APRIL 25 — One of the biggest complaints you’ll hear from local audiences with regards to mainstream Malaysian movies, especially the Malay language ones, is that there isn’t enough variety in the types of films being made.
It seemed like we’re being served with only a few types of mainstream movies – rempit movies, horror flicks, gangster movies and slapstick comedies.
There is some truth in this blanket statement, but only if we’re talking about the situation from say, five years ago, or maybe even more.
If five years ago was the last time you went to the cinema to watch a local mainstream movie, or even worse, the last time you paid attention to the cinema release slate for Malaysian mainstream movies, then yes, that statement will ring true.
However, the last few years have seen all sorts of local films playing in cinemas here in Malaysia, from sci-fi mind-benders like Imaginur and Reversi to tear-jerkers like Babah and Badak to action hits like Paskal and Coast Guard, and that’s just scratching the surface.
Look further into non-Malay language local films, and you’ll find gems like the Tamil language Macai and Simple Manusan, or Chinese hits like Close Ur Kopitiam and Money Games.
2026 is already looking like it’s going to provide a very healthy amount of variety, as evidenced by these four new mainstream Malay films, opening one after another in local cinemas in the last few weeks, with quite a few more to follow in the next few weeks. Is something brewing here now?
Libang Libu
In the interest of full disclosure, yes, this film was directed by my high school friend, Bobby Husaini, who’s making his feature film debut here, after years of directing TV commercials.
Opening this week in Malaysian cinemas, if you’re looking for laughs, laughs, and more laughs, then Libang Libu is the one to watch.
“Libang libu” is a Perak slang that means to be in a state of chaos, confusion or restlessness, and the movie’s narrative truly lives up to its name by bombarding the audience with plenty of narrative stops, starts and hilarious flashbacks to keep us in that state of mind.
In short, if neatly tied up plots are the main reason you go to the movies, then this one isn’t for you, which is not to say that the plot here is incoherent, but it’s just designed to push and pull you back and forth with all the chaos, just to wring a few more laughs out of you.
The real reason to see this is in its loving, sly, and almost casual mockery of all things Malay and kampung related, with a specific focus on Perak.
If you’re familiar with all three things (like I am), then you’ll enjoy this even more. In short, is this the best film of the year? I don’t think so. Could this be one of the funniest films of the year? I think we have a very strong contender already!
Gayong 2
Last year’s Gayong was a decent box-office hit and this sequel is more of the same, with our hero Meor (Beto Kusyairi) now a police officer in 1950s Singapore fighting corruption within the police force.
If the first film was like a Malaysian version of the Ip Man movies, this sequel, with its shorter running time and increased focus on fight scenes, feels like one of those Tony Jaa hits, efficient action potboilers with deficiencies in the storytelling department.
Not terrible but not great either, it’s a passable time at the movies, especially for fans of fight flicks.
Malaikat Malam
On the surface this might look like just another rempit movie, as it’s centered around the life of a bunch of Malay motorcycle and racing enthusiasts, but if you do take the time to watch this one, which is already one of the year’s biggest local box-office hits with RM14 million and still counting, it’s actually more of a tender romance involving a mat rempit and a blind girl.
Debuting director Nazifdin Nasrudin handles the romance part really well, and I enjoyed the first two-thirds of the movie quite a bit, when it’s operating in this mode.
But when the third act arrives and the movie takes on the traditional rempit movie formula, it stumbles really badly, with the kind of gaps in logic (even when just applying it to the logic of the movie’s world) that will make you want to tear your hair out.
A mixed bag, then, but still a refreshing take on the usual local movie formula.
Mikael: Pemburu Dua Alam
We very rarely get fantasy supernatural films like this, so when one arrives in the form of Mikael: Pemburu Dua Alam, the latest film from Zahir Omar (who made his name with the critically acclaimed Fly By Night), naturally one has to sit up and take notice.
Playing like a Malaysian mash-up of Constantine, RIPD and Van Helsing, the film is led by Remy Ishak as Mikael, an elite police officer in a secret unit that’s tasked to keep the divide between this world and the underworld in order.
Expect plenty of fights with ghosts, djinns and the like, and expect a pretty rollicking good time, even with its flaws aplenty.
But if you ask me, the main reason anyone should see this movie is the star-making comic sidekick performance from Norreen Iman as Winston, which will leave you in stitches.
* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.
