Genre: Thriller
Director: Francis Lawrence
Cast: Mark Hamill, Judy Greer, Ben Wang, Garrett Wareing, Charlie Plummer, David Jonsson, Cooper Hoffman
Runtime: 1 hr 48 mins
Rating: M18 (Coarse Language and Violence)
Released By: Encore Films
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 11 September 2025

Synopsis: In a dystopian United States ruled by a totalitarian regime, a group of young men enter an annual walking contest where they must walk at three miles per hour non-stop or be executed until only one of them is left alive.

Movie Review:

Francis Lawrence is no stranger to dystopian cinema, but those expecting ‘The Long Walk’ to be as spectacular as ‘The Hunger Games’ will probably come off sorely disappointed.

To be sure, that is of no fault of Lawrence, who does his best to fashion a feature-length adaptation from Stephen King’s very first book. For those keen to know, King wrote it when he was just 19 years old, although it wasn’t published until years later under his pseudonym Richard Bachman. And over the decades, there has been many attempts to bring it to screen – as well as good reason why George A. Romero, Frank Darabont, and André Øvredal have failed.

The premise is simple – and by and large, Lawrence and his screenwriter JT Mollner stay faithful to it. A horrific war had taken place close to 20 years ago, and the country had since been in a period of severe economic depression. In order to raise morale and counteract what is described as an “epidemic of laziness”, an annual ritual has been created. The rules are simple: gather 50 young men, one from each state and chosen by lottery, and have them walk at no less than three miles per hour, until only one of them stands. That person left stands to gain a financial windfall or the granting of a single wish.

The catch? Those who do not make it are given three warnings, before they are shot in the head. Except for a couple of flashbacks, the entire length of the movie is concentrated on the titular walk, which lasts for days and hundreds of miles. There are incidents along the way all right, and Lawrence’s achievement is capturing the humanity of the story with a character-driven approach.

The lead – and whom you probably can guess will make it almost to the very end – is Ray (Cooper Hoffman, son of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, whom Lawrence had directed in several instalments of ‘The Hunger Games’). Only towards the later half of the movie are we told of Ray’s agenda, and his personal motivation for trying to make it to the finish line, which, without giving anything away for those not familiar with the source material, is not because of the riches.

Ray’s companions comprise of the oddly cheerful Pete (David Jonsson), the wisecracking Hank (Ben Wang), the optimist Art (Tut Nyuot), and the scary wild card Barkovitch (Charlie Plummer). Not surprisingly, the movie’s moral centre is the warm friendship between Ray and Pete, with the duo encouraging, supporting and uplifting each other along the way. Ultimately, how much you enjoy the movie rests on how much you embrace their friendship, because probably close to half the time is spent in conversations about life and death as well as finding hope, meaning and purpose in their otherwise miserable existence.

Some might wonder about the violence within – suffice to say that the initial shots to the head are startling in their savagery, but it gets increasingly numb and mundane thereafter. Don’t get us wrong: we are not advocating for Lawrence to have taken a sensationalistic approach to the material, but it is the nature of the material that Lawrence is beholden to, and which undeniably can get dreary over the course of the movie.

With the emphasis on the young men chosen for the walk, there is also arguably little emphasis on The Major (a nearly unrecognisable Mark Hamill), who oversees the walk from his jeep with his aviator sunglasses, delivering a series of profanity-laden pep talks. There is a nice mid-film sequence where the participants enter into a spirited chant of ‘Fuck The Long Walk’, but otherwise like we said, it does get repetitive.

We will add that the finale does rewrite the book’s ending, but we suspect not even that can defy the weariness of the entire exercise. Like we said, the fault isn’t Lawrence, who to his credit, tries valiantly to bring the material to the big screen; rather, there is good reason why others have tried and given up. What is the purpose of the walk? Is there a larger message about the politics of today? Why is the Midwest they trudge along so static? These are questions that make ‘The Long Walk’ unsatisfying despite Lawrence’s cinematic efforts, and what we think will leave you exhausted than energised at the end of it.

