Genre: Action/Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Director: Adam Wingard
Cast: Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Dan Stevens, Kaylee Hottle, Alex Ferns, Fala Chen
Runtime: 1 hr 55 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Intense Sequences)
Released By: Warner Bros
Official Website:
Opening Day: 28 March 2024
Synopsis: The epic battle continues! Legendary Pictures’ cinematic Monsterverse follows up the explosive showdown of “Godzilla vs. Kong” with an all-new adventure that pits the almighty Kong and the fearsome Godzilla against a colossal undiscovered threat hidden within our world, challenging their very existence - and our own. “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” delves further into the histories of these Titans and their origins, as well as the mysteries of Skull Island and beyond, while uncovering the mythic battle that helped forge these extraordinary beings and tied them to humankind forever.
Movie Review:
Until the MonsterVerse franchise, Hollywood has had a spotty track record with both Godzilla and King Kong, so kudos to the architects at Legendary for not only breathing life into two iconic titans, but also bringing them together in a way that doesn’t feel entirely contrived. That credit also belongs to Adam Wingard, whose ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ nicely set up a mano-a-mano showdown between the titular creatures against a neon-trimmed Hong Kong – and thanks to that successful endeavour, Wingard is back at the helm of this sequel, which sees them team up against a pair of common enemies.
Truth be told, this is largely Kong’s story, who while on his quest to find others of his kind in Hollow Earth, stumbles upon a tyrant that has enslaved a whole tribe of great apes to do his evil bidding. The said tyrant’s power stems from a skeletal bone whip that looks like it was fashioned out of the spine of a sea serpent, and with which he uses to control a gigantoid creature that looks like an ice-age relative of Godzilla. No prizes for guessing the link between this chain of events in Hollow Earth and Godzilla’s restlessness up above, or for that matter, that both our titular heroes will eventually reunite in an epic showdown that begins in the depths of Hollow Earth and continues on Earth as we know it.
Even more than in its 2021 predecessor, ‘Godzilla x Kong’ lets the titans carry the movie, and therefore gives short shrift to its human characters. In fact, there are just four key ones here – namely, scientist Irene Andrews (Rebecca Hall), her adopted daughter Jia (Kaylee Hottle), conspiracy-chasing podcaster Bernie (Brian Tyree Henry), and veterinarian Trapper (Dan Stevens); of them, Trapper is the only new addition from the previous movie, the Ace Ventura-like adventurer no doubt intended as the sort of goofy-cool comic fodder that Wingard intends to complement the tone of the movie.
Indeed, it would be foolish to expect anything more than monster spectacle from ‘Godzilla x Kong’, not least with Wingard doubling down on that value proposition. Even before the title card pops, Kong rips a Wartdog into half and lets its innards dribble down its chin, while Godzilla uses his atomic heat beam to obliterate a Scylla before taking a nap in the Colosseum. And before we are even acquainted with the Skar King and Shimo, Kong and Godzilla will go head to head with a gigantic serpent monster and a Tiamat respectively. The best though is still the astounding finale – which unfolds in free-falling mayhem before ascending to the sun-kissed seaside city of Rio de Janeiro – and is nothing less than bright, thrilling and crowd-pleasing fun.
Oh yes, Wingard has made this for both sets of fans, and in either regard, he delivers splendidly. There is plenty of emotion in Kong’s quest to find more of his kind and a place to belong, which should please those who always had a soft spot for the sensitive big ape; likewise, the power struggle between Kong and the Skar King is beautifully rendered, and plays like a prelude to this summer’s ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’. On the other hand, Kaiju fans will cheer the Showa era influence, what with Godzilla turning pink after imbibing radiation from a nuclear power plant in France, as well as the nice extended cameo by Mothra.
To be sure though, there are also silly moments that make you wonder why none of the three writers (returning scribe Terry Rossio, joined by Simon Barrett and Jeremy Slate) had put in more effort – most notably, a whole subplot involving the purportedly extinct Iwi tribe that Jia belongs to is downright hokey, even with Fala Chen trying her very best to inject pathos with a wordless performance as the Iwi Queen. Wingard also sometimes overdoes the 80s vibe he intends to emulate, what with the use of pastel colours over mountain peaks, and synth-driven score coupled with Kiss music cues.
