Features

5 Reasons to watch local thriller "Two Sisters"

Writer: Casey Lee



We welcome the new haunting from James Lee.

While on the surface, "Two Sisters" may look like another Malaysian horror overlaid with layers of mystery and scares, there is a lot more going behind the scenes that could change the horror genre in Malaysian cinema. Even before anyone else has watched it in cinemas, it has already contended at the 30th Malaysian Film Festival (FFM), making this an anticipated film for 2019.



So here are our 5 reasons to watch this potential game changer.

Emily Lim

After winning the Miss Chinese International in the Miss ASTRO Chinese International Pageant, Emily Lim made her entry into film with mainstream and arthouse appearances in Malaysian works. Starring as the lead in Pekin Ibrahim's "KL Wangan", she has also starred in Woo Ming Jin's "Second Life of Thieves". Since then, she has continued her appearances in Malay and Mandarin television dramas, before returning to take the lead in "Two Sisters". Emily's performance in "Two Sisters" recently earned her a nomination for Best Actress at the 30th Malaysian Film Festival, which puts her in the tough company of Maya Karin and Umie Aida.

Cinematographer Tan Teck Zee

One of the most respected cinematographers in the business, Tan has done camerawork from award-winning shorts to big-budget blockbusters. He has shot for directors such as Mamat Khalid in "Amir & Lokman Pergi Ke Laut" and "Rock Bro", Edmund Yeo, Woo Ming Jin's "KL Zombi" and Teng Bee's "Kepong Gangster 2". Most recently he was behind the camera of "Polis Evo 2", and now he reunites with director James Lee for their next feature since 2012's "If It's Not Now, Then When?".

Music by Nick Davis

Aside from appearing as an actor in Nam Ron's "Gadoh" in 2009 and another outing slated for release, Nick Davis has also done composing work for several short films. Although "Two Sisters" is his first score for a feature film but it has already won the Best Original Score at the recent FFM.

Director James Lee

A contemporary of the Malaysian New Wave from the 2000s that has seen him winning several international awards, director James Lee's more mainstream works has seen him in the Malaysian horror genre with "Histeria" in 2008, "Sini Ada Hantu" and "Tolong Awek Aku Pontianak" in 2011. He returns to the horror genre with "Two Sisters" as his first film released in Malaysian cinemas since 2015's "Sunti @ Facebook".

Kuman Pictures

Founded in 2018 by Amir Muhammad (director of "The Big Durian", "Lelaki Komunis Terakhir"), Kuman Pictures is a production company that is trying to do something new in Malaysia. Taking inspirations from Blumhouse Productions in the US, Kuman Pictures is focused on making low budget thrillers and horrors with royalties being paid to the cast and crew. "Two Sisters" is the first out of three films being produced which would be followed by a Malay and Tamil horror. If this experiment is successful, it could pave a new wave of interests from investors without taking so much risk, and maybe even sharpening the edge of filmmakers into upping their game rather than relying on bombastic budgets to cover up what they need to improve in their filmmaking.

BONUS: Money-Back Guarantee

If the five reasons above is not reason enough to be seeing "Two Sisters", Kuman Pictures has sweetened the deal for you. If you watch it on opening day (18 April) at any of the 25 cinemas it is being screened and are not satisfied by the experience, you can ask for a refund! By posting your tickets back (maximum of 4) with your bank details and e-mail address to Kuman Pictures Sdn Bhd, 57A Faber Plaza, Jalan Desa Bakti, Taman Desa, 58100 Kuala Lumpur before 30 April, you will be refunded. That's how confident they are about "Two Sisters". But with all the reasons above, we are more than happy for them to take our money.

Cinema Online, 18 April 2019