The 30 Best Southeast Asian Films of 2024

The progress of the cinema of the region is undisputed. With governments allocating more money in the cinema in a number of the countries of the union, streamers and particularly Neftflix investing heavily, along with foreign companies as in the case of Korean CJ Entertainment in Vietnam, the unique stories from a series of regions where everyday life and the supernatural always went hand in hand, finally found a space to blossom. Following suit from Malaysia, which had a tremendous 2023, Indonesia also made a leap forward this year, headed by a rather strong box office and a catalogue of movies that moved beyond 200 in 2024, even if more than 60 of them are horror movies. Filipino cinema, however, is still on top, in a place it does not seem to lose, particularly since, industry-wise, local cinema seems to be the most organized in the region. Vietnam also seems to on the rise, despite the many local voices advocating the opposite, whjile, as you will see on this list, almost every country of the union had something to offer.

Without further ado, here are the best ASEAN movies of 2024, in reverse order, although the difference of quality is so small here, that the order could be completely different. Some films may have premiered in 2023, but since they mostly circulated in 2024, we decided to include them.

30. The Cursed Land (Panu Aree and Kong Rithdee, Thailand)

Featuring plenty to enjoy and only a few small issues, “The Cursed Land” comes off incredibly well as a strong genre feature that uses its intriguing concept and enjoyable set pieces to overcome a few minor setbacks present. Those with an affinity for this type of Asian Horror feature or are general fans of this particular style of supernatural-laced fare will enjoy this one. (Don Anelli)

29. Mongrel (Wei Liang Chiang and You Qiao Yin, Singapore)

“Mongrel” is a drama about a system of exploitation which is often quite difficult to watch. And while it is arguably a bit repetitive, Wei Liang Chiang and You Qiao Yin manage to tell a story that is (sadly) timeless, dealing with the possibility of compassion and humanity in a dark and often hopeless situation. (Rouven Linnarz)

28. Borderless Fog (Edwin, Indonesia)

Visually stunning and full of amazing details, Edwin‘s film is a thing of beauty. The fog-infested rainforest for example, while beautiful to look at, one gets the feeling that there is something sinister lurking behind the tall trees. Both the tropical heat and the humidity play important roles in creating the mood and tense atmosphere as well. But overall, it is a slow burn murder mystery, and the plot takes its time to come to fruition. However, one action scene involving Sanja chasing a suspect through a small border town really stands out. Adding a bit of local culture, the Dayak gong instrument soundtrack accompanying it is indeed a nice touch. (David Chew)

27. Tenement (Sokyou Chea and Inrasothythep Neth, Cambodia)

As Cambodia crawls out of its movie-making infancy and starts to produce content outside the country’s borders, it’s chosen to do so with the mindset of appealing to a more Western audience than what would initially be expected. Graced with spectacular visuals, a highly engaging technical skillset belying its brief existence, and a wholly unexpected mindset that’s quite immersive into the experience, co-writer/directors Sokyou Chea and Inrasothythep Neth provide one of the more impressive and outwardly enjoyable introductions to Cambodian genre cinema with their newest effort “Tenement” screening at the International Film Festival Rotterdam. (Don Anelli)

26. WAShhh (Mickie Lai, Short, Malaysia)

“WAShhh” is a great film, that manages to communicate a series of comments and a very entertaining story/event in just over 20 minutes. What becomes evident, is that Lai is more than ready to shoot a feature, perhaps even with the same theme. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

25. Operation Undead (Kongkiat Komesiri, Thailand)

Despite the fact that it definitely goes a bit too strong on the melodrama, “Operation Undead” is an excellent zombie movie, both for the action and horror, but also for its anti-war and historic comments that definitely deem it a stand out in the category. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

24. The Silent Path (Yonri Revolt, Indonesia)

Revolt’s sophomore film that is superbly edited and told with heart, celebrates its world premiere in the festival’s Harbour programme. It is a profound study of a man who was gradually defined by the country he had spent most of his life in, which maybe made him both a better cleric and a better human being, but none the less a part of the system. (Marina Richter)

23. How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies (Pat Boonnitipat, Thailand)

The concept of elderly care and its connection with the benefit of the will has been one that has been ‘tormenting’ every family internationally, and even more, the ones in some Asian countries where family seems to mean everything. Pat Boonnitipat explores the concepts in his feature debut, by also including elements of coming-of-age in the narrative. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

22. The Shadow Strays (Timo Tjahjanto, Indonesia)

Nowadays, when one wants to find non-PC, unapologetically fun, ultra violent movies, Indonesia is definitely the place to look. More specifically, Timo Tjahjanto is the one to look for, with films like “The Night Comes For Us” (2018) still echoing quite loud to fans of the category. “The Shadow Strays” is a more than worthy continuation of the aforementioned and definitely bigger in scope. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

21. Cu Li Never Cries (Pham Ngoc Lan, Vietnam)

“Cu Li Never Cries” is a little underwhelming, but nevertheless a solid debut. It might be described as poetic and enchanting. Some may find this co-production between Vietnam, Singapore, Philippines, France, and Norway similar to the work of Lav Diaz, whose slow and calm pictures are a form of existential reflection. Since the story in “Cu Li Never Cries” is very vague, and the characters do not have clearly defined goals, the reception of the film depends largely on the disposition of the audience, and its willingness to just “feel” the movie. (Tobiasz Dunin)