Movie Rating:

(As valiant as this effort may be to bring Stephen King's book to the screen, it remains an enervating watch that saps rather than zaps life into yet another version of dystopian America)

Review by Gabriel Chong

SYNOPSIS: She can get away from anything. Except him.

MOVIE REVIEW:

Eenie Meanie is the nickname of our protagonist, Edie (Samara Weaving), given to her by crime boss Nico (Andy Garcia). On paper, it sounds like a stylish heist flick with a dash of dark comedy. In reality, it ends up cold, frustrating, and yet another lifeless streaming release.

Despite trying to leave her shady past behind, Edie is roped into serving as the getaway driver for a casino heist by her hapless ex-boyfriend, John (Karl Glusman), who has run afoul of Nico. Hoping this will be her final crime spree especially since she’s pregnant with John’s child—Edie reluctantly agrees. But things quickly spiral when their old rival Perm (Marshawn Lynch) muscles into the plan.

The film starts off strong. We see how Edie began her “getaway” career at just 14, followed years later by a hilariously outrageous sequence where a butt-naked John flees his enemies while Edie saves the day from behind the wheel. The tone in these early scenes is wild, funny, and fueled by a frenetic old-school car chase.

But writer-director Shawn Simmons derails his own momentum by introducing too many characters into the mix. Jermaine Fowler turns up as a so-called “Chaperone” for the heist. Lynch’s Perm inexplicably becomes the main antagonist instead of Nico. Steve Zahn, wasted as Edie’s father, barely registers, while Randall Park delivers a standout cameo. Unfortunately, Simmons neither has the sharpness to pull off an Ocean’s Eleven-style caper nor the resources to mount a bombastic Fast & Furious spectacle.

What’s left is a directionless crime caper. The final act delivers some thrillingly staged chase sequences, with Edie evading both cops and Perm, but even the kinetic action can’t save the film. An awkwardly placed “epiphany” Edie has about John feels forced and tonally inconsistent, draining what little momentum is left.

Samara Weaving, to her credit, elevates the material. She’s convincing and magnetic despite the script’s flaws, standing out as the film’s only real strength. Glusman is serviceable as the useless ex, while Garcia coasts through for an easy paycheck.

If you’re in the mood for a heist film about a getaway driver, skip Eenie Meanie and revisit Baby Driver instead. This one’s destined to be forgotten—another pulpy, disposable streaming title.

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee

straightforward

SYNOPSIS: Four irrepressible retirees spend their time solving cold case murders for fun, but their causal sleuthing takes a thrilling turn when they find themselves with a real whodunit on their hands. Based on Richard Osman’s bestselling novel. 

MOVIE REVIEW:

When one of the characters in The Thursday Murder Club mutters, “Uh, just be patient,” he isn’t far from the truth.

Directed by Chris Columbus (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Mrs Doubtfire) and produced by Steven Spielberg, The Thursday Murder Club is a British whodunit that boasts perhaps the finest ensemble of Hollywood “retirees” ever assembled. With Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan and Ben Kingsley leading the cast, you’d expect a murder mystery compelling enough to draw such talent and you’d be right.

Adapted from Richard Osman’s best-selling novel, the story takes place in Coopers Chase, a seemingly ordinary retirement home. Hardly the typical setting for a murder mystery. But here, four eccentric residents—Elizabeth (Mirren), Ron (Brosnan), Ibrahim (Kingsley), and newcomer Joyce (Celia Imrie), a former nurse form a club dedicated to solving cold cases. Don’t worry too much about how or why this club began; the film dives straight into their latest investigation: the decades-old unsolved murder of Angela Hughes, dating back to 1973.

Trouble soon arrives closer to home when Tony (Geoff Bell), one of Coopers Chase’s co-owners, is found dead after his partner Ian (David Tennant) announces plans to sell the land for new apartments. Naturally, suspicion falls on Ian. But, as with any good mystery, the truth is never so simple. Elizabeth and her team join forces with rookie police officers Donna (Naomi Ackie) and Chris (Daniel Mays) to untangle the web of clues.

