Movie Review: Pendatang (2023)

 

So December has been a great month for movies in Malaysia. 

One being this, and the other being Abang Adik (2023), which I will talk about in another post. 

Pendatang (2023) came out just in time for the long weekends of Christmas and New Year, and I managed to watch it with family in the comfort of our home.

If you didn't know about this movie, you can watch the full movie here, which was crowdfunded, has been posted on Youtube. So you can catch it anytime, anywhere.

Being crowdfunded and being posted on Youtube allowed the movie to touch on controversial topics, that is racism.

I have always been a fan of discussing controversial topics. Not because I want to incite any hatred or prejudice against any groups whatsoever, but I have been a firm believer that every topic should be open to discussion and selective topics should not be shunned. 

Only when there is genuine and objective discussion that change and improvement (if needed) can happen. 

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You can read many op-eds online, one being this review, which I enjoyed.

Regardless, I wanted to write about this here, to remember a few things.

We have talented people in the film industry, and there is hope for us there. 

I look forward to many many more to come from you, Malaysia. 

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*Some spoilers ahead*

What I loved / learnt:

• That the budget doesn't necessarily decide how well the movie is received or how well a movie is made

That a movie doesn't have to be made on a big budget to have an impact on the audience.

Sure, there may be scenes (such as the shooting / fighting ones) that could have been better / more realistic with a bigger budget, perhaps.

But it's the quiet, simple moments of the movie that gets to you. 

It's all in the interactions between the characters and the memorable but simplistic dialogue. 

The scene of the family eating: the normalcy of the moment despite it being set in a dystopian future where archaic laws are brought back to the forefront. 

The scene of the family being harassed, just because they were subjected to the authority and the powers at play. The tension and the desperation felt.

• The value of 'family above all else'. But at what expense?

How much higher do we place value of the people that we know / our loved ones compared to the ones that we don't know? 

What are we prepared to do in order to protect our family?

How far would you go to protect yourself / your family?

Are the people of our same race counted as our family but not those of a different race / origin / background?

What defines family?

• The importance of not taking our views to the extreme

The movie opens with Malaysia being set in a dystopian future where there is a new law prohibiting contact between races. 

Is that too far-fetched or is that exactly where we are headed if we continue on the same path that we have been on? Food for thought. 

With the advent of social media and the internet, we are constantly prompted to think that our opinion is the right one amidst others. 

Our views are reinforced by the media we consume, the algorithm showing us media based on previous videos that we have watched before. We start to think that everyone believes the same things that we do, to our detriment, because how can that be possible?

Moderation is key. But do everyone subscribe to the same thought?

• The reality of there being good people and bad people regardless of race etc

We might be tempted to be biased / prejudiced / stereotyped to think that certain characteristics are confined to certain races. We all have had that thought before. But the difference is whether we act on them. 

'Pendatang' shows the reality if the powers in Malaysia acted on that thought. Perhaps, even phrased it in a way that showed that segregation would bring about positive effects and consequences. 

The truth is that every race would have people of various characteristics. Good / bad / pretty / ugly characteristics. Everyone is human. Everyone is fallible. Nobody is perfect, although we all strive to be near that. Everyone has different priorities and values that they hold dear to them. 

• Let's never forget to be kind to the people around us

We might have different ambitions and aim to be many things in our life. 

Successful. Famous. Rich. Own a nice car. Own a nice house. Have many friends. Be popular.

But I hope we be kind too. 

Reminds me of the T. Swift song 'marjorie':

Never be so kind

You forget to be clever

Never be so clever

You forget to be kind

When you can help, help. 

When you can't, I hope someone will come your way to be your help. 

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I hope that you now know about this movie. 

And is encouragement for you to watch it.

Have a Blessed New Year!

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References:

1. https://media.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/4fda861f-pendatang-lifestyle-emelpic-241223.jpg  
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yI50AwTDpiU
3. https://www.eurasiareview.com/24122023-malaysia-a-review-of-pendatang-oped/