Wonderland (2023) by Chai Yee Wei

By: Arissa Binte Kamaruzaman, Singapore

Wonderland (2023) reveals an authentic side of ‘80s Singapore that we rarely see onscreen: fast-paced Hokkien exchanged over the whiff of a cigarette, reds and yellows aglow in a neighborhood incense shop, and elderly folks hiding in the confines of their flats. Director Chai Yee Wei artfully fleshes out these oft-ignored experiences and images in his portrayal of the single parent, Loke, who bears the old, bleeding wound of losing his wife, later nursing a fresh one when his daughter meets with an accident overseas. Even as he hurts, the neighbors around him form a community that he eventually relies on and finds joy in — be it when he spends a nostalgic night at the getai together with the entire crew or spontaneously jams out on his harmonica with the next-door, piano-playing Tan.

To this day, many elderly individuals who live alone in Singaporean rental flats face social isolation, but the sense of community that they build with their neighbors often charges their life with newfound purpose. A tearjerker, Wonderland (2023) forces us to question whether the stoicism embodied by many of our own elderly parents conceal their unspoken traumas. More than that, it sheds light on the fact that many elderly fear posing an emotional burden on their loved ones, clinging helplessly to a twisted version of filial piety. The concept of wonderland, then, transforms beyond the tangible space of the theme park that Loke often revisits in his memories of his wife and daughter, into that of an intangible hope for a home where souls like him can be truly understood.

The movie poster for Wonderland (2023), directed by Chai Yee Wei.