The Thursday Murder Club feels like an old-school mystery in the spirit of Agatha Christie. Its closest modern comparison might be the witty Only Murders in the Building rather than big-budget Christie adaptations like Murder on the Orient Express or Death on the Nile. There are no flashy visuals or CGI distractions here, just straight-forward storytelling and seasoned performances.   

Mirren is the undeniable star, bringing both charm and enigma to Elizabeth, whose mysterious background hints at ties to MI6. Brosnan adds some much-needed humor, while Kingsley and Imrie hold their own amidst the lively proceedings. Supporting appearances from Jonathan Pryce and Richard E. Grant, though brief, are delightful.

Columbus approaches the adaptation with the same warm sensibilities similar to The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel with the exception of a murder mystery twist. The pacing is leisurely, sometimes too leisurely. The investigation is engaging but rarely mind-bending, and the film avoids action or violence altogether. In fact, the most “explosive” moment is Elizabeth maneuvering her Aston Martin through a chaotic cobblestone street.

Ultimately, The Thursday Murder Club won’t appeal to everyone. Younger audiences especially may find its slow-burn pacing trying, as the story doesn’t truly take off until about half an hour in. Still, for fans of cozy mysteries and sharp performances, it’s a charming watch. With at least four more books in the series, here’s hoping Columbus and Netflix keep the franchise going before Mirren and company grow too old to chase murderers.

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee

SYNOPSIS: Devastated by the death of her son, a mother begs a mysterious woman to summon his soul into a doll but something far more sinister may have returned.   

MOVIE REVIEW:

Danny Pang, one half of the Pang Brothers who once terrified audiences with the now-classic horror The Eye, returns to the genre that made his name though not with the same success.

In this direct-to-streaming horror flick, TVB actress Venus Wong (daughter-in-law of Eric Tsang and wife of filmmaker Derek Tsang) plays Xue Ting, a grieving mother who loses her young son (Lokman Leung) to a illness. Instead of seeking psychiatric help to cope with her loss, Ting turns to a one-eyed medium, Aunt Mui (veteran actress Helena Law Lan), who gives her a rag doll said to be possessed by her son’s spirit. Ting accepts it against the wishes of her skeptical husband, Ho Wah (Eddie Cheung).

Much like adopting the cuddly Gizmo from Gremlins, the doll comes with a single ominous warning: “Never damage the doll.” Predictably, once it enters the household, eerie happenings ensue or at least, they should. At a lean 85 minutes, the film feels more lifeless than chilling.

As often with the Pang Brothers, the concept is stronger than the execution. Reborn aka Deadly Doll, a remake of Pang’s own little-known Reborn (2022), suffers from a total lack of suspense and genuine scares. The result feels less like a professional production and more like a middling student project.

Rather than embracing a straightforward horror setup, Pang tries to inject psychological ambiguity into the narrative. Is Xue Ting merely hallucinating her son’s presence? Or is it truly his spirit roaming the home? Unfortunately, Pang is no Mike Flanagan whose adaptations of Stephen King’s works skillfully balance grief and terror. Here, the heavy use of flashbacks and backstory undermines rather than enriches the story, and the supposed twist ending lands with a thud, more lazy than revelatory.

To their credit, the cast do what they can. Wong delivers a believable performance as a mother consumed by grief, Cheung does his best as the weary husband and the 90-year-old Law Lan continues to lean on her horror icon status. But even their efforts cannot rescue this sinking ship.

The truth is, Danny Pang's career has been in free fall for years, and films like Death Stranding and now Deadly Doll only cement his recline. At least The Eye remains a watchable relic of their legacy unlike this pointless exercise. And no, despite the original title, this is nowhere near a “Chinese Annabelle.”