Still, no one ought to be expecting ‘Godzilla x Kong’ to be perfect, but for what you thought it would be, there is more than enough on display here to wow you. It makes no apologies leaning in on big, unabashed monster fun, and delivers ultimately with a chest-thumping, feet-stomping finish that will leave you with a big, wide grin on your face. Seeing as how Hollywood has struggled to do justice to both Godzilla and Kong, it is not only a relief but also a joy to see what the MonsterVerse has accomplished thus far. If it’s monster-on-monster destruction you’re here for, you’ll find this team-up both spectacle and spectacular.
Movie Rating:
(Big, unabashed monster fun, this team-up between two iconic titans is both spectacle and spectacular)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Action/Adventure
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Cast: Daisy Edgar Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos, Brandon Perea, Maura Tierney, Harry Hadden-Paton, Sasha Lane, Daryl McCormack, Kiernan Shipka, Nik Dodani, David Corenswet, Tunde Adebimpe, Katy O'Brian, Paul Scheer
Runtime: 2 hrs 3 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Intense Sequences)
Released By: Warner Bros
Official Website:
Opening Day: 18 July 2024
Synopsis: This summer, the epic studio disaster movie returns with an adrenaline-pumping, seat-gripping, big- screen thrill ride that puts you in direct contact with one of nature’s most wondrous—and destructive— forces.
Movie Review:
Nearly three decades after the mega-summer blockbuster that swept audiences away, most notably with the help of a flying cow, ‘Twisters’ aims to ride on the same weather phenomenon to deliver a similar dose of rip-roaring spectacle.
Not surprisingly, given the advances of modern-day CGI, the titular tornados featured here are an awe-inspiring sight to behold, whether they be rippling through an underpass, tearing up a nighttime rodeo or playing with chimneys of fire at a power station. But like its predecessor, ‘Twisters’ is ultimately a fun ride not only because of its dazzling visuals, but also because amidst the cataclysms, there is a whole lot of fun and heart within.
Kudos to executive producer Steven Spielberg, who no doubt had a commanding hand in steering this sequel, not just in its casting but also just as importantly in its choice of director. Seeing how much the fondness of the earlier movie was due to the pairing of Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt as an estranged couple, it would have imperative for ‘Twisters’ to ensure that it had the right leading couple, and in this respect, we dare say Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones have risen handsomely to the challenge.
Starting off as a bickering pair, with Edgar-Jones’ meteorologist Kate initially derisive of Powell’s preening cowboy Tyler, it probably comes as little surprise that both Tyler and Kate will come to discover a different side and even take a liking to each other, although the fact that the transformation is as winning as it is credit to the chemistry between the actors.
Just as interesting is how the plot, written by Mark L. Smith (of ‘The Revenant’) from a “story by” Joseph Kosinski (of ‘Top Gun: Maverick’), also introduces a third dimension to the Tyler-Kate relationship in Anthony Ramos’ Javi, who had survived a tragedy that claimed the lives of their fellow classmates five years ago while out on a science experiment during an EF-5 and is instrumental in coaxing Kate out of her New York desk job back into the field.
Suffice to say that just as Tyler isn’t who he seems at first glance, so too Javi and his serious-minded scientist friends may not be as altruistic as they claim to be. The Tyler-Kate-Javi dynamic is surprisingly engaging, and adds layers to a narrative that finds its pathos in the real cost to individuals, families and communities of such meteorological events.
It is also therefore befitting that Korean-American filmmaker Lee Isaac Chung, whose most recent film was the character-driven Oscar-nominated drama ‘Minari’, was chosen to direct this.
While an unlikely choice, Chung’s affection for the American Midwest, rooted in his own upbringing in rural Arkansas, makes the movie unexpectedly poignant; in particular, Chung would have known firsthand the devastating impact of the ubiquitous storms of the Midwest, and he grounds the movie not just in its Oklohama setting but also in its portrait of the peoples living through such calamities. We love the lived-in feel, and it is credit to Chung that Kate’s communes with the swaying wheat and bulbous clouds doesn’t come off contrived or even laughable.
