Tiong Bahru Social Club is a 2020 feature film written and directed by Bee Thiam Tan. What it means to be happy in a world filled with distractions is at the core of Tiong Bahru Social Club. While it may not overtly seek to answer that question on a universal level, it at least successfully shows one example of what happiness in simplicity means.
There is an undeniable charm that breathes from this film, a candy-coated veneer that highlights even mundane activities. In borrowing a page from the splendid work of Wes Anderson, we are shown a world that feels adjacent to our own, one that exists closely but is too hyper-stylized to be what we live in every day.
Our protagonist is more of the quiet type, trying to find meaning not because he wants to, but more because it is what society expects. This is one of the film’s major themes, living up to an expectation invented by the world around us.
Inevitably finding the genuine answers to what he wants drives the film’s finale in a truly sweet and endearing way. The road to that point, though, while fun and interesting, doesn’t always strike a tone as well.
At the moment, the beats of the film feel fine and keep the pace moving along nicely. In hindsight, though reflecting on the viewing, a lot of things seem inconsequential by the conclusion. That does not mean anything is bad per se, but some of it strikes the note of feeling a bit like filler.
Tiong Bahru Social Club’s Bright Side
On the bright side, though, the ensemble of the film really keeps things flowing along, with a high-key lighting style for anything we are presented in the daytime. This only breaks for the more neon-infused underbelly of the mysterious social club. While these mysteries in some ways never seem to be fully realized, they can sometimes be more interesting than those fully explained.
Think of this one as if Wes Anderson went on a binge of watching too many episodes of Black Mirror and wrote an entire script in one night, reflecting on that experience.
Tiong Bahru Social Club is a fun, witty, sci-fi-infused experience that keeps things light but poignant when needed. All the elements may not work perfectly, but the charm will keep you entertained throughout.
Tiong Bahru Social Club gets
3.5 hugs out of 5
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