MUCH has been written and said about ‘Pulau’ ever since its trailer was released in January. It’s been called obscene and immoral and accused of being ‘soft porn’.
A lot of that is because of the shots of women in bikinis and tank tops, as well as hints of a sex scene featuring former adult entertainer turned club DJ Siew Pui Yi.
But that’s not really what the movie is about. To put it simply, ‘Pulau’ is a supernatural slasher movie set on a cursed island where a demon hunts down our cast of young and attractive holidaymakers. Nothing more, nothing less.
Though over its runtime it does reveal a few twists on the formula, especially in its flashbacks and how the story is resolved, but these would be spoilers.
When ‘Pulau’ starts we are introduced to our lead characters; there’s Kat (Amelia Henderson), the ostensible lead who possesses an otherworldly ability she keeps secret; Khai (Ikmal Amry), who is crushing on her; Lili (Joey Leong), her best friend; Ben (Alif Satar), Lili’s cousin; Dauz (Jazmy Jama), Khai’s brother; Yus (Sanjna Suri) Dauz’s girlfriend; and Mark (Vikar), the comedic relief.
A big part in the selling of the movie, even during the press conference right after the screening, is the diversity of the cast – multi-racial and multi-lingual as is true of modern Malaysia, as well as populating the cast with a mix of actors, singers, and social media influencers.
In fact, you could argue that putting Ms Pui Yi into the film, despite her lack of acting experience, was meant to increase the movie’s visibility first and foremost. That could prove to be a double-edged sword.
Filmed in picturesque Langkawi during one of the MCOs (remember those), Pulau spends a little too much time as a tourism advert. There’s about one party scene too many as it feels like we only get to the titular Pulau about halfway through the movie.
It was a little laugh-out-loud funny that the haunted island literally looks like a skull as seen on the posters. You would think that would be enough of a warning sign even before the spooked boatman (Namron) explains the curse bewitching the island.
Of course, it’s a trope of slasher movies that the characters don’t exactly make the smartest decisions. Which again happens when our leads make a bad bet with a rival crew and have to spend a night on the island.
And as can be predicted, the LPF rears its head when it comes to any scenes that are violent or sexually suggestive. The trailer hinted at a sex scene of sorts between Pui Yi and Vikar, which we see the beginnings of… and not much else. However, another sex scene works a lot better because it’s more cleverly edited.
(About 10 scenes were cut according to producer Fred Chong. You’ll have to head to Singapore if you want to see them).
There are a couple of violent scenes, but nothing too gory or bloody, as ‘Pulau’ depends a little too much on jump scares. The horror in the movie works a lot better on a psychological level, especially as we learn more about the motivations of the demon.
In terms of performances, Henderson is the clear standout, mainly because her character goes through a lot both physically and emotionally, and she’s up to the challenge. The final confrontation wouldn’t work otherwise.
Ultimately, the ‘controversy’ that’s been following ‘Pulau’ is blowing it up to be something bigger than it is. Yes, there is an underlying message of racial harmony and there is a believable depiction of carefree youth, but that’s about it. Let’s see if the box office is helped or hurt by all this talk.
‘Pulau’ will be released in 124 cinemas (as of press time) on March 9. – The Vibes, March 1, 2023