So thanks to Powell, Edgar-Jones and even Ramos, as well as Chung’s assured hand, ‘Twisters’ delivers not only the spectacle you would expect from such a summer blockbuster, but the grace notes of a movie premised on weather-borne disaster. You’ll be terrified by its depiction of tornadoes, and perhaps even mesmerised by certain scientific nuggets (like the Fujiwhara effect; go Google it); you’ll be entertained by the wit between Powell and Edgar-Jones; and just as significantly, you’ll be moved by its portrayal of homes, lives and livelihoods lost due to such extreme weather events.
‘Twisters’ is ultimately a worthy standalone sequel that more than lives up to the legacy of its predecessor, and a perfect summer popcorn blockbuster in more ways than one.
Movie Rating:
(With its lived-in feel of the American Midwest, 'Twisters' is the rare summer blockbuster that delivers thrills, fun and pathos with its mix of spectacle, star chemistry and humanity)
Review by Gabriel Chong
SYNOPSIS: Inspired by the semi-autobiographical story of a teenager (Nico Parker) who, while caring for her brother along with her audacious mother (Laura Linney), strikes up an unlikely friendship with an eccentric activist (Woody Harrelson) who is protesting one of the most landmark medical cases of all time.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Perhaps owing to coincidence or stroke of luck, Woody Harrelson has the tendency to play an older, wiser man, dispensing nuggets of wisdom to insecure teenagers. Notably, opposite Hailee Steinfeld in Edge of Sixteenth and now Suncoast.
Juggling between school, teenager Doris (Nico Parker) has been taking care of her terminally-ill brother, Max for the past six years. The impending death of Max leads Doris and her mother, Kristine (Laura Linney) into checking into a hospice facility named Suncoast. While the death of Max is inevitable, it’s the tense relationship between mother and daughter that is the focal point of this drama.
Suncoast is a semi-biographical drama written and directed by Laura Chinn. The debut filmmaker wrote this story based on her own experiences with her late brother and her challenges in dealing with grief. Her intention is to make a sad, endearing movie yet funny at the same time liked Little Miss Sunshine and Juno.
Well, the end results speak for itself with Suncoast being more emotional and aching than outright ticklish. A lot of screen time is spent on the tempestuous relationship between Doris and her mother. Kristine spent so much worrying about Max that she literally forgot she has another child.
In likely a quiet protest against her overbearing mother, Doris starts to spend more time socialising in school and inviting her friends to her house for parties. It’s not like Doris is rebelling or turning wayward, she is simply starting to live her life as a “normal" high-school student.
Ironically, it’s always the appearance of Woody Harrelson that lights up the narrative. Playing the role of an eccentric activist who lost his loving wife, Harrelson channels the fun, grief of a man who went through the same path of loneliness and dispensing heartfelt advices to Doris. His role as a surrogate father to Doris is a delight to watch, pity the fact that this spiritual advisor only has limited screen time.
As the daughter of Thandiwe Newton, Nico Parker delivers a compelling performance alongside veterans, Harrelson and Linney. All in all, Suncoast is a serious, moving coming-of-age drama that talks equally on the topic of death and living.
MOVIE RATING:
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Drama
Director: Todd Haynes
Cast: Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, Charles Melton, Piper Curda, Jocelyn Shelfo, Cory Michael Smith
Runtime: 1 hr 58 mins
Rating: R21 (Sexual Scene and Some Nudity)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website:
Opening Day: 22 February 2024
Synopsis: Despite what began as a shocking affair, then 36-year old Gracie (Julianne Moore) and 13-year old Joe (Charles Melton) now lead a seemingly picture-perfect suburban life some 20 years later. Their domestic bliss is disrupted when Elizabeth (Natalie Portman), a famous actress, arrives in their tight-knit community to research her upcoming role as Gracie. As Elizabeth ingratiates herself into the everyday lives of Gracie and Joe, the uncomfortable facts of their scandal unfurl, causing long-dormant emotions to resurface. In May December, director Todd Haynes explores one of the great talents of the human species: our colossal refusal to look at ourselves.
Movie Review:
Fans of Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore rejoice: this is a rare treat where you get not one, but two powerhouse actresses in the same film. And the result is an acting masterclass that unfortunately did not get any love from the Academy members. Plus, the thought provoking themes explored in the story are complex yet sincerely expressed, making this a film you won’t be forgetting anytime soon.
