By Jane Ng (25S03D)

This review was written as part of the 35th Singapore International Film Festival’s (SGIFF) Cinephile Pass programme. 

For most of us, our experiences with crocodiles stop at the murky enclosures in Mandai Wildlife Reserve, or maybe the small circular logo on the side of our white rubber Crocs. However, for Johan and his mother (or “Mama”), the titular characters in Crocodile Tears (2024), it’s impossible to imagine a life without these reptiles. Indeed, Tumpal Tampubolon’s directorial debut foregrounds their family-run crocodile farm in Indonesia, and the dangers that lurk within.