Straits Times Film picks: Dangerous Animals, Australian Film Festival, Trainwreck: Poop Cruise
Cruise passengers set up beds outdoors to escape the heat that built up without air-conditioning in Trainwreck: Poop Cruise. PHOTO: NETFLIX
Trainwreck: Poop Cruise (M18)
55 minutes, Netflix
★★★★☆
In 2013, 4,100-odd passengers and crew aboard the Carnival Triumph set out on a two-day cruise from Mexico to Galveston, Texas. A fire destroyed the ship's electrical system, leaving it dead in the water without working air-conditioning or toilets.
For four days, before the ship was towed back to the United States, those on board endured stifling heat, fetid air from leaking sewage and going to the toilet in plastic bags.
This documentary, the latest in the Trainwreck series on Netflix, looks at the saga with footage shot by cruise participant Devin Marble, intercut with interviews with passengers, crew members, lawyers and public relations executives hired to deal with the media furore.
More than a decade on, almost everyone involved speaks about his or her odorous ordeal with wry humour. The real takeaway – one that is far more tragi-comic – are the revelations about rampant corner-cutting in the cruise industry, a discouraging reality for cruise lovers.
Australian Film Festival 2025
(From left) Aaron L. McGrath, Levi Miller and Angourie Rice in the mystery drama Jasper Jones.
PHOTO: AUSTRALIAN FILM FESTIVAL 2025
The 2025 edition of the festival showcases six films from Singapore and Australia, marking 60 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The Australian films cover a range of genres, from documentary to musical romance, each placing a focus on First Nations stories.
Jasper Jones (2017, PG13, 102 minutes, screens on June 27 and July 6, various times) is a mystery drama adapted from Craig Silvey's 2009 novel of the same name.
It is 1969 and, in a small rural town, white teenager Charlie (Levi Miller) and his Aboriginal friend Jasper (Aaron L. McGrath) share a gruesome secret. Fearing that the death of Jasper's girlfriend Laura will be blamed on Jasper by townsfolk, they have hidden her corpse.
The consequences of Laura's disappearance ripple through the town, exposing racist attitudes and other disturbing truths about the outwardly wholesome community. The film stars double Oscar nominee Toni Collette as Ruth, Charlie's formidable mother.
A review in The Guardian newspaper says director Rachel Perkins 'threads the plot's various elements together seamlessly', with the result being 'a morbidly enchanting coming-of-age drama that has much in common with Stand By Me (1986), director Rob Reiner's adaptation of Stephen King's novella'.
Where: Golden Village Suntec City, 03-373, 3 Temasek Boulevard
MRT: Promenade
When: June 26 to July 6, various times
Admission: $2, with $1 discount for Singapore Film Society members and Friends of the Australian High Commission, Singapore. Bookings available through the Golden Village website or box office
Info: str.sg/BMui
Dangerous Animals (M18)
99 minutes, now showing
Jai Courtney in the thriller Dangerous Animals.
PHOTO: SHAW ORGANISATION
Australian film-maker Sean Byrne's latest film comes after two well-received works of horror, The Loved Ones (2009) and The Devil's Candy ( 2015 ), which established him as a director who infuses spine-chilling terror with emotion.
Dangerous Animals was selected for the Directors' Fortnight sidebar section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, an honour only occasionally given to works of horror.
The story follows Zephyr (Hassie Harrison), an American tourist visiting Australia's Gold Coast. She is abducted by shark obsessive Tucker (Jai Courtney) and chained in his boat. For her, he has gruesome plans, plans he has carried out on several other captives.
In a review, Variety magazine calls the film 'an efficient and highly effective thriller that scarcely allows a calm moment in which to question how deranged its premise truly is'.
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
International Business Times
13 hours ago
- International Business Times
Oh My Ghost Clients Episode 9 Preview Teases Trouble for Noh Mu Jin; Will Ghost Workers Help Him?