Portman, who has been nominated (and won) countless awards for her memorable performances in titles like Closer (2004), Black Swan (2010) and Jackie (2016), plays Elizabeth, an actress who sets out to study the life of Gracie, a woman who was involved in a scandalous crime more than two decades ago. Gracie is portrayed by Moore, who has been recognised for her luminous work in films like Boogie Nights (1998), The End of the Affair (2000) and Still Alice (2015). What makes Gracie an interesting character is how she is married to a man 23 years younger than her.
Here's the catch – the abovementioned crime took place in 1992 and saw Gracie, who was 36 years old then, being caught having sex with Joe, a 13 year old teenager. She was subsequently sent to prison and gave birth to Joe’s child during her jail term. Fast forward to 2015, the couple have three children and living in the suburbs where things seem to be fine, although they still receive the occasional unpleasant parcel which contain excrement. While Joe (Charles Melton) looks like the eldest child of the family, he tries his best to play the father role. With Elizabeth showing up in Gracie and Joe’s lives, things are going to get uncomfortably messy.
The story by Samy Burch and Alex Mechanik (earning the film its only nomination in the Best Original Screenplay category at the 96th Academy Awards) is loosely inspired by a real life scandal where a 34 year old woman pleaded guilty in 1997 to two counts of felony second degree rape of a child, who was 12 years old when the incident happened. The film has taken creative liberties to dramatise the relationships between its three lead characters, and the dynamics are deliciously played out. Portman, Moore and Melton are excellent in their roles, with director Todd Haynes confidently and successfully navigating through difficult themes with ease.
Does Elizabeth really mean it when she says she want her upcoming film to shed some truth to Gracie and Joe’s lives, and what lengths will she go to in the name of art? Why is Gracie so welcoming to Elizabeth, and how does she manage her marriage with a much younger man who may not be emotionally mature enough to handle the hard truths in life? And how is Joe exactly coping with being a husband and a father, and will there ever be an opportunity for him to take another stab at life? Through a series of events and wickedly played out plot developments, these questions and more will rush through your head, making you ponder how human emotions are manipulated.
Movie Rating:
(The topics explored in this film may be less than pleasant, but director Todd Haynes handles them with wicked humour and ease, making the powerful performances from Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore and Charles Melton even more compelling)
Review by John Li
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Director: Mitesh Patel
Cast: Meredith Vancuyk, Joey Heyworth, Sean Dillingham, George Nelson
Runtime: 1 hr 41 mins
Rating: PG13 (Horror)
Released By: mm2 Entertainment
Official Website:
Opening Day: 22 February 2024
Synopsis: A young woman rents a house in America's largest ghost town, Jerome, Arizona for a business trip, but soon discovers that the house is cursed and traps any woman who enters it. The house transforms into a maze, making it impossible for the woman to escape. Will she be able to break the curse and escape the maze before it's too late? or will she become the next victim of the cursed house?
Movie Review:
There’s no other way to say it – ‘Woman in the Maze’ is absolutely awful.
Directed and cowritten by Mitesh Kumar Patel, the movie follows real estate agent Gabbi Reynolds (Meredith VanCuyk) who is sent to the town of Jerome, Arizona to check out a list of properties that local realtor Owen Bannister (Joey Heyworth) is offering. Gabbi books herself a stay at the Hannah House, which turns out to be the titular maze that she finds herself inadvertently trapped in.
What secrets does the House hold? Who is behind the opening and closing of hidden doors within the House, or for that matter, the random visions Gabbi has been having while she sleeps? Who are the spirits trying to warn Gabbi to leave the house? As intriguing as that might sound, especially seeing as how it is based on the real-life legends of Jerome, you’d probably lose interest after the first half hour – and let’s just say after sticking around for the rest of the movie, you’ll be wishing you did something else with the last hour of your life.
Clearly deluded that he could mount a character-driven horror, Patel takes half the movie to unleash the House’s true horrors on Gabbi. That wait though is an utter drag, as we wait with growing impatience watching a self-absorbed Gabbi reject a well-intentioned Owen who clearly had feelings for her from the get-go but makes a somewhat inexplicable decision to turn up unannounced at the House late one night to check on her – just in case you’re wondering though, as much as you hope for it to be so, the movie isn’t smart enough to involve Owen in the hauntings.