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee

Genre: Action/Crime
Director: Juno Mak
Cast: Takeshi Kaneshiro, Sean Lau, Tony Leung Ka Fai, Louis Koo, Gao Yuan Yuan, Alex To, Nina Paw, Wilson Lam, Lowell Lo, Jiang Pei Yao, Michelle Wai, Kam Kwok Leung, Lo Hoi Pang, Lau Wing, Carl Ng, Lloyd Hutchinson
Runtime: 2 hr 12 mins
Rating: NC16 (Some Violence and Nudity)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 9 October 2025

Synopsis: In a snow-blanketed Hong Kong that echoes the dystopian qualities of Gotham City, a turbulent chain of events begins. Among the dead is a powerful businessman. Although his family's empire spans various industries, he remains the hidden leader of a notorious drug cartel, secretly detained in the hospital where the chaos unfolds. With law enforcement in disarray and rival factions vying for dominance, the youngest son becomes embroiled in a conflict where he is determined to dismantle his family's criminal legacy. However, his mission is jeopardized by his fugitive older brother and the ruthless lieutenants loyal to their deceased father, each manoeuvring to seize control...

Movie Review:

COMING SOON

Movie Rating:

SYNOPSIS: Written and directed by Iraq War veteran Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland (Civil War, 28 Days Later), Warfare embeds audiences with a platoon of American Navy SEALs in the home of an Iraqi family, overwatching the movement of US forces through insurgent territory. A visceral, boots-on-the-ground story of modern warfare, told like never before: in real time and based on the memory of the people who lived it.

MOVIE REVIEW:

Warfare drops audiences straight into the chaos. There are no setups, no backstories, no character arcs not even a prologue. From the first frame, we’re thrust alongside a platoon of young Navy SEALs occupying a civilian home in Al Qaeda-controlled Ramadi, Iraq, where they spy on insurgents across the street. But things quickly spiral out of control as the soldiers find themselves surrounded and hunted.

For a brisk 96-minute runtime, the opening stretch feels deceptively quiet. For the first half-hour, the soldiers linger inside the stifling house, fiddling with radios while two men take turns watching the enemy through a sniper scope. Yet an undercurrent of dread lingers. Sooner or later, disaster is inevitable.

Co-directed by Alex Garland (Civil War, Ex Machina) and former Navy SEAL Rey Mendoza, Warfare is built on the memories of an actual SEAL team something proudly declared in the opening credits. Unlike modern war films such as Black Hawk Down or The Hurt Locker, this is storytelling stripped to the bone: no political stance, no sentimental brotherhood speeches just a brutal, claustrophobic survival tale.

For military enthusiasts, the technical details and jargon are a treat. The film spares no effort in replicating the mission with authenticity. Once the first shot is fired, the tension never relents. The immersive sound design and stark cinematography make you feel pinned down, unsettled and on edge as bullets and explosions tear frighteningly close.

The ensemble cast is strong without relying on marquee names. Will Poulter (The Maze Runner) leads as the squad commander, joined by Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things), Charles Melton (May December), Michael Gandolfini (Daredevil: Born Again), and Noah Centineo (Black Adam), among others. The lack of A-list stars works in the film’s favor, keeping attention firmly on the mission’s realism rather than celebrity distractions.

At its core, Warfare is a lean, unflinching war thriller that confronts the brutality and psychological toll of combat. These are young men fighting for country and conviction but the fate awaiting them may not be the one they hoped for. And that’s what lingers long after the credits roll.

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee

SYNOPSIS: When Simon (Jack Quaid) thinks he witnesses an abduction and the police refuse to believe him, he reluctantly turns to his next-door neighbor Ed (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) - a bitter, retired security guard - to help him find the missing woman.

MOVIE REVIEW:

Jack Quaid may be a “nepo baby,” but he’s hardly coasting on his family name. In Neighbourhood Watch, he takes on the demanding role of Simon, a young man living with schizophrenia who claims to have witnessed a woman’s abduction.

But is Simon truly seeing what happened, or is it another manifestation of his illness? The voice in his head insists it’s all a delusion, while the audience is left to wonder though, of course, without a real mystery, there wouldn’t be a story.

Convinced he needs backup, Simon turns to his neighbour Ed (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), an overzealous retired security guard whom he views as an authority figure. What follows is a trail of leads, missteps and frantic chases that ultimately forge an unlikely but heartfelt friendship between the two men.

