Even if you’ve never watched it, most of us would have heard of the local film Ilo Ilo, the heart-tugging movie set in ‘90s Singapore amidst the Asian recession. It documents the divide between Hwee Leng (played by Yeo Yann Yann) and her son Jiale (played by Koh Jia Ler), as well as the latter’s growing bond with his Filipino domestic helper Teresa (played by Angeli Bayani). Ilo Ilo made waves during its release, even clinching the Camera d’Or award at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, the 1st Singaporean film to do so.
The film was followed by Wet Season, the 2nd chapter in Anthony Chen’s “Growing Up Trilogy”, which saw both Yeo and Koh returning to the screen, this time as a teacher-student duo navigating a yearning for warmth.
Now, Anthony Chen is back with the final instalment of the trilogy: We Are All Strangers. We got to watch the film ahead of its debut in movie theatres in Singapore on 20th August 2026 – here’s everything you need to know, from movie marathons and meet-and-greets to our review of the film.
Set in contemporary Singapore, the film follows 21-year-old Junyang, the son of hawker Boon Kiat, as he navigates adulthood and his relationship with his family and girlfriend. He is forced to grow up when the young couple finds out that they are pregnant, and this struggle to adapt is shared by his father and his new wife, a beer aunty who clashes with Junyang. Dreams quickly give way to survival strategies, and the film explores love and loss in the face of everyday life.
We Are All Strangers made its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival in February 2026, where it was the 1st Singaporean film to compete for the Golden Bear. It also made its Asian premiere at the 50th Hong Kong International Film Festival back in April 2026. The film has also seen runs in Italy, Australia, and China, and this August 2026, it’ll finally be making its debut in local theatres.
Angeli Bayani as Teresa and Koh Jia Ler as Jiale in Ilo Ilo (2013).
Image credit: Giraffe Pictures
While the films aren’t directly linked to each other, they all explore the theme of constructed, or found, families. In Ilo Ilo, we see a relationship grow between a Filipino domestic worker and a young boy, and in Wet Season, we follow a teacher and her student as they form a family with her father-in-law.
Both films will be returning to the big screen for a rerun on 15th and 16th August 2026 at Golden Village Cineleisure and Century Square, giving you a chance to catch the 2 films before the final chapter debuts.
Since these films are a celebration of Singaporean cinema, you’ll be glad to know that tickets can be redeemed using your SG Culture Pass credits.
Purchase tickets for Ilo Ilo and Wet Season via the Golden Village website.
Image credit: Giraffe Pictures
For those looking to really indulge in all 3 chapters of the trilogy, the Growing Up Trilogy Marathon Weekend @ Filmhouse is for you. Ilo Ilo and Wet Season will be screened on 15th August 2026, followed by We Are All Strangers on 16th August 2026.
Binge Ilo Ilo and Wet Season, before ending the sessions with a live Q&A with Anthony Chen, Yeo Yann Yann, and Koh Jia Ler. Tickets for We Are All Strangers are all sold out, but if you were lucky enough to snag tickets, you can expect a Q&A segment at the end of the film with the director and cast members, complete with a poster-signing session.
Film screenings aside, there’ll even be a dedicated film exhibition outside the theatres as well as official merchandise up for grabs. You’ll even be able to look through original props and production materials used in We Are All Strangers, so don’t be too quick to dash off after the session ends.
Tickets can be purchased via the Filmhouse website.
Here’s your chance to step into the world of Junyang and Boon Kiat at the We Are All Strangers Coffeeshop Meet & Greet. Happening at a coffeeshop, the primary setting of the film, you’ll be able to meet the cast, play some games, and even compete in a karaoke sing-off.
Keep a lookout for more information on Tiger Beer’s Instagram.
Admission: To be released
Address: S11 AMK, 711 Ang Mo Kio Ave 8, #01-3501, Singapore 560711
Date: 21st August 2026
Time: 8pm-9pm
Image credit: Ivan Tan and Giraffe Pictures
For a more in-depth look at the film, join the Bund & Toss x We Are All Strangers: An Afternoon Tea Panel Discussion happening on 22nd August 2026. Held in a tea-ceremony-style setting, the 3-hour session will bring you up close with the cast and director for a behind-the-scenes panel discussion of the film. You’ll basically get to learn more about how filming went, including the funnier moments and stories from the set that you probably won’t catch on screen.
Keep a lookout for more information on Bund & Toss Instagram.
