Movie Reviews

Culture, Movie Reviews

Dear You: A Love Letter to What We’re Losing
Reading Time: 5 minutes

By Joshua Gerrard Tan (27A01A)

For anyone who’s been keeping up with local arts news, Dear You (给阿嬷的情书）(2026) is a film that’s certainly crossed your radar. For the three months since its release, this film has sat at the centre of a renewed debate surrounding censorship, education, and the importance of Chinese dialects. Yet this film is deceptively simple in its premise—it is a story of lost letters, of separated lovers, of integrity, loyalty, and a white lie lasting over half a lifetime. 

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Culture, Movie Reviews, Raffles Reviews

Okay, but was it really how Nolan intended it?
Reading Time: 5 minutes

By Prajna Girish (27S06O)

Cinema seats have rarely been snatched as quickly as they did for Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated 2026 project–The Odyssey. I remember sitting at my desk, debating the merits of watching the smash-hit that had grossed $124 million in its opening weekend and 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, on IMAX, apparently “the way it was filmed to be seen”– though prices were upwards of twice a typical ticket. Ultimately, protecting my wallet won out, but after reading the original Epic by Homer, I had to see for myself if the adaptation lived up to the hype. For anyone facing the dilemma, here’s a spoiler-light look at whether it’s worth the watch–and which way it’s best experienced.

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Culture, Movie Reviews, Raffles Reviews

A Girl, She is 100%
Reading Time: 3 minutes

By Sonia Chang (26A01A)

One bright November morning, a man passes a woman on a narrow street and instantly recognises, with inexplicable certainty, that she was 100% him. They exchange no words, they walk on. Yet in those shy seconds, she had lain on his looking and longing. On that Harajuku street corner, love passed them by. 

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Movie Reviews, Opinion, Raffles Reviews

Project Hail Mary: A Ship Full of Grace
Reading Time: 4 minutes

By Irene Eva Thomas (26A01B)

Warning: Contains spoilers.

Set in the context of decades of cynical and complex sci-fi films, Project Hail Mary, based on Andy Weir’s novel of the same title, had two choices: to align with or stand in opposition to this canon. The stakes were high for directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller—they were faced with expectations from fans of Weir’s novel and the self-proclaimed ‘sci-fi connoisseurs’, those who hail (pun not intended) the likes of Interstellar and Alien. 

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Commentary, Movie Reviews, Opinion, Raffles Reviews

Diamonds, Drama, and Disappearing Acts
Reading Time: 5 minutes

A short (spoiler-free) review of Now You See Me, Now You Don’t

By Cherie Khoo (26S03B)

Now You See Me, Now You Don’t opens very much like its predecessors, to the Four Horsemen’s magic show. We come to understand that a decade has passed since the Horsemen last performed together, yet the details are fuzzy at best with no proper recount. First-time moviegoers will have a hard time understanding the plot. Directed by Jon M. Chu (of Crazy Rich Asians and Wicked fame), the film, 13 years after the second installation, is a far cry from the cinematic brilliance he previously orchestrated.

Through the lens of a film critic, this film is at best a snazzy, low-stakes rendition of a classic storyline. It is packaged in shiny fresh shrink-wrap like those on a deck of playing cards, not only flimsy but also a hassle to unwrap and a greater irritation to dispose of. But for the moviegoer, it’s exactly what is promised; a fun, magic-filled experience that only falls slightly shorter than expected. 

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