Neighbourhood Watch is less about its crime plot than it is about the chemistry of its leads, and fortunately, Quaid and Morgan deliver in spades. Their dynamic anchors the film, elevating it beyond a standard indie mystery drama.

Morgan’s Ed is eccentric, even a little unsettling at first. We never fully understand why he continues to linger around the campus long after his employment ended. Initially, he’s wary of Simon but as the story unfolds, Ed morphs into something like an unofficial therapist, grounding Simon when his schizophrenia threatens to overwhelm him. Simon, in turn, finds in Ed a connection strong enough to keep him from spiraling completely out of control.

Director Duncan Skiles and writer Sean Farley weave in quirky humor, injecting a “mismatched buddy cop” energy into the proceedings. Still, the central crime storyline feels undercooked, lacking the intrigue and tension to make it truly gripping.

At the end of the day, it’s the performances that matter most. Quaid and Morgan shine, their oddball rapport overshadowing the film’s flimsy mystery. Neighbourhood Watch may not be a powerhouse thriller, but thanks to its leads, it’s an enjoyable if uneven ride.

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee

SYNOPSIS: Jill Leung’s captivating debut, Last Song For You, is a soulful, time-bending ode to lost love, shared memories, and music’s healing power. Spanning Hong Kong and Japan, and evoking the nostalgic spirit of 1990s Hong Kong cinema, this supernatural romance stars Cantopop legend Ekin Cheng as faded pop star So Sing Wah, who reluctantly travels to Japan with Summer (Natalie Hsu), the daughter of his high school crush, to scatter her mother’s ashes. Unwittingly, their journey transcends distance and time itself. Through flashbacks featuring rising star Ian Chan (Mirror), youthful dreams and passions are revived in this swooningly lyrical heartbreaker about second chances, bittersweet longing, and timeless resonance.

MOVIE REVIEW:

Ekin Cheng, best known for his iconic roles in the Young and Dangerous franchise, Storm Riders and A Man Called Hero, has kept a relatively low profile in recent years. Yet with his trademark wavy, shoulder-length hair and effortless charm, he remains a magnetic presence in the romantic drama Last Song for You.

Cheng plays So Sing-wah, a washed-up Cantopop singer-songwriter who nearly dies from an overdose in the film’s opening scene. Creatively bankrupt, perpetually drunk and unable to deliver a new song for his client, So drifts aimlessly through life until Summer (Natalie Hsu), the daughter of his former muse, approaches him with a request. She asks him to accompany her on a trip to Japan to scatter her late mother’s ashes. Reluctantly, So agrees, only to uncover truths about Summer and her mother, Ha Man-huen (Cecilia Choi), that he never knew.

Written and directed by veteran screenwriter Jill Leung (Paradox, Ip Man 3), Last Song for You might just be the most romantic Hong Kong drama in decades. In tone and texture, it feels closer to a Korean or Taiwanese romance. Shot partly in Shikoku, Japan and on Hong Kong’s Cheung Chau island, the film’s visuals are soft, dreamlike, and almost ethereal thanks to Oliver Lau’s lush cinematography (Mama’s Affair, We Are Family).

Adding to this dreamlike quality is a subtle “magical” twist reminiscent of Jay Chou’s Secret or even The Lake House. Leung toys with the notion that So’s interactions with Summer may be figments of his fragile imagination. Yet the film flows so naturally between past and present that viewers are swept up in his emotional journey.

Ian Chan, a member of HK pop group MIRROR, plays the younger So, capturing the character’s early days as a songwriter. His story intertwines with Ha’s, who once tried to confess her love for him only for So to leave Hong Kong with his mother. A classic case of love missed by circumstance.

But Last Song for You is not merely about regret or midlife despair. Its heart lies in the question of “What if?” What if we had the chance to relive the past? What if it could teach us something about the present? While skeptics may dismiss the premise as sentimental fantasy, there is an undeniable poignancy in its message about love, memory, and second chances.

Performance-wise, Cheng delivers a subdued yet affecting turn as So, reminding audiences why he was once the face of an entire generation of Hong Kong cinema. Natalie Hsu (daughter of 80s actress Ann Bridgewater) brings both charm and emotional depth to Summer, while Ian Chan, though a bit stiff in parts, impresses in several musical sequences. Longtime Cheng collaborator Chan Kwong-wing provides a moving score and theme song that elevates the film’s emotional core.

Those expecting a straightforward time-travel romance may miss the point. While the film suffers from occasional pacing and tonal issues, Last Song for You ultimately succeeds as a tender, heartfelt drama—one that lingers well after the credits roll.

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee

Genre: Action/Drama
Director: Ronald Cheng, Mark Wu
Cast: Ronald Cheng, Chrissie Chau, Philip Keung, Jiang Chao, Fu Shun Ying
Runtime: 1 hr 36 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Violence and Sexual References)
Released By: Golden Village
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 18 September 2025

Synopsis: Single father Lung (starring Ronald Cheng) and his daughter – Ying (starring Fu Shun Ying) are each other’s only dependence. Despite the huge debt left by his ex-wife, Lung believes in good karma, until Ying wad kidnapped while they were travelling in Thailand. Lung abandons his faith. He marries a Thai Chinese – Lan (starring Chrissie Chau) and stars a new life in Thailand, but he never leaves the past behind. All these years, he has been gathering information of the kidnap syndicate and vow take justice in his own hands at any cost.

Movie Review:

At times poignant, perplexing and shamelessly exploitative, ‘Atonement’ is a tonally uneven drama that could benefit from a stronger director at the helm.

The draw here is Ronald Cheng playing against type as a vengeful father Lung, who is determined to hunt down the kidnappers who had taken his young daughter Ying. As the opening scene of Lung dragging one of the kidnappers bruised and battered down a busy road establishes, Lung is not afraid of breaking the law and getting caught for it, especially since landing in a maximum security prison is part of his plan.

Co-written by Mark Wu and Lam Fung, ‘Atonement’ spins a familiar but nonetheless compelling story that starts with a somewhat guileless Lung three years ago making the best of his circumstances with Ying in Thailand, after his wife had abandoned them both and left them saddled with a mountain of debt. Ying gets into harm’s way after Lung intervenes to stop a bunch of kidnappers from snatching away a child and the baddies end up snatching his daughter instead.

In somewhat truncated fashion, the movie fast-forwards from scenes of him desperately giving out flyers of Yung’s picture to a buffed-up Lung sporting a buzz cut now married to a fellow Hong Kong immigrant Lan (Chrissie Chau). Lung and Lan share a tender marital relationship, the former in particular acting as protector against a lecherous local cop’s occasional sexual advances on Lan, with both husband and wife united as broken individuals with their respective baggage of difficult circumstances.

To their credit, Cheng and Chau carry this second act of the movie beautifully, and you’d be won over by their little gestures that demonstrate their affection for each other. It is deliberate that we are only told how they met and why they got together much later on, and even though it instantly makes Lung a much less likeable character than some would have liked, the late twist also adds interesting colour and shade to what would otherwise be a rote avenging figure.

Those looking to see Cheng go completely berserk will have to wait until the third act, which sees Lung get his chance to confront the mastermind of the kidnapping gang responsible for Ying’s disappearance. Lung finds a friend in fellow prisoner Dan (Philip Keung), who not only serves as his voice of caution but also a voice of reason, not least because Lung feels no compunction unleashing the full extent of his wrath confronting the obnoxious Mad Dog and his clique.

As much as it does allow Cheng to showcase the physical preparation he had to go through for the role, the finale is a odd and ultimately unnecessary detour into gratuitous violence. Ironically, it is seeing Lung totally lose it that we also come closest to losing the sympathy Cheng had accumulated over the course of the movie for his character, and we wonder how a more skilful director would have handled Lung's inevitable brinksmanship before his eventual redemption.

And in that regard, Cheng as well as his co-director Mark Wu come off woefully out of their depth. There is a good story here, as well as a compelling message centred on how moving forward with life requires one to let go of the past, however painful or difficult it may be; but the execution leaves much to be desired. Not only is it tonally uneven, the movie feels disjointed shifting gears from one act to another.

Thankfully, Cheng proves a better actor than he is a director, and even though this is a deliberate attempt to play against type (and possibly establish himself as a serious actor to shed his usual comedic persona), the do-over is surprisingly effective. Cheng also has good chemistry with Chau, and a nice bromance with Keung who shines in a small but critical supporting part. These strengths do not entirely atone the many weaknesses we described, but they do make ‘Atonement’ better in parts than in sum.

On a final note, it has taken 8 years for this effort to make its way to the big screen, and even though flawed, we’re glad it has finally seen the light of day. It won’t be the career-changing movie Cheng probably intended it to be, but Cheng’s performance anchors the movie and makes it an engaging watch for most of the time. As long as you keep your expectations in check, you might find this a sufficiently cathartic watch about healing and forgiveness.

Movie Rating:

(Deliberately playing against type, Ronald Cheng anchors a tonally uneven but nonetheless engaging watch about the importance of letting go of vengeance to find salvation)

Review by Gabriel Chong

SYNOPSIS: In the psychological thriller directed by Lorcan Finnegan, a man returns to the idyllic beach of his childhood to surf with his son. But his desire to hit the waves is thwarted by a group of locals whose mantra is “don’t live here, don’t surf here.” Humiliated and angry, the man is drawn into a conflict that keeps rising in concert with the punishing heat of the summer and pushes him to his breaking point. 

MOVIE REVIEW:

The premise of The Surfer might sound deceptively simple. A man, known only as “the surfer,” hopes to spend an idyllic day riding the waves with his teenage son at Luna Bay. His plans, however, are derailed by a gang of hostile locals led by Scotty “Scally” Callahan (the late Julian McMahon) the only character in the entire film with a proper name.

But then you realize Nicolas Cage is playing the surfer, and you know this isn’t going to be an ordinary movie.

Famous for his manic, unhinged screen presence, Cage plays a man on the verge of finalizing a deal for his childhood home. Driving a flashy Lexus, he brings his son to admire the ocean where he once surfed. But the day quickly unravels as he’s harassed by thuggish locals and an equally corrupt cop.

In a typical Liam Neeson film, the protagonist would fight back and beat the living daylights out of everyone. In The Surfer, however, Cage’s character spirals into madness. Bullied to the edge of sanity, he refuses to leave the beach’s car park despite every reason to do so. Instead of retreating to the comfort of a Hilton or Four Seasons while waiting for his finances to clear, he chooses to endure the blistering Australian sun with his surfboard, car, phone and watch stolen. At one point, he even tries to swallow a dead rat.

That grotesque moment might well be the most memorable and morbid scene of this nearly two-hour film.

Irish director Lorcan Finnegan (Vivarium) knows how to exploit both Cage’s volatility and Australia’s unsettling wildlife. Much of the movie is punctuated by crawling, slithering creatures. But are they real, or hallucinations born of the surfer’s unraveling mind? Is this descent into chaos a nightmare playing out in his head?

Unfortunately, while Finnegan indulges in Cage’s theatrics and eerie cutaways, the late Julian McMahon is left underused. His Scotty Callahan, an influential community figure and self-styled beach cult leader, could have been the core of a far richer narrative. He embodies toxic masculinity in a way that screams for exploration yet his screen time feels frustratingly limited.

Another underdeveloped thread involves the beach bum (Nic Cassim), a grieving father who blames Callahan for his son’s death. The character disappears for much of the film, only to re-emerge with sudden significance in the final act.

Though billed as a psychological thriller, The Surfer will likely test the patience of mainstream audiences, who may find it more punishing than compelling. Cage, as always, is magnetic if you appreciate his brand of chaos, but beyond that, the film veers toward the artsy and the obscure. In the end, the rat—puppet or not—deserves just as much credit as anyone else on screen.

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee