Hungry Ghost Diner

I always say Malaysia has no short supply of talented storytellers. I'm so glad to have finally witnessed We Jun's feature debut. This a fantastic and well-made film, probably one of the few Malaysian films displaying a very authentic slice of Malaysian life.

Interestingly, this is a Chinese language film which is NOT released during the typical Chinese New Year season. It's very clear to see this is a very personal film, of complex family relationships while exploring the not-oft talk about cultural elements of the Hungry Ghost Festival. I had laughs and tears all throughout this film and was absolutely invested in Bonnie's journey in figuring out the madness of her circumstances.

Props to Yoke who appears in every scene with so much presence, you don't sense a single false note from her first lead role performance. The supporting acts are perfectly cast and especially a joy to watch is Eric Chen who plays the father. The quiet and stoic father I think most of us will recognise in our lives.

I also liked the choice of the lighting and slower frame rate ala Wong Kar Wai during certain scenes in the ghost world. Tan Teck Zee, who is one of Malaysia's leading cinematographers, works his magic here.

This independent film is sorely needed in our Malaysian film landscape. It's not your typical Hollywood film which follows a formulaic view of a hero and high stakes. There are some minor pacing and tonal issues but We Jun navigates us confidently in this intimate film of family, filial piety, loss and redemption with so much charm, humour, and heart. I especially appreciate his choice to show a beautiful aspect of Malaysian life, with our code-switching in spoken languages from Cantonese to Hakka to Malay to broken English that we hear every day.

We need more films telling more stories from our very many ethnic groups in Malaysia, sharing our rich culture. This film is one for the ages in our Malaysian film archives.

A very interesting & heartwarming story about traditional Chinese Hungry Ghost festival. As an Indonesian-born Chinese I have been blindly celebrating the festival whole life without knowing the cultural meaning behind it.

Unpredicted story line with some supposed to be spooky scene but too funny to be scared of. Some side stories seems a bit forceful but overall easy to understand & enjoy.

Deducted few points due to bad camera focus almost the entire movie, not sure if it's intended that way. However got few interesting visual effect that seldom to be seen in other locally produced movies.

Definitely a rare gem & must watch in cinema this year.

Jarring tonal inconsistencies, excruciatingly slow pacing, uninspired thematic execution, one-dimensional characters, paper-thin character dynamics, painfully awkward dialogue, embarrassingly flat attempts of humour, weirdly-placed score and soundtracks, with a plot as hollow as vacuum, this is without a doubt the biggest disappointment I have had this year. It hit a new low for the worst film I have seen this year.

There are good ideas. The foundation is there. I can see some vision from the director. But the execution completely fumbled the bag. From the disjointed story structure to plot threads that crashed and burned, this was woefully misguided and ill-constructed.

Honestly, this was painful to sit through. I have never been so irritated by a movie before. I was literally fighting the urge to walk out of the screening.

I'm not a fan of horror movies and I was pleasantly surprised that this movie is NOT one despite the title. Normally I wouldn't have gone but I followed friends and I'm glad I did.

It is a heartwarming movie about complex family ties and traditions, set during the Hungry ghost festival month when the lockdown happens.

I love the quirkiness of the movie, the use of dialect in conversation, the awkward silences between the characters, the potehei puppet show, the contrast between city life and small town traditions and communities. There is so much packed into this movie. Furthermore, the lead character being a woman, following her own dreams resonates with me. The movie challenges our preconceived ideas in so many ways.

I highly recommend watching it.

An underrated gem that reflects what Malaysian cinema does best. This is a slice of life film with heart, not a horror film despite the title and Chinese cultural event it revolves around.

If you're Malaysian Chinese, many of the scenes may evoke familiarity and nostalgia. The smell of burning hell money offerings, the feel of a mom and pop kopitiam (loved the funny posters in the background) and the rojakness of local lexicon - I felt seen hearing Hokkien, Cantonese and Hakka dialogue. The stuffy stiff upper lip Chinese dad-disconnected daughter dynamic was also relatable.

Sincere performances from the leads with some nicely thrown in comic relief. Worth a watch, sapot lokal.