When it does get to unveiling the titular maze, the anti-climax is disappointing to the point of being infuriating. Is the maze really just Gabbi running repeatedly into a room she cannot escape from? Or a basement she somehow falls into to find a corpse and a flashback that is conveniently inserted to tell of the curse that lies upon the House? Or really just a random collection of scenes that have no coherence, including the sudden and laughable appearance of Gabbi’s replicant who tries to get out into the real world to replace the real Gabbi?
If the movie is so devoid of logic, there is hardly any reason it deserves respect for being spoiler-free. That the movie was made on a shoestring budget isn’t excuse for how lazy and unimaginative it is, throwing everything but the kitchen sink from the genre playbook into a disjointed mish-mash that insults the intelligence of its viewers. It isn’t just silly all right; it is downright offensive how the movie thinks it can get away with such hogwash. And much as we are sympathetic to VanCuyk for trying to hold the movie together, it is also difficult not to blame her for taking us for a ride.
We’re not sure why anyone who has seen it would have cared to give it a release, let alone a cinematic one, but here, ‘Woman in the Maze’ is getting a limited run that hopefully is as short-lived as possible. You’d do well to avoid getting into this maze at all, because far from being captivated, you’ll find yourself frustrated for no good reason. So leave the woman in the maze and save yourself – you’ll be doing yourself and everyone else involved in the making of this embarrassment a favour.
Movie Rating:
(Lazy, unimaginative and often incoherent, the horror here is not the titular maze, but how much of a mess this movie is)
Review by Gabriel Chong
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BOOK REVIEW #49: RED CARPET: HOLLYWOOD, CHINA AND THE GLOBAL BATTLE FOR CULTURAL SUPREMACY Book ReviewPosted on 21 Feb 2024 |
Genre: Drama/Comedy
Director: Kelvin Sng
Cast: Dawn Yeoh, Ryan Lian, Hugo Ng, Liu Ling Ling, Collin Chee, Mimi Chu, Asher Su, Gini Chang, Kimson Tan, Anita Chui, Moses Cheng, Das
Runtime: 1 hr 59 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Sexual References)
Released By: mm2 Entertainment
Official Website:
Opening Day: 22 February 2024
Synopsis: Nala is a newly divorced ex-wife of a second generation rich playboy, who learns to restart her life by returning to her humble beginnings at the hawker centre she grew up in: her family-run Bak Chor Mee stall. When the government decides to relocate all hawkers from the hawker centre to a newly set-up location, many, including Nala, are apprehensive. The situation is made worse when a multinational company organises the “King of Hawkers” competition, pitching their top chef against the hawkers to see who can come up with the best-tasting hawker cuisine, all in an attempt to ultimately buy over their recipes and businesses. Will Nala and her fellow hawkers emerge winners to retain their legacy? Or will their legacy take another form beyond what they perceive?
Movie Review:
Singapore’s hawker culture is something that we as locals are proud of. It is a vibrant and integral part of our culinary landscape, and walking into a hawker centre (note: not an air conditioned food court) will have you realise how much it reflects our diverse heritage and multicultural society. You may feel it’s a caricature, but this movie’s decision to put beloved dishes like the chilli crab, bak chor mee, satay, roti prata, bak kut teh and chicken rice in the spotlight is really the most straightforward and authentic way to show our shared love for good food.
With countless close up shots of the wide variety of dishes and flavours you can find in a hawker centre, it is almost guaranteed that you will get a positive reaction from audiences (this writer started craving for bak chor mee half an hour into the movie), so the next element the filmmakers need is a story. In this movie directed by local filmmaker Kelvin Sng (Taxi! Taxi!, The Fortune Handbook), the protagonist is Nala (Dawn Yeoh), a Singaporean woman who has been living in Hong Kong for many years. She finds out that her husband (Collin Chee) is having an affair, and decides to returns to Singapore with her daughter (Gini Chang). Back home, she finds herself in a quest to revive her mother’s (Liu Ling Ling) bak chor mee stall.
Of course, things wouldn’t be so simple. Nala meets many other characters in the hawker centre, including the owner of a chilli crab stall Ah Lau (Hugo Ng), who runs the business with his son (Asher Su) and grandson (Kimson Tan). There are other stall owners selling our favourite hawker food, and also Ah Dong (Ryan Lian), who has been tending to the bak chor mee stall since Nala’s mother was diagnosed with dementia. Drama ensues when a Hong Kong chef Gao Teng (Moses Cheng) shows up and challenges the hawkers to a cooking competition, and if our humble heroes lose the battle, the hawker centre will be bought over by a conglomerate.
While the story is what you’d expect from a TV series, the 119 minute movie manages to keep the pace going and have you rooting for the good guys right till the end. This isn’t the most original movie you’ve seen, with a number of over the top and melodramatic scenes that many local mainstream productions seem to be fond of. With scenes shot on location at Sims Vista Market & Food Centre, the sights and sounds of the movie are pleasantly familiar. The strongest performance comes from Ng as he goes about hurling abuses at his son and trying to preserve the integrity of his family owned stall. Yeoh is aptly cast as a young mother who is determined to save her mother’s stall, and in turn regain her trust.
The movie was probably made to coincide with the Lunar New Year season (we aren’t sure why it was only released towards the end of the 15 day celebration though), and you can expect a happy ending. At this juncture, you are reminded again that Singapore is multicultural society, with a festive celebration sequence backed up by rhythmic music performed by various ethnic instruments.
Movie Rating:
(Our shared love for hawker food comes through in this movie about the significance of Singapore's hawker culture)
Review by John Li
Genre: Comedy/Sci-Fi
Director: Marc Turtletaub
Cast: Ben Kingsley, Harriet Sansom Harris, Jane Curtin, Zoe Winters, Jade Quon
Runtime: 1 hr 27 mins
Rating: NC16 (Some Mature Content)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website:
Opening Day: 7 March 2024
Synopsis: Milton (Academy Award-winner Sir Ben Kingsley) is a small-town senior with a fading memory who leads a quiet life of routine in western Pennsylvania. He finds that an extraterrestrial spacecraft has crash landed in his backyard, destroying his bird bath and stranding its alien pilot. Milton invites the alien (Jade Quon) into his home, and the two—each one isolated in their own way—begin to develop a rapport. Soon Milton’s neighbors Sandy (Harriet Sansom Harris) and Joyce (Jane Curtin) discover the visitor whom they’ve nicknamed “Jules,” and together the trio conspire to keep Jules’ presence a secret from the town and from the government that is furiously searching for the mysterious craft.
Movie Review:
A sweet but slight fable that is better suited for home viewing than in the cinema, ‘Jules’ tells of how the sudden appearance of an alien whose spaceship crashes in his backyard changes the life of a 78-year-old retiree Milton (Ben Kingsley).
When we first meet him, Milton is in a bit of a funk. His routine hardly goes beyond turning up at the town council meetings, reiterating the need for more crosswalks or why the town’s motto should be “a great place to refer to as home” instead of “a great place to call home”. He brushes aside his daughter’s concern about his sporadic forgetfulness, though it is clear to us that he is suffering from early-onset dementia.
Milton’s life gets an unexpected lift with the arrival of a little gray man he names Jules. Emerging naked and injured from the spaceship, Jules rejects everything Milton offers except apples and water, and it is on this diet that Milton slowly nurses Jules back to health. Initially ignorant about how others would react to such an occurrence, Milton reports it to the town council, which thankfully dismisses it as a sign of his deteriorating mental state.
Jules’ predicament however doesn’t escape the attention of two of his neighbours, Sandy (Harriet Sansom Harris) and Judy (Jane Curtin) – and while the somewhat bitter Judy, who lives with an ancient cat and is constantly reminiscing of her glory days in Pittsburgh, threatens at first to divulge the alien to the authorities, she comes to enjoy the company that the trio forge with the creature.
Evidently made with a lot of heart and a lot less budget, director Marc Turteltaub keeps the story focused on the kinship forged amongst his elderly characters. To their credit, each of the actors inject his or her respective characters with plenty of dignity, even as they ultimately yearn for companionship in their twilight years. The empathy they inspire therefore is well-earned, especially as we feel how the isolation in their old age has made each of them cling to what little they have left.
Those hoping for some action will probably come off disappointed – notwithstanding the looming threat of being discovered by men in black from the National Security Centre, there is never any real danger or urgency to it, even when these agents finally catch up to Jules, in order to drive a logical conclusion to the proceedings. Like we said at the beginning, this is a sweet but slight fable, and it stays true to that description.
