Best Singaporean movies

Follow three professional video game players as they overcome personal adversity, family pressures, and the realities of life to compete in a $1,000,000 tournament that could change their lives forever.

In 1992, teenager Sandi Tan shot Singapore's first indie road movie with her enigmatic American mentor Georges – who then vanished with all the footage. Twenty years later, the 16mm film is recovered, sending Tan, now a novelist in Los Angeles, on a personal odyssey in search of Georges' vanishing footprints.

During the late 1990s, a busy working-class Singaporean couple hires a Filipino woman as a maid and nanny to their young son.

Masato is a young ramen chef in Japan. When he finds his late mother's journal after the sudden death of his emotionally distant father, he takes it with him to her native country, Singapore, hoping to piece together the story of his family and his life.

In cold wintry Yanji, a city on China's northern border, young urbanite Haofeng, visiting from Shanghai, feels lost and adrift. By chance, he goes on a tour led by Nana, a charming tour guide who instantly fascinates him. She introduces him to Xiao, a personable but frustrated restaurant worker. The three bond quickly over a drunken weekend. Confronting their individual traumas, their frozen desires slowly thaw as they seek to liberate themselves from an icy world.

Coral Reef Adventure follows the real-life expedition of ocean explorers and underwater filmmakers Howard and Michele Hall. Using large-format cameras, the Halls guide us to the islands and sun-drenched waters of the South Pacific to document the health and beauty of coral reefs. Featuring songs written and recorded by Crosby, Stills & Nash.

A cop in Singapore investigates the disappearance of a Chinese migrant construction worker who spent sleepless nights playing a mysterious video game.

An aspiring violinist and a professional translator live parallel lives and appear to be perfect for each other, but somehow fate seems to keep them apart. Living in different units of the same apartment building, they never meet, because when they leave, one turns left, and one turns right.

An army recruit was found dead during a 24km road march. After the death of the recruit, strange things started to happen, haunting all the soldiers in the barracks.

A privileged and impulsive young man attempts to escape mandatory service in his nation's army so he could study abroad with his girlfriend.

A series of intertwining tales involve "pleasure seekers and pleasure providers" during the course of one night in Geylang, Singapore's red-light district. There are three distinct stories, united only by the presence of characters from all the stories in a streetside eatery:

After realising his foolishness in malingering, Ken returns to Tekong to continue his Basic Military Training, and reforms himself as a model recruit. However, this draws dislike and mockery from his section mates, led by the street-smart Lobang.

Three tales of love wrap around the true story of a blind and deaf woman named Theresa Chan. In the first an elderly shopkeeper is devoted to his sick wife. In the second, two teenage girls become soul mates and lovers. In the third a chubby security guard tries to find the courage to woo a beautiful woman who works in his building.

The Authority presents its first ever fashion film: a journey of discovery through Jeju Island, and ultimately love.

Five troubled teens, abandoned by society and family, form a bond in a world of violence, drugs, and self-destruction, facing harsh realities of modern Singapore.

UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. The Korean Zombie (also known as UFC on ESPN+ 83) is a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on August 26, 2023, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore.

A widow obsessed with Korean soap operas travels abroad for the first time in her life and finds more than she bargained for in Seoul.

In an alternate timeline, Ken, Lobang and Wayang King are transferred to the Naval Diving Unit (NDU) and have to overcome obstacles and personal issues to grow as people.

Merlion sells rojak at a local hawker center. All his life confused by his mixed identity of fish and lion, he seeks to find an answer within himself.

After his cancer diagnosis, an old man is given six months to live. His granddaughter’s camera gently captures his sense of belonging in China — the place he left behind but never forgot — and the story of his family in Singapore.

Marred with her delinquent past, 'Lin' hopes to turn over a new leaf as she graduates from a juvenile rehabilitation centre with stellar scores in the national exam. However, it seems that her streak of unfortunate circumstances trails behind like a spectre lurking in her shadows.

A movie based on a series of school based videos from Singaporean YouTuber, JianHao Tan. The series started with simple school themed videos that later became the Class T1T5 series with a continuing storyline.

Dai Hung is the head chef of Ah Yong Cafe who is unable to get along with the owner's daughter, Rosemary. When trouble starts brewing at their workplace, Dai Hung and Rosemary have to set their differences aside to save the cafe.

This documentary follows four people living with Harlequin ichthyosis, a rare genetic skin disorder, in Singapore, Hong Kong and Vietnam.

Based on a true story, "Pid pokati mai" is a reflection on human life during the Covid-19 pandemic and, also, under the Emergency Decree. "Pid pokati mai" follows many characters from different scenarios who share the same awkward situation.

Zhao Di takes over her family farm with the help of Ah Long after the 1969 floods. After the government started reclaiming land for development in 1977, licensed owners like Zhao Di are compensated but her brother accuses her of having an affair with Ah Long to get the money for himself. Meanwhile, Osman does not approve of his son playing in a rock band as he fears the negative influence, causing his son to run away from home. As for Ah Hee and Rani, they decide to get married but their traditional parents are against it.

In January of 2010, a group of local filmmakers began exploring the famously haunted Old Changi Hospital in Singapore with terrifying and tragic results. This movie pieces together the original Haunted Changi film crew's footage to tell the full story.

In the near future in the Asian city-state Sintawan, everyone's identity is recorded in the vast CyberLink. The only way around this is using illegal simulated identity implants (sims). A young bounty hunter who makes her living tracking sims, finds herself the unlikely ally of a police detective who suspects the CyberLink is being perverted for an insidious and deadly purpose.

Sarah, raised in New York, visits Malaysia for the first time and learns why her grandfather, Gen, and mother, Sophia, have not seen each other since she was born, and why they care so much about their cultural traditions.

T is a legendary killer operating in Singapore. His victims enter his life via a small red envelope in his mailbox. T is a professional killer: calm and cold-blooded, he is capable of all the violence necessary for his job. T's life is turned upside down when an important businessman hires him to kill all the criminals involved in his son's kidnapping.

Ah Huang, Ah Qiang and Ah Hui have been friends for as long as they can remember. When Ah Huang's mounting debts drive him to desperate measures, Ah Qiang and Ah Hui agree to lend him money. He uses the money to build an illegal business. Even after the business become successful, he refuses to repay the money to his friends. However, when the business collapses, Ah Huang is forced to question everything as his family, friendships, and remaining money are all threatened.

Inspired by true events, Solos explores relationships among three individuals who are struggling to open up their feelings towards each other. Filmmakers Kan Lume and Loo Zihan co-directed this pathos that dramatizes the selfishness of love and its tragic outcomes. Set in contemporary Singapore, Solos follows the endeavors of Boy, Man and Mother. Having been in a relationship with Man (Lim Yu Beng) for years, Boy (Loo Zihan) eventually grows up and wishes to quit the relationship. Conversely, Man still wants to be with Boy and for them to settle together. Meanwhile, Mother (Goh Guat Kian) is devastated that her son (Boy) has abandoned her and has been in relationship with Man. As the three characters fight their own demons, Solos juxtaposes reality and surreal scenes in order to give clues of each character’s inner desires. The film has minimum conversation to give freedom to the audience's individual interpretation of the film.

Following the Thai custom to cheat death and rid oneself of bad luck, a man who lays in a coffin for an evening subsequently experiences a series of terrifying incidents.

Lost while visiting the graves of his ancestors, the protagonist finds his future self. Together, they embark on a journey of retracing the places their family would visit during the Qing Ming festival of tomb-sweeping. Inspired by the poetry and in memory of Yeng Pway Ngon (1947–2021).

Ah Ma is lying in the hospital, her life hanging by a thread. Her family gathers by her deathbed to send her off. Overwhelmed by sadness, they struggle to find their own way of coming to terms with the impending end.

When uniformed high-rise housing began sprouting in post-independence Singapore, a local architect to bring the “kampong spirit” back into the city sky by coming up with the Pearl Bank Apartment.

Six-year-old Stanley has a year left to be Disney's Queen Elsa to his heart's content, before formal education starts.

At the end of the day, the moon dominates any picture than includes the night sky.

The fourth addition to the franchise sees the return of the army boys including Sergeant Ong, Lobang, Ken Chow and Aloysius, joined by a new female officer, as they are called back for in-camp training under the Armoured Formation of the Singapore Armed Forces. Hilarious situations happen when they are back training together and their military roles reversed. Their brotherhood is also put to the test when new enemy threats arise.

Some Nights I Feel Like Walking tells the story of a rich teenager who runs away from home and joins a group of street hustlers who go on a road trip to fulfill the final wish of their dead friend.

An aspiring filmmaker, who is also down on luck, goes to Singapore to meet a producer, but what follows is misadventure after misadventure, with a dash of romance thrown in.

Hock, a Bruce Lee-worshipping grocery boy, falls in love with disco after a screening of his favorite kung fu film is replaced with a "Saturday Night Fever" clone. Partnering up with his friend Mei, he signs up for dancing lessons to prepare for a contest, in order to make some extra cash and buy a new motorcycle.

A technician and a senior manager swap bodies after an accident and soon experience each other's struggles within a strictly rule-abiding bureaucracy.

Jobless and penniless, the happy-go-crazy trio Ramli, Aziz, and Sudin decide to try their luck as movie stars while navigating the daily challenges of living in a crowded boarding house. The studio manager promises them a break if they can prove their talent in a screen test, but their naivety and inexperience lead to hilarious results. With their ongoing antics, will fame in showbiz change them in any way? The fourth installment of the 'Bujang Lapok' series. This film chronicles the misadventures of the three bachelors as they embark on their quest for stardom. Along the way, they also contend with their eccentric neighbors and Ramli’s budding romance with one of them.

Trapped in the underground train tunnel system, a single mother’s resolve to protect her son is tested to the extreme as both of them are the few remaining survivors of an attack by a monster. Meanwhile in the control room, duty engineers fight desperately to rescue the trapped survivors.

Longing for human contact Xiao Wu tries all he can to make a connection through physical and metaphorical walls in that hour between night and day.

A musical, all-singing, all-dancing, attack on censorship in Singaporean movies

Charlie has always had a secret crush on Gabriel, but he’s not great with his emotions. Sparks fly when the two spend the night putting together the perfect recipe for a Valentine’s Day TV special.

This film is a tale about a young girl who grew up in the slave caste group and how she came to be immortalized as their locality, Maadathy.

A geeky young man prepares for his upcoming driving test by driving his father’s taxi around in the neighbourhood nightly.

A boy returns to Singapore from his studies in Europe, two days before he is enlisted into the army. A sensitive depiction of an 18-year-old’s struggle between national duties and personal liberty.

Two weeks after a tutor loses his phone, he receives pictures of him and his lover, as well as a mysterious package. As he races to save his lover, he unravels a sinister plan against him.

A wondrous, utterly engaging ballet of shapes, incredible creatures and pure, joyous animated movement.

A group of film students burn paper effigy cameras for the wandering spirits during the ghost month in Singapore and receive a collection of horror movies in return.

Tiga Abdul (The Three Abduls) is a 1964 Malaysian comedy film directed by and starring P. Ramlee. It tells the story of three brothers who are caught in a web of trickery set by the cunning Sadiq Segaraga who uses his three daughters to fleece the three brothers of all their wealth. The movie is a tribute to traditional folktales with a moral set into the story and is set a fictional middle eastern country named Isketambola, which is loosely based on Istanbul, Turkey.

Subaru and her twin brother Kazuma share a dream in becoming ballet dancers, but their passion is discouraged by their father. After Kazuma's death from a hereditary illness, dancing became Subaru's only happiness and she yearns to lose herself in dance. Her life takes a dramatic turn when she runs into cabaret owner Isuzu, who recognizes the talent in Subaru and trains her in her nightspot. But to become a professional ballerina, Subaru has to overcome harsher challenges than merely satisfying the cabaret drunkards. Spurred on by her rivaling dance companions, Subaru enters an international dance competition, to vie for recognition and a scholarship to any top ballet company in the world. Subaru and her companions soon discover that there are more to compete than the championship, and tests of friendship, betrayal and self-worth come one after another. Gradually the youngsters learn about themselves as dancers, as persons and as friends.

The story continues with Ah Kun, Osman and Shamugam forming a political party C.M.I to contest in the 1988 General Election.

It is an unwelcome homecoming for Siva, a Singaporean-Indian ex-convict, haunted by a tragedy in his past. Released after eight years behind bars and dejected by his mother’s coldness, he leaves home in search of his ex-wife and daughter. His old friend denies any knowledge of their whereabouts and instead leads him back into crime. Finding him sheltering in ‘void decks’ (the open public access corridors found beneath government-built residential housing in Singapore), the police force him to meet with a social worker; a woman also dealing with her own fears.

En is an 18-year-old who has lost his father to cancer. As his family is drawn together in a sudden tragedy, he has to decide what he believes in. But in a country where ideologies are forged on constantly shifting sands, he struggles to stay true to what he knows to be right. And in a family that prefers to forget, the sandcastles of all he holds dear seem doomed to be washed away by the tides of time.

In 2045, a filmmaker lands on Mars and tries to make a film. “Home… Far away from home”, he recalls faces of people, thus a collection of moving images emerge.

In 1932, Chaplin, in full midlife crisis, escapes to Bali in search of himself to find the artistic rejuvenation and inspiration to do his difficult transition to sound film.

A Singaporean-made comedy about a group of 18 year old boys who are beginning the mandatory two-year military service in the Singapore army. Despite their different racial and family backgrounds, they discover many similarities and forge a friendship which would help ease their transition to the tough army routine.

Wang Zi Hao, a Chinese Primary 6 student from Shanghai, China residing in Singapore, faces academic pressure when his new classmate Jayden Lee Jun Wei frames him for cheating to maintain his top-ranking status. Meanwhile, Zi Hao's Mother, Wen Ting, is falsely accused of illegal work by Jayden's competitive mother, Sophia. Amidst the turmoil, the two mothers realise the toll on their sons and unite to prioritise their well-being over grades, fostering reconciliation.

The Songs We Sang is a 2015 Singaporean documentary directed by Eva Tang. It is about Xinyao, Singaporean folk music that was popular in the 1980s.

‘When Ghost Meets Zombie’ tells the story of a female ghost who falls in love with a zombie, accidentally possessing the zombie’s body, and encourages the latter to take part in a pageant in order to realise her unfulfilled dream.