Expanding My Film Palette
As an angsty teenager growing up in the suburbs of Subang Jaya, Malaysia, my heart yearned for unchaperoned house parties, road trips in pursuit of self-discovery, and deep conversations while walking around the city. With ample parental supervision during outings with friends and the mall as our main hangout spot, I satisfied my yearnings through film.
Tumblr was at its pinnacle from the 2000s to the 2010s. My friends and I would repost quotes that seemed deep but didn’t quite make a whole lot of sense, stills of movies that we thought were so obscure, and photos of white teens in some vague European country. I would spend hours reading fashion blogs, but my holy grail was Rookie Magazine. Rookie Magazine was my version of Vogue. I loved how the writers captured the melancholy of teenagedom, romanticised suburbia, and recommended media that spoke to me in a way I didn’t fully understand.
My internet diet supplied me with a steady dose of film recommendations that I devoured ravenously. From Submarine to Before Sunrise, I was locked in.
After fully immersing myself in the films, I would recommend them to my friends, and we would dissect scenes that we didn’t fully understand or ones that encapsulated an emotion we couldn’t quite put into words. Unfortunately, a lot of the films watched were on the screen of a laptop; this was before streaming, and the indie cinema scene in Kuala Lumpur was nonexistent. Local television and movie theatres would censor anything that was seen as haram, which cut out the nuances of certain scenes.
There wasn't a physical space to enjoy films fully.
The first time I attended an interactive showing, my life honestly changed. My roommates and I caught The Rocky Horror Picture Show in San Francisco. Upon entering the theatre, we were provided with a bag that included rice and other miscellaneous items to be tossed during a specific scene. Everyone was dressed up as their favourite character and sang along to the songs. At one point, we were marked with a V for virgins using lipsticks as first-timers to the show. There was a sense of community that was unlike any other. I guess that's what Gen Alpha is looking for when they watch Minecraft?
Films still capture my heart in a way that books never can. Don’t get me wrong, I love reading, but there’s something about a soundtrack that fits perfectly, beautiful cinematography that renders us speechless, and the scenes that don't involve any dialogue yet evoke such strong emotions. Films hit different.
In an effort to expand my film palette, I’m embarking on a 52-week film challenge that was introduced by Newt Sattler, aka NewtFilms, on TikTok.
Between decision paralysis and comfort film rewatches, this challenge will help me discover new films, venture outside my comfort zone, and hopefully surprise me with what I may like. For a little insight into the films I like, here's my Letterboxd top 4: La Haine, Before Sunrise, Moonlight, and The Florida Project.
I would like to do this on a weekly basis, but life may throw me some curveballs, so bear with me. As of May 21, 2025, I’ve watched 3 films as part of this challenge, which I will start posting the reviews of next week.
If you feel inclined to join me on this journey, please do so and drop me a message! I would love to hear your thoughts and impressions.
