MALAYSIAN film Geng Kubur (Dead Boys’ Club), which premiered at the Ho Chi Minh City International Film Festival 2024 (HIFF) recently, is scheduled for a nationwide release in Malaysia on April 25.
Geng Kubur is a coming-of-age thriller film centred around a group of troubled teens who seek refuge in a cemetery. However, their solace is disrupted when a forest spirit attempts to entice them into an eternal stay.
The movie features Firdaus Sufiyan as Firhan, Lion Chong as Fang Liang, Sasidaran as Prem, and Mia Sara Shauki as Melati. Each protagonist navigates their own journey within the nightmare adventure, grappling with themes of friendship, family and self-acceptance.
Director and scriptwriter Gavin Yap, who famously sparred with Afdlin in the action-comedy Sumolah 17 years ago, shares that his inspiration for writing the story was the exploration of life experiences that we all go through in our youth – things that can haunt us for a lifetime.
“Geng Kubur is not just a horror film, but also focuses on the life journey of each of the four friends. Each character has their own backstories and baggage that haunt them,” Yap said.
Geng Kubur was one of several world premieres featured at HIFF, which showcased a diverse lineup of 100 films, including 12 entries for the South East Asia Competition.
Produced by Iron Hill Media, Geng Kubur was represented by actress Mia who walked the red carpet at HIFF alongside Firdaus and Yap.
Other Malaysians that were part of HIFF were the team behind Fire on The Water by Sun-J Perumal, known for his previous work Jagat (2015), as well as the team pitching IQ.Rock by Khairi Anwar, acclaimed for the film Mentega Terbang.
