Best Singaporean drama movies

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.

This sensitive and sensual film draws together several narratives spanning several decades, all of them transpiring in the same room of the same Singaporean hotel — and all of them involving sex.

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

After a Vietnamese woman dies in a car crash in Saigon, her brother-in-law and her young son transport her body back to the former’s hometown in rural Vietnam, where they plan to give her a funeral.

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.

Animated film based on the life and stories of Manga writer Yoshihiro Tatsumi who revolutionised the art form with darker, more adult stories. The film animates several of his stories.

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.

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.

A mainland Chinese filmmaker, exiled to Hong Kong for her politically-charged work, reunites with her mother on a trip to Taiwan.

The story spans from 1965 to the early 1970s. Heavily pregnant Zhao Di, the unwanted second wife of an older man, was chased out by her husband's family and forced to return to her own family. She gave birth to a pair of twins, Shun Fatt and Su-mei. As Su-mei had two moles on her face, which was said to be bad luck, she decided to give her up due to the pressure of wanting to build a better life for the rest of her family.

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.

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.

Mia, an ex-prostitute, is trapped in a loveless marriage with the abusive Quan (Sunny Pang, who also stars in Headshot in this year’s Festival lineup), a butcher who runs a roast meat shop. When she meets sensitive funeral director Wu, their passion for one another escalates into an affair. But the path to true love is fraught with jealousy, forcing someone to make a deadly move.

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.

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.

Jiahao, a drag queen estranged from his conservative family, returns home after his father's passing to help his brother, Jia Qiang, to care for their mother, Ju Hua, who has been diagnosed with dementia. As Ju Hua's condition worsens, she becomes increasingly reliant on Jiahao – reigniting past wounds and emotional strains. One night, a tired Jiahao returns home still in drag, met with panic and confusion from his mother who threatens to call the police. In a moment of quick thinking, he calms her by pretending to be her daughter instead.

A glamorous Hong Kong performer struggles to make a home in suburban 1960s Australia.

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.

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

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.

Disappointed by his failed dreams, Loh Poh Huat visits his frustrations on his family. So when he wins the lottery, everyone believes the money will deliver them from their struggles. However, Loh dies abruptly and his elaborate and surreal Taoist funeral pitches the family into a battle where the stakes are the very meaning of life itself. Singapore Dreaming is a poignant yet darkly humorous story which follows the lives of six individuals as they navigate the rapidly changing conditions experienced in today’s modern South-East Asian cities.

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.

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.

A former military officer makes a film about a man he encountered in Tanjong Rhu, a secluded cruising ground.

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.

A spiritual time-shifting drama following a woman from her carefree 20s in 1960s rural Thailand to present-day Bangkok as an older army general's wife.

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.

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.

Following the birth of her niece, Jing returns to Singapore for the newborn’s full month celebration. Here she is forced to confront her contentious relationship with her estranged mother and a traditional family politic—the causes of her departure a decade prior.

The film's story revolves around the tragic love affair between Kassim Selamat, a poor musician, and Sabariah, the only daughter of a wealthy woman. The movie is notable in that the opening act starts out as a light-hearted romantic comedy, but at the 30 minute mark turns into a dramatic tragedy. Like a number of P. Ramlee's works, the film criticizes the unofficial caste system that separates the wealthy from the poor.

A Youtuber posts an irreverent video trolling a megachurch pastor, in defence of his gay twin brother. He is vilified by society, tried in court, and pitted against a culture that threatens to destroy his family.

Singapore, 1998. At the peak of the Asian financial crisis, an ordinary family head to Sentosa island and face unknown terrors.

In Singapore, where even vapes are illegal, three rebellious schoolgirls are caught smoking by the principal. Their revenge prank takes a sinister turn.

A mother, trapped in the comfort of memory and mourning, confronts her grief when she is invited to the wedding of her late son’s childhood sweetheart.

THE VISIT is an intimate stop-motion short film about a young girl’s growing-up years and her relationship with her incarcerated father.

Set in the 2000s, Aqua Man talks about the emotional transformation of a young boy, Junjie, and its religious dilemma of being a gay Christian individual in Singapore.

A woman is being interrogated in a dark room by a stern young man on a rainy night. As the hours pass, identities and historical time periods begin to blur. Her testimony becomes a scrambled, personal record of her country’s complicated legal history.

During the monsoon season in Singapore, a young girl befriends an ostracized boy and embarks on a quest for independence to protect their secret and fragile world.

Through Zipeng’s eyes, Purple Light strives to tell a story about how one’s existence is bigger than their sexuality, and that no form of love should bear a label. Purple light is inspired by a true account.

An underprivileged scholar from India obsessed about gaining admission into an Ivy League School lies about receiving an acceptance letter from Harvard University and ends up in the opulent world of his peers.

A drama about a newly-wed couple whose relationship becomes strained after one of them gets a job promotion.

A television switches on. A mind snaps. A man discovers his murdered wife. As he stares at her lifeless body, the events leading to her death play before him, like in a movie. HERE follows the journey of He Zhiyuan, a middle-aged man who struggles to make sense of his reality. Reeling from the sudden death of his wife, he loses the will to speak and is interned at Island Hospital. There, he meets strident kleptomaniac Beatrice with whom he forms an inexplicable bond. As He adjusts to life within, he is selected for an experimental treatment, which forces him to confront the devastating truth behind his past, present, and future. Meanwhile, a filmmaker visits Island Hospital to document the lives of the staff and patients.

