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The 20 Best ASEAN Movies of 2022

@Autobiography by Makbul Mubarak

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a regional intergovernmental organization comprising of ten countries in Southeast Asia, namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam. Evidently, the movie industry of these countries does not yet reach the size of Japan, India and S. Korea for example, perhaps with the exception of the Philippines, at least in terms of number of titles, but through the support of foreign companies (S. Korea has invested heavily in Indonesia that last few years for example), streaming services (Netflix, HBO Asia, MUBI, etc) and a number of European festivals (Locarno, Rotterdam, Berlin), along with the continuous support of Busan, a number of local filmmakers have managed to produce movies of great quality. 20 of the best, we present in this list.

Without further ado, here are the best ASEAN films of 2022, in reverse order. Some films may have premiered in 2021, but since they mostly circulated in 2022, we decided to include them.

20. Dancing Colors (M. Reza Fahriyansyah, Indonesia)

Fahriyansyah directs a film that follows a “blasphemous” approach, as he seems to mock a number of concepts that are considered holy in Islamic societies. The Ustadz and his ways get the biggest share of this mocking, but the director also comments on disidemony, highlighting the fact that there are still people that consider homosexuality an ailment that can be cured, and patriarchy, with the way the father dismisses his wife’s pleas and does not even talk to his son regarding his decision about him highlighting the remark quite intensely. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

19. Leio (Chalit Kraileadmongkol and Chitpol Ruanggun, Thailand)

Generally, “Leio” has a lot to like about it. Most of the positives here stem from the mainstream-friendly script by Charoen Kaithitsuwan that allows for a highly familiar series of immersion points to develop. The whole setup of Kao retiring from his life in the fast lane to return to his roots and rediscover his childhood friends works to start everything with a well-worn concept. As well, that serves to introduce the audience to Kao as a man who’s attempting to do the right thing rather than looking for an easy payout. Looking to use the money as a means of helping him to reconnect with his family legacy with Yo and Jane while reconnecting with Fon who stayed behind in the village, comes off as a common tactic but still works well here. The concept of the competition drilling to find the water source also serves to get people out of the community and into the desert where the creature can utilize several advantages quite effectively. Utilizing the undiscovered nature of its existence to launch several surprise attacks or its massive tunneling speed to travel quickly undetected, everything comes off rather nicely. (Don Anelli)

18 Before Now and Then (Kamila Andini, Indonesia)

One of the reasons I chose this story is that I always want to find stories that allow me to find myself in them, that I can relate to and put my own thoughts and feelings into. So I think all my movies always have a little bit of me in them. So that’s exactly what I would do in Nana’s place. I would find a support system and find the ones that believe in me and have relations that allow me to see more of myself and what I want to do instead of pleasing society and what they want of me. So I think Ino’s character is very important in the movie. I’m like Nana actually. I’m not a very brave or confrontational woman. I’m a bit shy and just like many other Indonesian women who need little steps and time and process to change even little things. (Kamila Andini)

17. Further and Further Away (Polen Ly, Cambodia)

The scene where the girl is sleeping while the rain falls intensely emerges as one of the most memorable in the movie, also highlighting the great job done in the sound. The second one that stands out is the one where the sister comes to the brother who is sitting on top of a log in a savanna-like area, with both their feelings about the move being eloquently highlighted. This scene also showcases the acting and the chemistry the two protagonists share, with Bopha Oul as the Sister and Phanny Loem as the Brother giving naturalistic performances in the way they present their antithetical feelings, but also the connection they share. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

16. Blue Room (Ma-an Asuncion-Dagnalan, Philippines)

Ma-an Asuncion-Dagnalan directs a film that focuses on the inequalities of Filipino society, as exhibited by the way the police treat people. What comes as a surprise though, is that not only the poor get exploited, but the same applies to the rich (or richer if you prefer) who also find themselves exploited, only on a whole other level than the characters in “On The Job” for example. At the same time, the fact that one of the arrested has a relative who was a higher up in the military and this affects the decisions of the policemen significantly, adds another level to both the corruption and the inequality comments. The ending of the arc, with Anton expressing essentially what should be on the audience’s mind, highlights the commentary here quite eloquently. 

15. The Big 4 (Timo Tjahjanto, Indonesia)

The first one is definitely the action, with action choreographer Muhammad Irfan presenting a series of rather impressive scenes, which find their apogee in the rather lengthy finale. The martial art parts are of the same, quite high quality Indonesian cinema has gotten us used to since “The Raid”. However, the truly unique aspect here is the extensive use of guns, which are frequently used in rather close proximity, essentially taking the part of knives previous productions from the country had. This allows for the finales of the fights to be grotesquely impressive, with the blowing up of heads in particular definitely staying on mind. Furthermore, the fact that all the protagonists also get their share of punishment works quite well for the narrative, as much as the combination with comic elements that pleasantly tones down the brutality here. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

14. The Baseball Player (Carlo Obispo, Philippines)

Carlo Obispo directs a movie that thrives on the way he manages to retain a very delicate balance among the elements that comprise the narrative. In that regard, “The Baseball Player” could have been a sports movie, considering the title and the inclusion of baseball in the story, a children’s story, considering that both protagonists are children, a drama, considering the overall setting here, or even a war movie, since war seems to lurk in every corner of the story, even if it is never actually presented, apart from its consequences. However, in the end the movie ends up being all of those things at the same time, while not abiding by any particular single element, in a true directorial feat by Obispo. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

13. The Brilliant Darkness (Aaron Toronto, Vietnam)

The cat-and-mouse thrill in the film doesn’t get lost in the drama and vice versa.It has its moments of emotional, psychological turbulence but does not fall into an unnerving lachrymose trap. “The Brilliant Darkness” makes use of blood, one in the literal sense to paint the gruesome and the gore and the other one in a figurative way, to illustrate why the sometimes damaging bond of familial ties is painfully hard to break. (Purple Romero)

Watch the Film on 3388Cine

12. 12 Weeks (Ana Isabelle Matutina, Philippines)

Anna Isabelle Matutina implements a rather European (French if you prefer) style of filmmaking in order to tell her story, as dictated by the permeating realism in all aspects of the movie and the frequent close-ups to her protagonist who seems to appear in every single scene of the movie, in the style of “Blue is the Warmest Color” and “Happening”. The last aspect in particular, usually helps the protagonists shine, but at the same time demands superb performances to work, which luckily, Matutina gets from Max Eigenmann here, in one of the best traits of the movie. Particularly the way Eigenmann manages to portray a plethora of emotions and psychological statuses in a measured and essentially laconic fashion, is a treat to the viewer, with her expressive eyes being the apogee of an overall excellent execution. Furthermore, the way her interactions differ according to the person in front of her (her boss, Ben, her mother, Lorna, the woman she talks about getting an abortion) add yet another trait to her acting, while exemplifying the great chemistry she shares with all of her fellow actors. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

11. Ajoomma (He Shuming, Singapore)

Movies that focus on “aunties” are not exactly the rule in the industry, but He Shuming and his co-writer, Kris Ong have created a rather appealing story, which uses the life of a 50+ old woman in order to make a number of interesting comments. The first one involves the concept of people getting out of their comfort zone, and the benefits such endeavors can present. The optimistic side, however, is only revealed towards the end, with He showing how difficult, practically, such decisions can be, particularly for people of the protagonist’s age, who have spent their lives essentially indoors. This realism actually permeates a large part of the movie, with He pulling no punches in presenting Ajoomma getting drunk for example, or being completely unrealistic in her expectations of Korea. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

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