Best Singaporean drama movies
A curated collection of popular drama movies from Singapore.
The Army Series (1983)
The Army Series (1983)
Everything seemed well for the much-respected officer who was getting married and was just promoted to the rank of lieutenant, before an accident at the training ground cost his life.
Pierce (2024)
Pierce (2024)
Shy and sweet-natured Zijie spends his time learning the art of fencing and listening to his widowed mother, Ai Ling, sing at a local nightclub. When Zijie’s older brother Zihan – a three-time national fencing champion – is released from juvenile prison, Zijie remains intent upon seeing him, despite his mother’s wishes. As Zihan starts mentoring his younger brother, their bond strengthens. But as Zijie develops newfound skills as a fencer and a romance with his teammate blossoms, Zihan’s innocence becomes more questionable.
The Man on the Other Side (2019)
The Man on the Other Side (2019)
Bonn, West Germany, 1974, in the middle of the Cold War. Young government official Sophie Zimmermann is being hunted and the only way to survive is to find out the identity of the man she knows as Dieter.
Judgement (2019)
Judgement (2019)
A Malay mother and an Indian father are at odds after both their children get caught in an accident.
God or Dog (1997)
God or Dog (1997)
Gullible Sin apprentices himself to a faith healer and discovers that his master is merely a sexually driven con man who takes advantage of the women seeking cures for their various ailments. After exposing the empty magic of his master, Sin is convinced that he has attained god-like status, resulting in a series of disastrous events revealing his unravelling psyche.
Untitled Jayden Goh Film (2022)
Untitled Jayden Goh Film (2022)
A down-to-earth individual leading a modest life, Thomas Adams "ThAT" Thompson's world is turned upside down when a mysterious event bestows upon him extraordinary superhuman-like abilities. In his quest to overcome his greatest adversary, ThAT One Guy undergoes a transformative journey, both physically and emotionally. He must learn to harness and master his powers, pushing himself to the limits and discovering the true extent of his abilities.
Pleasure Factory (2007)
Pleasure Factory (2007)
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:
Be with Me (2005)
Be with Me (2005)
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.
Dance, Subaru! (2009)
Dance, Subaru! (2009)
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.
My Love Sinema (2016)
My Love Sinema (2016)
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.
Jewel in the Slum (1952)
Jewel in the Slum (1952)
Fatima lives with her mother, working with her as a seamstress. Disappointed by her mother’s gambling addiction, she decides to work as a singer at a nightclub. There, Fatima meets Abdullah, a businessman whose wife, Endon, constantly mocks and humiliates him. Abdullah soon falls in love with Fatima and they begin an affair. However, Abdullah’s colleague is also smitten with her, and when Endon finds out about her husband’s relationship, she plots with his colleague to expose the affair. It is the first Malay film helmed by a Singaporean Malay under the Malay Film Productions, Shaw Brothers. Made in 1952, the musical drama witnesses an abusive relationship that results in an extra marital affair.
Jula Juli Bintang Tiga (1959)
Jula Juli Bintang Tiga (1959)
Jula Juli Bintang Tiga is a fairyland princess who married a king. King Dhasyahalan when the Shah was sworn in secret Jula Juli Bintang Tiga uncovered cause he disappeared and left a baby boy, Prince Baharum Shah.
The Limbo Jar (2023)
The Limbo Jar (2023)
A woman living in a post-apocalyptic town hears about a myth that promises to liberate her soul in exchange for life in a jar.
My Son Sazali (1956)
My Son Sazali (1956)
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?
Folklore: The Excursion (2021)
Repossession (2019)
Repossession (2019)
50-year-old Jim (Gerald Chew, "Apprentice", Cannes Film Festival 2016 Un Certain Regard) loses his high-flying job in status-conscious Singapore, but his ego and pride compel him to hide this from his wife (Amy J Cheng, "Crazy Rich Asians") and daughter. His only confidante is his best friend (Sivakumar Palakrishnan, "A Yellow Bird", Cannes Film Festival 2016 Critics' Week). Desperately clinging onto the material symbols of his past success, he unlocks a hibernating malevolent force, with sinister roots in long-buried secrets. As his dream life crumbles around him, worlds collide, the lines between then and now become increasingly blurred, and Jim descends into a waking nightmare. REPOSSESSION is a bold, genre-bending film, with an ever-evolving, haunting soundscape from Golden Horse Award-winning composer Teo Wei Yong ("A Land Imagined").
The Awakening (1984)
The Awakening (1984)
It mainly covers the Chinese Singaporean experience in Singapore, from the first generation of Chinese immigrants, who arrived to a relatively undeveloped island, through the Japanese occupation periods, and to the Chinese Singaporeans at the present day (1984), who resides in a developed nation that is radically different from the land their ancestors arrived to.
A Trip to Heaven (2020)
A Trip to Heaven (2020)
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.
The Kid from the Big Apple (2016)
The Kid from the Big Apple (2016)
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.
Ah Ma (2007)
Ah Ma (2007)
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.
Jellyfish (2014)
Jellyfish (2014)
Jellyfish is a coming-of-age film set in a tiny Muslim fishing village in Borneo. Danice, a fourteen year old fisherwoman and breadwinner for her family, tastes first love with Riya - an alluring transgender woman who arrives in the village one day. However, Danica's desire becomes complicated when she shockingly discovers that it is her father that Riya wants.
Si Tanggang (1961)
Si Tanggang (1961)
A son leaves his widowed poor mother to make a fortune and promises to return for her. He rises up the ranks and even marries royalty but his promise is soon forgotten. When he returns to his homeland, he refuses to acknowledge her and his callous ways leads to tragedy.
Ramen Shop (2018)
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.
The Breaking Ice (2023)
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.
Solos (2007)
Solos (2007)
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.
On Memory (2021)
On Memory (2021)
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).