Cheah Liek Hou is a prodigious badminton player but discovers that he is afflicted with brachial plexus paralysis. Undeterred by this setback, he joins the ranks of disabled badminton players. When the Paralympic Games announce the inclusion of badminton as a sport, Cheah rises to the occasion and is coached by legendary badminton player Rashid Sidek. He overcomes numerous hurdles to triumph in the Paralympic Games, ultimately winning the coveted gold medal and etching an important historical moment for Malaysia.

With nowhere to turn, a pregnant student finds refuge and companionship with a gynecologist, who is mourning the death of her only daughter.

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).

An emotive anthology by seven of Singapore's most illustrious filmmakers, celebrating SG50 through the lives and stories of Singaporeans. Directed by Eric Khoo, Jack Neo, K. Rajagopal, Royston Tan, Tan Pin Pin, Boo Junfeng, Kelvin Tong.

John despises his father for being a failure in life. When John returns home to facilitate his father's funeral, his life comes to a turning point, as he discovers the true motivation of his misjudged father.

Jo Yang, a celebrity radio guest, receives a phone call while on air and sets in motion a series of events that threaten her life and her family. Forced to choose between saving a prostitute or a loan-shark, her choice is confronted by public outcry. This film is loosely inspired by real-life events in Singapore, and explores how it is more choice rather than chance that shapes our lives.

Three teen students growing and maturing together in Bangkok, Thailand as they deal with family, peer pressure, and coming to terms with their own sexuality.

An award winning short with a hyper-kinetic, mind-bending foray into the world of adolescent Singaporean boys. '15': The Short; mixes documentary realism, dream sequences, rapid montages, and other stylistic flurries to unleash a hard-hitting cinematic assault on Singaporean oppression and teen angst.

An Asian mother accidentally discovers her daughter's sexuality and she struggles to accept her for who she is.

During a peculiar bus tour to the Mekong Delta, the 50-year-old Mdm. Tam bumps into her high school sweetheart. She's hopeful for a chance at reconciliation, but he might not be.

A heartwarming tale of Lucas, a Singaporean boy who faces up to his fears in the neighbourhood playground, and reunites his neighbour Angie with her lost doll.

A few weeks after Wei Long and Daniel have broken up, Daniel asks Wei Long to meet him once more.

The lives of an arrogant young motivational speaker in debt to the Chinese mafia, his lookin’-to-get-out girlfriend, and a single father in dire straits fatefully intertwine in this nail-biting thriller from Singapore that is based, almost unbelievably, on a true story.

A black comedy from a magician named Lukman who performs illusion magic that suddenly become real.

The movie tells us the story of Hassan who has great passion for music. Hassan and Ani fell in love and ran away to Singapore knowing that their marriage will never be approved by Ani's parents. Hassan soon made a name for himself as a musician and later as a composer. His compositions received great reviews. Hassan was overjoyed when he found out that his wife was pregnant but it soon turned to sorrow as Ani died giving birth to a son, Sazali. Hassan turned his affection towards Sazali and soon Sazali grew up into a rich spoilt kid. Sazali grew up to become one of Singapore's most wanted men. The police was tipped off when Sazali and his gang committed burglary. Sazali was shot but managed to escape and seek shelter in his father's home. What did Hassan do?

Singapore's top policewoman, Miss Cleopatra Wong, who heads the Seasian Interpol Criminal Investigation Department (C.I.D.), teams up with her Filipino counterpart to bust a counterfeit currency operation that threatens several Asian countries with bankruptcy. Their dangerous quest takes them from Singapore to Hong Kong and finally Manila where they locate the counterfeit ring's Asian headquarters, which is being run by local nuns, forced into slave labor.

Dongnan, a 58-year-old restaurant employee, has long been known for his slacking off and unreliability, which led to his demotion to a security guard. Struggling with stagnant career prospects and family tensions, he dreams of becoming his own boss. With his friend Douyin Jie's help, Dongnan opens a restaurant and experiences initial success. Seeking to improve his home life, he purchases an AI robot that helps manage household chores and mediates family conflicts. However, his apprentice Steven betrays him by stealing secret recipes and using AI technology against him. Through a challenging journey of intense competition and personal crisis, Dongnan undergoes a transformative experience that forces him to confront his past behaviors and relationships.

In 1960s Singapore when Bugis Street was a center of transvestite and transsexual prostitution, naïve sixteen-year-old Lian comes of age working as a receptionist for the Sin Sin Hotel, home to a gaggle of trans women whom all have stories of broken hearts and drunken sailors.

Believing that he killed his daughter instead of saving her from kidnappers, Zhang Li is dismantled. He finds himself lured to China seeking solace in pain and blood at Paradise Hotel where every carnal and beastly desire is satiated. With a savage boss, the terrifying Burnt Man at the helm of the underground brothel, no perversion is turned away.

Ming, a single parent, is forced to bring up his kid Xing because his wife left - no thanks to his gambling habit. That vice is still not kicked, and father and son spend occasional days on the run from loan sharks. Serendipity strikes when the runaway dog Dou Dou gets rescued by Xing, and despite his dad's disdain for canines, brings him home. Through a series of oh-so-cute-inducing scenes, Xing finally gets to keep his current best friend.

My Love Sinema is a touching, nostalgic love story filled with inspiration, courage, passion, resilience and heart. Set in 1950s Singapore, we relive the charming lifestyle of that era, and follow one man's never-ending pursuit of his passion in both cinema and love, sharing a fate that crosses generations.

Two middle-aged fathers bond over their love for their daughters in this affecting dramedy about friendship in our golden years.