TV & Film Picks
Single’s Inferno 5 claims Netflix’s Global Top 2 spot thanks to intense flirting
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Single's Inferno 5 contestants Kim Go-eun (left) and Kim Jae-jin in the photo shoot challenge.
PHOTO: NETFLIX
Single’s Inferno: Season 5 (PG13)
Netflix
Since its premiere in 2021, Single’s Inferno has achieved global success, with the South Korean reality TV series always finding its way onto Netflix’s Global Top 10 chart.
Some of the dating show’s participants have become minor celebrities, such as Dex from Season 2, who is now a popular TV personality. He also joined actress Lee Da-hee, comedienne Hong Jin-kyung, rapper Hanhae and singer Kyuhyun as co-host of the subsequent seasons.
Season 5 continues with the show’s signature format of following attractive single men and women searching for love on a deserted island dubbed “Inferno”. Contestants can leave the island if they match with a desired partner, earning a night at a luxurious hotel called “Paradise”.
What stands out this time is the participants are more daring, forward and outspoken, and fans can expect sexier dynamics between the singles. Season 5 also adopts a multi-narrative approach, with participants having their distinct storyline.
The 10-episode season, which premiered on Jan 20, is currently the No. 1 Netflix TV series in Singapore and No. 2 on Netflix’s Global Non-English TV series chart.
Singapore Youth Film Festival 2026
A movie still of The Story Of Xiao Ming.
PHOTO: CANDEN CHEN
The Singapore Youth Film Festival (SYFF) returns in 2026 for its second edition, building on a decade-long legacy of the National Youth Film Awards by providing a platform for youth to share their stories, hone their craft and connect with audiences and industry.
From Jan 29 to Feb 8, film aficionados can support more than 40 short films from aspiring student and young adult film-makers, showcasing personal narratives of what it means to come of age in today’s society.
One such tale is The Story Of Xiao Ming, a character many local students write about in their Chinese compositions.
Made by Victoria Junior College student Canden Chen, the film revolves around Xiao Ming, who finds himself stuck in a time loop after helping an old woman on his way to school. Chen was the recipient of the Most Promising Award at the SYFF 2026.
The short films are categorised into nine themed programmes and will be screened over two weeks.
Where: Various venues, including Oldham Theatre and SOTA Studio Theatre peatix.com syff.sg
MRT: Bras Basah/Dhoby Ghaut
When: Jan 29 to Feb 8, various timings
Admission: $6 via
Info:
Undercover Miss Hong (PG13)
Netflix
Park Shin-hye in Undercover Miss Hong.
PHOTO: NETFLIX
K-drama stalwart Park Shin-hye headlines this comedy set in South Korea’s bustling finance industry in late 1997.
She plays Hong Keum-bo, a financial investigator who earned the nickname “Witch of Yeouido” (Seoul’s financial district) for her tenacity in sussing out embezzlement, corruption, fraud, insider trading and market manipulation.
When an investigation into prominent corporation Hanmin Securities goes awry, Keum-bo is not only demoted and her life threatened. Not one to give up without a fight, she decides to go undercover as an entry-level female trainee at Hanmin to expose the corruption.
Undercover Miss Hong also stars Ha Yoon-kyung of Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022) fame as an administrative worker who is also hiding her real identity and Ko Kyung-pyo as Keum-bo’s former lover and Hanmin’s new chief executive.