Oh My Ghost Clients episode 9 will air on MBC on Friday (June 27) at 9:50 PM KST. The chapter will follow labor attorney Noh Mu Jin when he tries to help a group of ghost workers. The preview for this week teases trouble for the lawyer as the newly released stills show him tied to a pillar. Noh Mu Jin looks exhausted in the stills, which captured his bruises. But he is not alone in this grim situation as eight ghost workers are hovering around him. They seem worried about the lawyer as they do everything to help him. Meanwhile, a set of photos shows the kidnappers tempting Noh Mu Jin with jjajangmyeon in an attempt to extract information from him. The lawyer struggles to hold back while longingly watching the kidnappers enjoying their meal. The ghost workers also look tensed, watching the attorney leaning towards the dinner table. Oh My Ghost Clients Episode 9 Preview The MBC comedy-action drama is only a day away from its finale, and the viewers are curious to know what lies ahead for Noh Mu Jin. Episode 9 might feature a showdown between the lawyer and the real owner of Myeongeum Construction. Watch Oh My Ghost Clients episode 9 on MBC on Friday (June 27) at 9:50 PM KST to know if Noh Mu Jin and the ghost workers will succeed in their efforts to expose the truth and grant justice. People in Korea can watch the ninth episode on TV or stream it online. K-drama fans from other parts of the world, including the US, Canada, Australia, the UK, Mexico, Denmark, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Greece, Greenland, Hong Kong, China, Japan, New Zealand, UAE, Singapore, Turkey, and South Africa, can watch the mini-series with subtitles on online streaming platforms, like Netflix. Here are the International Air Timings of Oh My Ghost Clients Episode 9: US - 7:50 AM Canada - 7:50 AM Australia - 11:20 PM New Zealand - 1:50 AM Japan - 9:50 PM Mexico - 6:50 AM Brazil - 9:50 AM Saudi Arabia - 3:50 PM India - 6:20 PM Indonesia - 7:50 PM Singapore - 8:50 PM China - 8:50 PM Europe - 1:50 PM France - 1:50 PM Spain - 1:50 PM UK - 12:50 PM South Africa - 2:50 PM Philippines - 8:50 PM Oh My Ghost Clients is an ongoing comedy-action drama starring Jung Kyoung Ho, Seol In Ah, Cha Hak Yeon, and Tang Joon Sang. Screenwriter Kim Bo Tong wrote the script with Yoo Seung Hee. Director Yim Soonrye helmed the directorial role in association with Lee Han Jun. The mini-series premiered on MBC on Friday (May 30) at 9:50 PM KST. It follows a labor attorney, Noh Mu Jin, and features his struggle due to his special ability to see ghosts. He teams up with his sister-in-law Na Hee Ju and YouTuber Go Gyeon Woo to help the ghosts resolve their grudges.
CNA
20 hours ago
- CNA
Squid Game's third and final season: Some burning questions we need answered
The highly anticipated final season of Squid Game premieres on Friday (Jun 27) on Netflix, bringing the intense battle of survival and betrayal to a final end. Season 2 left us with plenty of unanswered questions and as fans gear up to dive back into the deadly games in the third season, here's something to get you up to speed. In Season 2, Seong Gi-hun – Player 456, the winner of the brutal games in Season 1 – returns. This time with a mission to bring down the game once and for all. Despite once refusing to even touch his prize money, viewers discover that Gi-hun has been secretly using his winnings to fund an underground operation aimed at locating the game's elusive recruiter. Meanwhile, Detective Hwang Jun-ho, last seen being shot in the shoulder by his own brother, the Front Man Hwang In-ho, has been transferred to the traffic department. He appears to have left his past behind. But beneath the surface, the trauma of what he uncovered still haunts him. Learning that his own brother is deeply entangled in the games – not just as a participant, but as the Front Man himself – drives Jun-ho into desperation to seek the truth. As both Gi-hun and Jun-ho pursue their own missions to bring down the games, their paths inevitably cross. Realising they share the same goal, the two join forces to dismantle the sinister operations. As part of their plan, Gi-hun re-enters the game, this time with a discreet tracker hidden inside a dental crown. But the plan fails when the device is discovered and removed. KEY PLOTLINES AND BURNING QUESTIONS HEADING INTO S3 One of the biggest twists in Season 2 comes when the Front Man infiltrates the games, in disguise as Oh Young-il, Player 001. He forges what appears to be a sincere connection with Gi-hun. Being the emotional idealist, Gi-hun lets his guard down once again, trusting Oh Young-il – a cruel echo of Season 1, when that same misplaced trust he had with Play 001, Il-nam, led to devastating revelations. But the true gut-punch comes when Gi-hun's best friend, Park Jung-bae, Player 390, is shot at point-blank range by the Front Man himself. The season ends on a harrowing note, with a wounded and guilt-stricken Gi-hun collapsed in anguish beside the lifeless body of his friend. After everything he has lost, will Gi-hun give up his mission realising it has caused the deaths of so many innocent lives? Or has the cost broken him so deeply that he might do the unthinkable and join the very system he once vowed to destroy? Interestingly, the Front Man assumes the same player number – 001 as Il-nam in Season 1, who was later revealed to be the original creator and mastermind behind the games. Is this a coincidence, a twisted homage, or could the two be connected in a deeper and more sinister way? In Season 2, we also get a glimpse of the Front Man's tragic past. Under the disguise as Player 001, he tells Gi-hun that his wife is gravely ill and pregnant. He joined the games in a desperate bid to fund her treatment, a plea for empathy and even justification for his actions. But the truth unfolds when we learn that his wife has already passed. The lie exposes deeper emotional fractures. What truly happened to his wife and what pushed him down this dark path? A deeper flashback reveals more. The Front Man once donated his kidney to save his brother, Jun-ho's life. This led to his own life crumbling as he was left with nothing when his wife becomes critically ill. Drowning in debt, he too joined the games. Does Jun-ho feel responsible for his brother's descent into evil? What secrets lie buried between the two? Meanwhile, Jun-ho, receives help from once-trusted ally, Captain Park, a seasoned boatman who helps him trace the location of the secret island where the games are held. A flashback reveals that Park had rescued Jun-ho after he was shot and fell off the cliff. However, the truth cuts deeper. Park has been a mole all along, secretly working for the Front Man. The greater twist comes when it is revealed that his rescue was orchestrated by his brother all along. Does the Front Man harbour a personal vendetta against his brother? Can there ever be a reconciliation between the two, or will their story end in tragedy? The trailer for Season 3 hints at a final, high stakes showdown between Gi-hun and the Front Man. In a chilling glimpse, the Front Man locks eye with Gi-hun and asks "Number 456, do you still have faith in people?". It's more than just a question, it encapsulates the theme of the entire series. In a world built on vengeance, betrayal and survival, that single line may ultimately determine Gi-hun's fate to challenge the darkness or become part of it.
Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
Straits Times Film picks: Dangerous Animals, Australian Film Festival, Trainwreck: Poop Cruise
Cruise passengers set up beds outdoors to escape the heat that built up without air-conditioning in Trainwreck: Poop Cruise. PHOTO: NETFLIX Trainwreck: Poop Cruise (M18) 55 minutes, Netflix ★★★★☆ In 2013, 4,100-odd passengers and crew aboard the Carnival Triumph set out on a two-day cruise from Mexico to Galveston, Texas. A fire destroyed the ship's electrical system, leaving it dead in the water without working air-conditioning or toilets. For four days, before the ship was towed back to the United States, those on board endured stifling heat, fetid air from leaking sewage and going to the toilet in plastic bags. This documentary, the latest in the Trainwreck series on Netflix, looks at the saga with footage shot by cruise participant Devin Marble, intercut with interviews with passengers, crew members, lawyers and public relations executives hired to deal with the media furore. More than a decade on, almost everyone involved speaks about his or her odorous ordeal with wry humour. The real takeaway – one that is far more tragi-comic – are the revelations about rampant corner-cutting in the cruise industry, a discouraging reality for cruise lovers. Australian Film Festival 2025 (From left) Aaron L. McGrath, Levi Miller and Angourie Rice in the mystery drama Jasper Jones. PHOTO: AUSTRALIAN FILM FESTIVAL 2025 The 2025 edition of the festival showcases six films from Singapore and Australia, marking 60 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The Australian films cover a range of genres, from documentary to musical romance, each placing a focus on First Nations stories. Jasper Jones (2017, PG13, 102 minutes, screens on June 27 and July 6, various times) is a mystery drama adapted from Craig Silvey's 2009 novel of the same name. It is 1969 and, in a small rural town, white teenager Charlie (Levi Miller) and his Aboriginal friend Jasper (Aaron L. McGrath) share a gruesome secret. Fearing that the death of Jasper's girlfriend Laura will be blamed on Jasper by townsfolk, they have hidden her corpse. The consequences of Laura's disappearance ripple through the town, exposing racist attitudes and other disturbing truths about the outwardly wholesome community. The film stars double Oscar nominee Toni Collette as Ruth, Charlie's formidable mother. A review in The Guardian newspaper says director Rachel Perkins 'threads the plot's various elements together seamlessly', with the result being 'a morbidly enchanting coming-of-age drama that has much in common with Stand By Me (1986), director Rob Reiner's adaptation of Stephen King's novella'. Where: Golden Village Suntec City, 03-373, 3 Temasek Boulevard MRT: Promenade When: June 26 to July 6, various times Admission: $2, with $1 discount for Singapore Film Society members and Friends of the Australian High Commission, Singapore. Bookings available through the Golden Village website or box office Info: Dangerous Animals (M18) 99 minutes, now showing Jai Courtney in the thriller Dangerous Animals. PHOTO: SHAW ORGANISATION Australian film-maker Sean Byrne's latest film comes after two well-received works of horror, The Loved Ones (2009) and The Devil's Candy ( 2015 ), which established him as a director who infuses spine-chilling terror with emotion. Dangerous Animals was selected for the Directors' Fortnight sidebar section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, an honour only occasionally given to works of horror. The story follows Zephyr (Hassie Harrison), an American tourist visiting Australia's Gold Coast. She is abducted by shark obsessive Tucker (Jai Courtney) and chained in his boat. For her, he has gruesome plans, plans he has carried out on several other captives. In a review, Variety magazine calls the film 'an efficient and highly effective thriller that scarcely allows a calm moment in which to question how deranged its premise truly is'. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
