Syamsul Yusof action film “Mat Kilau” becomes Malaysia’s highest-grossing local film ever

Malaysian historical action film Mat Kilau: Kebangkitan PahlawanDirected by Siamsul Yusof, it became the highest-grossing local film of all time in the Asian country, breaking the record held by the director’s horror film. Munafiq 2 in 2018.

they kill He earned $ 11.97 million (RM 53 million) in 13 days in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei. Although the filmmakers only announced figures for three territories, local distributors say the film easily crossed the line Munafiq 2, which grossed $ 8.5 million (RM 37.74 million) in Malaysia and $ 10.8 million (RM 48 million) in the region. It reached this figure despite opposition top Gun: Hipster, domination of the Jurassic world Y Minions: The Rise of Gru at the Malaysian box office.

Produced by Studio Kembara and distributed by Skop Productions, they kill It tells the story of Mat Kilau, a legendary 19th century Malay warrior who fought against the British colonizers and their high taxes.

The cast includes Adi Putra, who plays the title character, along with Matt Killau, Beto Kusiairi, Fattah Amin, Yayan Rouhian and Johan Asari. Furthermore, the horrors have struck hypocritical And its sequel, actor and director Syamsul Yusof, is also popular behind it kl gangster Franchising.

The tepid release of the film suggests that the Malaysian box office is on the upswing two years after cinemas closed due to covid-19. Malaysian cinemas were forced to close in March 2020, and apart from a few small temporary openings, they didn’t fully return until September 2021.

But they kill Also controversial: a local news site Malaysian Describing it as “an ethnonationalism film”, since Malaysian characters are described as heroes, all other races, including the Chinese and Indians, play the villains. Malaysia has a racially diverse population with people of Malay, Chinese and Indian descent and ethnic tensions arise from time to time.

Others compare it to the film. Marvelous Film and Mel Gibson Brave Heart. Local film critic Zaim Yusof talked about it China South Morning Post The success of the film is due to the portrayal of Matt Killau as a “properly heroic figure” as well as Marvelous Superheroes: “The masses love superheroes, Marvelous & A.D The films are proof of this. The narrative is simple, a story of betrayal among Malaysians that is relevant to the current political climate. The film’s long martial arts action sequences also draw viewers.

Meanwhile, the local industry is divided on the subject of the film, but appreciates the success. It started at the Malaysian box office late last year. Spider-Man: There is no way to go home, which grossed about $ 10 million, but audiences were unfamiliar with local films. Action thriller by Adrian Teh ParticipantReleased in May, the film was the highest-grossing national film to date. Matt Killau With a gross profit of approximately $ 800,000 (RM3.5 million).