Writer: Ezekiel Lee Zhiang Yang

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Watch this if you liked: “Jangan Pandang Belakang Congkak”, “Jangan Pandang Belakang Congkak 2”

Metrowealth's 42nd movie "Ngangkung" doesn't do anything too different from the "Jangan Pandang Belakang Congkak" horror-comedy mould, making it a steady bet for the box office in Malaysia where it is aimed.

Reported to have cost RM 1.8 million to make, the movie, about the occult provincial practice of summoning demons to get winning lottery numbers, does seem rather heavy for a horror-comedy towards the end and one suspects a lapse in focus by debutant feature director Ismail Bob Hasim (who has however been directing TV dramas since the mid-90s) may have taken some bite and pace out of it. There are no laugh-out-loud moments in "Ngangkung" but giggles are sporadic and gets even more sparse towards the final third where it turns so much darker and more serious like "Mantra" or "Santau". The feel-good factor of a horror-comedy is regrettably lost there.

However, we can take consolation in the brilliant performance of Shaheizy Sam who once again impresses with his emotional range and character depth, surely making him one of the most intelligent leading men in Malaysian cinema today. This Malaysian Film Festival Best Actor winner (for his role in "Evolusi KL Drift 2") knows how to make a difference in every role he takes on. Other cast members include a comfortable (if not comfortably ambitionless) Lan Pet Pet, Azlee Jaafar and Angah from 'Raja Lawak', not to mention yet another annoying performance from Azad Jazmin. His real-life lover Eira Syazira plays opposite him in a resurgent role and the young lass does seem more polished these days on and off the screen. Putri Mardiana and little Farisya Fatin also make an appearance.

For "Ngangkung", the prevailing popularity of Shaheizy Sam should do the trick. Riding on the unstoppable MIG movie train that is now producing (and improving on) an incredible number of movies yearly, we can only hope that one of these days they will use their resources to make a truly memorable Malaysian movie that will impress and perhaps go on to chart another era of substantial cinema for our industry.

Cinema Online, 22 November 2010