For that reason too, the movie will inevitably come off too inconsequential to be seen on the big screen. As one of its tagline says, ‘Jules’ is about the close encounters of the lonely kind, which explains its sentimental and folksy nature. Truth be told, we cannot deny that we had hoped that it were more, though we do feel a little guilty for saying that about a film this earnest and sincere; that said, if you don’t mind a bittersweet tale about aging and regret, then ‘Jules’ might just strike a heartfelt chord.
Movie Rating:
(Sweet but slight, this fable about aging and regret strikes a bittersweet but heartfelt chord)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Horror/Mystery
Director: Jang Jae-hyun
Cast: Choi Min-shik, Kim Go-eun, Yoo Hae-jin, Lee Do-hyun, Jeon Jin-ki
Runtime: 2 hr 13 mins
Rating: NC16 (Some Violence & Disturbing Scenes)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures
Official Website:
Opening Day: 14 March 2024
Synopsis: A wealthy family living in Los Angeles calls on a pair of young shaman, played by Kim Go-eun and Lee Do-hyun, to save their newborn child after they are visited by a series of paranormal events. The shaman duo senses that the dark shadow of an ancestor has latched on the family, a so-called ‘Grave’s Calling’. In order to exhume the grave and relieve the ancestor, they seek help from a leading geomancer, portrayed by Choi, and a mortician (portrayed by Yoo Hai-jin). To their dismay, the four find the grave at a shady location in a remote village in Korea. The exhumation is carried out, but unleashes a malevolent force buried beneath.
Movie Review:
On its surface, ‘Exhuma’ is about two shamans, Hwa-rim (Kim Go-eun) and Bong-gil (Lee Do-hyun), who in order to lift an ancestral curse surrounding the members of an enigmatic Korean household living in Los Angeles, employ a geomancer Sang-duk (Choi Min-sik) and a mortician Young-geun (Yoo Hai-jin) to relocate the grave of the family’s great-grandfather. Not surprisingly, things go awry – we won’t say what happens so as not to give away anything – and the said late relative escapes from the coffin to wreck havoc and vengeance upon his ungrateful descendants.
And indeed, over a tense first hour, writer-director Jang Jae-hyun establishes a vise-like grip over his audience as he lays out in three chapters the malevolence hanging over the remote mountain peak at which the grave sits, the odd tombstone that bears no name but only a number of coordinates, and the immediate and extended family whose reticence suggests a deeper, darker secret. Like all good horrors, most of it is implied – here, largely through the elements – although there is absolutely no doubt when the ancestor’s vengeful spirit is finally let loose.
It is absolutely fascinating to say the least. Jang pays careful attention in his depictions of the various rituals, not just Sang-duk’s exhumations but also Hwa-rim’s ‘daesal gut’ ceremony (in which a shaman performs an intoxicating dance with animal sacrifice to distract evil spirits); in particular, the details are intriguing to behold, like how Sang-duk tastes the dirt in a grave to determine the quality of the land or how Bong-gil tattoos scriptures on his body to ward off vile entities from possessing him. Especially for the uninitiated, it is spellbinding to witness how in today’s modern civilisations such traditionalism still prevails.
Part of the intrigue also comes from discovering our idiosyncratic quartet and their respective motivations. As seasoned as he is, Sang-duk proves to be an extremely cautious man, wary of the forces he can only seek to tame, but not control. On the other hand, though steeped in shamanism, Hwa-rim is driven by a strong capitalist instinct, and despite Sang-duk’s reservations, decides to press on with the exhumation. Bong-gil says little throughout the film, but we find out later on that his path to become a shaman is one of personal redemption. And last but not least, Young-geun is revealed to be a Christian by faith, and it is humbling to see him resort to prayer when confronted by evil.
You’ll do well to take note though that the narrative switches gears in the second half, and as much as we embraced Jang’s sleight of hand, we will say it is not hard to see why others may not. This much we will say – it isn’t about the family at the start anymore, or to a large extent, their great grand-father; rather, it delves into a specific period in Korean history when it was ruled by Japan, and an even more powerful evil force which had been preserved over the centuries. The link between the two inter-dependent but separate story arcs is clear as crystal, but it is quite a different supernatural entity that our quartet finds themselves up against.
