It’s cool to see the number of interesting Malaysian films we’ve been getting of late. That’s not to say that Malaysia hasn’t seen its share of great films but it’s cool to see how much of it has been getting some solid attention recently. From Crossroads: One Two Jaga to Guang, the Malaysian film industry is popping out some award worthy gems. With the Netflix produced The Ghost Bride based on the Malaysian novel of the same name in development, we have a lot to look forward to from the Malaysian film industry. This next one comes from debut director Zahir Omar, titled Fly By Night and it looks like it’s going to offer a gripping crime thriller that will rival its Hollywood counterparts.
Fly By Night stars Sunny Pang (Headshot), Bront Paralae (One Two Jaga), Frederick Lee (The Descendant), Fabian Loo (Think Big Big), Jack Tan (A Land Imagined), Eric Chen, Joyce Harn, Shaun Chen and Ruby Faye (Mrs K). Set in Kuala Lumpur, the film follows Tai Lo (Pang) as he runs an extortion racket through his taxi service that targets high-end victims. He is joined by Ah Soon (Chen), Gwai Lo (Tan) and his younger brother Sailo (Loo) as they attempt to extort a “Dato”. KL Detective Kamal (Palarae) catches wind of this plan proving troublesome for this bunch and Sailo’s reckless actions make this much worse for them as the tale engulfs itself with cops and gangsters of the like. Check out the trailer below:
The film’s trailer offers something gripping, brutal and intense and it looks like the film itself is going to deliver something similar. Fly By Night had its screening as part of the New York Asian Film Festival’s first-ever Winter Showcase on the 1st of February at the SVA Theatre in New York City and we’ll be getting a chance to see the film before the year ends.
Taking to Twitter to respond to a review by Film Combat Syndicate which praised the film for its performances, characters, story and script, director Omar expressed some love for the cast and crew involved along with some gratitude for the review. Check out the post below:
Super proud of the cast and crew . You guys rock. Thank you for the review! @Bront_Palarae @AwanKiko @movieflybynight @mobahir @sunnypang1972 @jazzy_pictures https://t.co/iBdlhGsK2p
— zahir omar (@KoboiDimSum) February 11, 2019
Our resident film reviewer Dashran Yohan inquired further in regards to when the film will be screened in Malaysia. To this, producer Mo Bahir revealed that the film is undergoing some “final regulatory obligations” and will be screened in the country sometime this year. Check out the thread below:
Just some final regulatory obligations and we be out to a screen near you. This year for sure!
— mo (@mobahir) February 11, 2019
Fly By Night looks to be something special for fans of crime thrillers and fans of Malaysian cinema. The Malaysian film industry looks like they’re pushing boundaries here, bringing bold and intense stories to audiences. It’s still early to say when the film will be released but whenever it’s out, it’s gotta be on your radar.
Source: Film Combat Syndicate , Zahir Omar , Pearl Chan , Omar Bahir
