Recently, a trailer for local supernatural thriller film Pulau was released on social media and while it did get people jumping… it was for all the wrong reasons.
The film features a range of local actors and actresses, from really popular local celebrities to up-and-coming ones including Alif Satar, Amelia Henderson, Sanjna Suri as well as former OnlyFans figure Ms PuiYi.
Produced by My Way Pictures in collaboration with Film Force Studios, the trailer showed women in bikinis and a steamy sex scene, which is nothing out of the ordinary for Malaysians considering we have seen countless movies of that sort in local theatres. But for some reason, we got *seriously* iffy over this one.
However, keep in mind that Malaysia is no stranger to heavy censorship when it comes to films. Like Thor’s Love and Thunder which was not allowed release at the very last minute.
Of western culture, soft porn and “sex sells”
Accusations of “Budaya barat” (“western culture”) and “soft porn” thronged social media comments about the film’s trailers.
Some criticised the filmmakers for trying too hard to replicate western films and for relying solely on the sex-sells method as their only source of marketing for the movie.
“… I really don’t understand this country’s film industry.”
“Always criticising Indonesian films inserting soft porn into their films, but now local films have followed suit…shame on the local film industry.”
“The vibe and genre are already great! But wtf got soft porn??? I’m shocked but in a disappointed way. I feel like the trailer has already explained the entire movie. Sorry to say, not that I want to look down on local movies, but this time mehh.”
Netizens also wondered how this movie passed the film censorship board without these scenes being thrown out.
“Stupid film that is not banned from Malaysia, how did this happen? FINAS (the film censorship board) didn’t do their job, is it? Other things can criticise and ban but this? So stupid is it Finas?”
The Malaysian Consultative Council for Islamic Organization has also urged the Film Censorship Board to review the screening approval for the film.
“From the film trailer, it turns out that there are many indecent scenes shown, and at the same time, they are not suitable for public viewing,” said president Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid.
Former deputy religious affairs minister Ahmad Marzuk Shaary had previously questioned why no ministers had spoken out against the horror film.
According to FINAS, the LPF approved the film in September of last year.
A ripoff?
Social media users were quick to point out the similarities of the movie poster to that of the American film Fantasy Island.
The poster for Fantasy Island depicts an island shaped like a skull, with half of the skull underwater, similar to how the poster for Pulau depicts a ghost’s head underwater.
‘Have you never seen a film with women in bikinis?’
Despite the criticism, many social media users have also come forth to defend the production of Pulau.
Some said that ultimately it is nothing that Malaysia has not seen and highlighted more problematic films like KL Gangster and Ombak Rindu, which had a rape scene and said Pulau was nothing close to movies like these which promote violence.
Many also chastised critics for being hypocritical in comparing the film to porn, despite the fact that most people watch porn.
Objectifies women because wearing beachwear at the beach?? God that’s just sad 🥺 https://t.co/exrNpfWBrt
— unnoticebleme (@unnoticebleme) January 17, 2023
What do you think of the trailer? Let us know in the comments!
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