At The Movies

Embracing the weight of discomfort

Anthony Chen's Wet Season pushes viewers out of their comfort zones with masterful storytelling

Ana De Armas and Daniel Craig (both above) in Knives Out. Michelle Yeoh (above left) and Emilia Clarke in Last Christmas. Yeo Yann Yann and Koh Jia Ler star in Wet Season.
Yeo Yann Yann and Koh Jia Ler star in Wet Season. PHOTO: GOLDEN VILLAGE
Ana De Armas and Daniel Craig (both above) in Knives Out. Michelle Yeoh (above left) and Emilia Clarke in Last Christmas. Yeo Yann Yann and Koh Jia Ler star in Wet Season.
Ana De Armas and Daniel Craig (both above) in Knives Out. PHOTO: ENCORE FILMS
Ana De Armas and Daniel Craig (both above) in Knives Out. Michelle Yeoh (above left) and Emilia Clarke in Last Christmas. Yeo Yann Yann and Koh Jia Ler star in Wet Season.
Michelle Yeoh (above left) and Emilia Clarke in Last Christmas. PHOTO: UIP
Arctic Justice PHOTO: SHAW ORGANISATION
Ana De Armas and Daniel Craig (both above) in Knives Out. Michelle Yeoh (above left) and Emilia Clarke in Last Christmas. Yeo Yann Yann and Koh Jia Ler star in Wet Season.
Downton Abbey PHOTO: UIP
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103 minutes/Opens today/4 Stars

In the social drama Ilo Ilo (2013), a family beset by typically Singaporean problems deploys typically Singaporean solutions - hiring a new domestic helper, signing on to a money-making scheme and settling for a career as a security guard after losing a job in sales - only to see each step backfire.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on November 28, 2019, with the headline Embracing the weight of discomfort. Subscribe