. At the same time, you also need the audiences to root for your lead characters. Despite a last act which is surprisingly filled with all sorts of stomach-churning blood splat and wicked comedy, writer-director Macon Blair not only fulfilled all the above requirements with ease, the end results are actually ridiculously rewarding. For once, the subtle digs at the deteriorating modern American culture and society works flawlessly!

I Don’t Feel At Home In This World Anymore won the Grand Jury prize at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. It boasts great performances from indie darling Melanie Lynskey, Elijah Wood and a bunch of dedicated relatively unknown cast. Preferably, the less you know the more you are going to enjoy this quirky crime flick. 

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee