Discover the best of Singaporean cinema, film, and television

Discover the definitive list of popular and critically-acclaimed movies and TV shows from Singapore. Find your next binge-watch, streaming on Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Prime Video, and other top services!

The cinema of Singapore

Singaporean cinema is a vibrant and ever-evolving hub of storytelling, a film culture that brilliantly blends global ambition with a distinctly local heart. For years, it was a quiet but respected voice on the art-house circuit, with directors like Eric Khoo crafting introspective and powerful films that earned international acclaim. But the new millennium brought a powerful and popular explosion. Anthony Chen’s beautiful debut feature Ilo Ilo became a landmark, winning the prestigious Camera d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and announcing a new, confident era for Singaporean film. Since then, the industry has truly diversified. It has produced massive box office comedies and horror films that delight local audiences, showcasing a keen understanding of popular taste. It’s also become a major regional hub for animation and visual effects, proving its technical prowess. This creative energy is also sparking a dynamic new age of television. With original series exploring modern life in the city-state gaining popularity on streaming platforms, Singapore is quickly becoming a go-to for slick, contemporary storytelling. What makes Singaporean cinema so fascinating is this unique blend of cultures. It's a cinema that reflects the nation’s diverse identity, often exploring themes of family, rapid change, and the pursuit of dreams in a compact, bustling city-state. It’s a compelling glimpse into a thriving modern Asian metropolis.

Best Singaporean series

  • Poster for Medianoche en Asia: Comer · Bailar · Soñar

    Medianoche en Asia: Comer · Bailar · Soñar 2022

    Night brings out the most playful side of Asia's metropolises. This docuseries captures the food, drink, music — and night owls who shine in the dark.

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  • Poster for Mr. Midnight: Beware the Monsters

    Mr. Midnight: Beware the Monsters 2022

    A once-average teen and his friends become paranormal detective and document their adventures in an online blog under the pseudonym “Mr. Midnight.”

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  • Poster for Folklore

    Folklore 2018

    Bringing together some of the most talented Asian directors working within the genre sphere, this new anthology series creates an atmosphere unlike anything that’s come out of the region before.

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  • Poster for Portrait Artist of the Year

    Portrait Artist of the Year 2013

    Artists from the UK and Ireland compete by creating portraits of famous people.

    75
  • Poster for Sharkdog

    Sharkdog 2021

    10 year old Max and his best friend Sharkdog - half shark, half dog, all appetite. Blissfully unaware of his own strength, stealth and general sharkiness, Sharkdog often leaves a trail of chaos in his wake.

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  • Poster for Catching a Killer - The Hwaseong Murders

    Catching a Killer - The Hwaseong Murders 2021

    South Korea's most infamous murder case involving one of the country's first known serial killers.

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Best Singaporean movies

  • Poster for Free to Play

    Free to Play 2014

    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.

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  • Poster for Shirkers

    Shirkers 2018

    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.

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  • Poster for Ilo Ilo

    Ilo Ilo 2013

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

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  • Poster for Ramen Shop

    Ramen Shop 2018

    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.

    69
  • Poster for The Breaking Ice

    The Breaking Ice 2023

    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.

    63
  • Poster for Coral Reef Adventure

    Coral Reef Adventure 2003

    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.

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