Ponti

Sharlene Teo

Singapore, 1978 – stunning young beauty Amisa stars in the cult horror movie Ponti! as the Pontianak of local legend: a man-eating, forest-dwelling ghost. In 2003’s stifling polluted air, Amisa’s troubled 16-year-old daughter Szu forms an intense but short-lived bond with fellow outsider Circe. Fastforward to 2020, and Ponti! is being remade with a new message, that even monsters can be redeemed. But in a world where people sweat, ooze grease and sprout unsightly spots, and beauty belongs to social media brands and ad campaigns, can we believe that memories can be re-edited or a failed relationship rebooted? A smart, slick take on the dark side of modernity. 7/10