We’d say too that, compared to the first hour, the second is a lot denser for many reasons. For one, not many would be familiar with the history of the Korean peninsula, and perhaps appreciate references like how ‘the fox broke the tiger’s waist’. For another, it goes much deeper into certain mythologies, in particular the five elements of ‘feng shui’ – namely, wood, fire, earth, metal and water – and how they work to reinforce or balance out one another. We have no doubt such references come across intuitively to Jang’s native home audience, but the rest of us not quite steeped in them will probably need to do some homework after to better understand the logic within.
As divisive as its third act may be, ‘Exhuma’ still remains a compelling horror thriller throughout, thanks to the conviction of its storytelling, direction and character work. Since his 2015 debut ‘The Priests’, Jang has demonstrated a gift for fashioning thrillers based on faith, religion and the supernatural, and ‘Exhuma’ sees Jang at his most ambitious and confident to date. Despite its slightly over two hour duration, there is never a dull moment within, in part because of a wry cast whose performances brim with understated charisma. Keep an open mind, and you will probably, like us, be pleasantly delighted at what secrets ‘Exhuma’ has hidden under its surface.
Movie Rating:
(Packed with intrigue, suspense and even sheer ominousness, this blend of the occult, supernatural and Korean history is a gripping watch from start to finish)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Drama/Musical
Director: Blitz Bazawule
Cast: Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, H.E.R., Halle Bailey, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Fantasia Barrino
Runtime: 2 hr 24 mins
Rating: M18 (Some Mature Content)
Released By: Warner Bros
Official Website: https://www.thecolorpurple.com.sg
Opening Day: 7 March 2024
Synopsis: A story of love and resilience based on the novel and the Broadway musical, The Color Purple is a decades-spanning tale of one woman’s journey to independence. Celie faces many hardships in her life, but ultimately finds extraordinary strength and hope in the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood.
Movie Review:
We think it’s pretty clear that this movie directed by Ghanaian filmmaker Blitz Bazawule was meant to be an Oscar bait. The musical film is based on the stage musical of the same name, which is based on a novel of the same name.
The novel by Alice Walker which won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction is a feminist work about an abused and uneducated African American woman's struggle for empowerment. Such themes often resonate with film award juries, and when you include big names like Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg and Quincy Jones (as producers), you’d think that the movie would get recognised in several categories.
Furthermore, the main lead is Fantasia Barrino who is set to impress audiences in her film debut. She is accompanied by Danielle Brooks in a supporting role. The two women reprise their roles from the productions of the stage musical, and you’d think they would be attending countless film awards and bringing home some trophies.
Alas, the 144 minute movie is only nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category at the 96th Academy Awards. Another notable point is how the previous film adaptation helmed by Spielberg in 1985 went home with no trophies despite being nominated in 11 categories at the 58th Academy Awards.
This makes us think about the business model like behind film awards, because this movie showcasing heartfelt performances from its ensemble cast is a sincere production that is thoughtful and enjoyable at the same time. The story’s protagonist is Celie, a poor African-American girl who lives in rural Georgia in the early 1900s. The film chronicles her difficult life through the years and how she struggles and survives the painful ordeals. Along the way, she meets different characters that make an impact in her life.
There is Mister, an abusive man she is forced to marry. There is Sofia, a defiant woman who marries Mister’s son Harpo. There is also Shug Avery, a showy jazz singer who leaves an impression wherever she goes. These characters are well cast and played competently. Taraji P. Henson exudes brilliance and star power as Shug, while Brooks steals the limelight in every scene she appears in. Colman Domingo is gruff and tough as Mister, while Corey Hawkins portrays the good natured Harpo. Elsewhere, singer H.E.R. shows up as Celie’s other friend Mary Agnes, while Halle Bailey plays a young version of Celie’s sister Nettie (adult Nettie is played by Ciara). This is a godsent cast.
The spotlight is naturally on Barrino, who sings her heart out as the adult Celie (the young version is played by Phylicia Pearl Mpasi). The American Idol winner shows emotional depth as a woman who goes through an incredible journey of adversities before triumphing by overcoming all odds. Her powerful vocals are the highlight of the movie, and you’ll be moved when tunes like “I’m Here” and “The Color Purple” play on screen. Put all your cynicism aside and this movie will have you celebrating the resilience of the human spirit.
Movie Rating:
(A good ol' musical film that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit, made even more enjoyable by the powerful performances of its competent ensemble cast)
Review by John Li
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