Beyond K-dramas and C-dramas: These Malaysian titles are stealing the spotlight on Netflix
With Netflix helping these stories get worldwide footprint, a new crop of Malaysian dramas and movies are winning hearts with their plots, rich culture, and performances that linger long after the credits roll. Since 2020, these hits have done more than entertain as they've nudged viewers' beliefs and set them talking. Here are five titles that are pushing the industry in daring new directions.
Reversi (2024)
Stars: Beto Kusyairy, Shiqin Kamal, Hasnul Rahmat
In this tender sci-fi tale, Akid grieves the losses of his past and discovers he can slip between time's cracks. Each return brings moments of warmth, yet he learns a brutal lesson: some wounds refuse to close. By weaving tears with the thrill of time travel, Reversi asks whether real peace lives in rewriting history or simply accepting the story we've been given.
Conquer: Lahad Datu (2024)
Stars: Syafiq Kyle, Kamal Adli, Fikry Ibrahim
When a heavily armed group sweeps into eastern Sabah, Malaysian police call in their top squad to drive them back. Based on real events, the movie revisits the 2013 Lahad Datu standoff, when Sulu gunmen tried to stake a claim and clashed violently with Malaysian troops. This event still looms large in the national memory, a painful chapter marked by casualties and a jarring test of the country's security.
Tegkang (2024)
Stars: Mohd Syafie Naswip, Michelle Lungan, Pun Ratu Aran
Taking its title from a Kelabit word for 'rainbow', this drama is about a man's journey toward finding himself while also showing how lives can turn in surprising ways. Burned out and creatively adrift, photographer Hanafi flees to Bario, a quiet Sarawak highland village, hoping solitude will revive his camera eye. There he meets Rinai, an easy-going local who guides him through everyday routines and nudges him back towards art. As their bond grows, they uncover an old mystery that reshapes Rinai's sense of self and changes both of them forever.
The Ghost Bride (2020)
Stars: Peijia Huang, Kang Ren Wu, Ludi Lin
Set in 1890s colonial Malacca, The Ghost Bride follows Li Lan, a young woman who has been offered a way to save her debt-ridden family - by becoming the ghost bride to a wealthy family's deceased son. But what seems like a lifeline quickly turns sinister as she becomes entangled in a chilling murder mystery with supernatural forces far more dangerous than she ever imagined.
Babah (2024)
Stars: Qi Razali, Cristina Suzanne Stockstill, Farhanna Qismina Sweet
This film is about the heartfelt journey of Isyak and his daughter Maya, whose unbreakable bond is tested by life's many trials. Over the years they face several heartbreaks - Isyak loses his job, Maya is struck by
Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), and Isyak himself goes deaf - yet their love and resilience shine, showing that even in darkness family can light the way forward.
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