Admission: To be announced
Address: Bund & Toss, TripleOne Shopping Mall, #01-08 111 Somerset Rd, Singapore 238164
Date: 22nd August 2026
Time: 2pm-5pm
To celebrate the opening weekend of the film, there will be a music-filled afterparty at the Filmhouse Foyer on 22nd August 2026 right after the evening screening of We Are All Strangers. Join the cast, director, and fellow fans as you sing to old-school classics at the Strangers No More: A Karaoke Night with Filmhouse & Tiger Beer event.
Movie screening tickets can be purchased via the Filmhouse website.
Admission: Free with movie ticket
Venue: Filmhouse, 6001 Beach Rd, #05-00, Singapore 199589
Date: 22nd August 2026
Time: 10pm till late
Ahead of its local debut, we managed to get a sneak peek at We Are All Strangers, and here are our thoughts on the film and the themes portrayed.
*Spoilers ahead: This review discusses some plot details and story developments.
The story of We Are All Strangers is familiar: a young boy fresh out of NS, unsure of what to do with this life while dreaming of building a better life than what came before him. Then there’s a father who wants the best for his son, and tries to give more than he is able to, a wife who seems to bring light to others but carries her own share of burdens, and a girl whose future is seemingly snatched away when met with an unexpected pregnancy.
The film’s central character is fleshed out with an experience we are all too familiar with. Koh Jia Ler’s Junyang is immature, lazy, and naive. Thrown into adulthood with a sudden pregnancy and the passing of his father, Junyang must learn how to navigate a world that is unkind to those without experience. His various attempts at making a living – from property to livestreaming – are at times awkward, capturing the uncertainty of a young man desperate to get ahead, but without the experience to know how.
Junyang appears foolish; at times, his actions prompt a reaction that leans towards questioning and judgement, but we are reminded that it is essentially the boy’s first step into adulthood, and that each clumsy step is still growth.
Koh’s character is an easy one to grow fond of. After all, his struggles are prevalent in today’s society: jobs are hard to get and much less easy to hold on to; he wants to be better, but the conditions given to him aren’t the most helpful, yet above all he is one who tries his best. It is perhaps in the scene where he bathes his son that we realise that Junyang has truly grown. The young boy is now a less impulsive young man who is even thoughtful and capable of loving.
Junyang’s high-school sweetheart, Regene Lim’s Lydia, is gentle yet headstrong, a resistance to Junyang’s more impulsive ways. She is a character necessary for the growth of others, evident in how Junyang progresses through the movie. Yet this is also her character’s largest dent in the armour.
Through Lydia, the film reveals the harsh reality of who has more to lose in the building of a family – Lydia has to drop out of school, and her promise as a pianist is cut short. We lose sight of who Lydia is as an individual once she becomes pregnant; her character is now reduced to merely a mother or wife in what little time she has on screen.
Nonetheless, the film does attempt to redeem itself by providing Lydia with the freedom to pursue her studies again at the end, although we are once again crudely reminded of how domestic she has to be.
We Are All Strangers also approaches adulthood with a critical view on the reality of living in Singapore. Yeo Yann Yann’s Bee Hwa has come from Malaysia in hopes of a better life, but is met with rising living costs and a widening socioeconomic gap.
Her assertive and hot-headed character gives way to hidden concerns about her place in Singapore, stuck in a job that’s losing its foothold yet being unable to move onto a more promising position. Financial anxiety remains a shadow throughout the film, from lavish weddings way out of budget to debt issues with loan sharks. We Are All Strangers is a reminder of how growing up isn’t simply about finding your place in the world – it’s also about figuring out how to survive in it.
Despite its somewhat harsher take on living in Singapore, the film is still filled with moments of quiet beauty. From romantic bus rides around the island to the walk home after a late-night shift, or even the overused view of the Marina Bay cityline, we are reminded of a gentler beauty that still waits for us.
There are scenes that seem to linger for slightly longer than expected, yet they force us to appreciate the mundane like the passing of a bus or a child using supplement bottles as a plaything.
If you’ve watched local films before, you’ll notice that many tend to follow the same recipe – a primarily acoustic soundscape, scenes that linger for a little longer than you expected, and a feature of the Marina Bay skyline. We Are All Strangers is no exception to this, as the film is essentially a love letter to the country with some scenes that play out almost like poetry.
It might be slightly cliché: a film on family, inequality, and the transition into adulthood, but the quintessentially Singaporean film is chokeful of simple moments that remind us to notice the mundane in our own lives. The film speaks to the everyday struggles many face – financial troubles with an extravagant wedding being juxtaposed against a much simpler one that looks almost gaudy, the feeling of having to be more than you are, and, of course, the learning of love and loss.
It might seem as if there’s way too much going on in We Are All Strangers, from subplots like the dangers of online livestreaming, the transition into adulthood, parental sacrifice, or learning to lose, but the film stays true to how full life is. There’s no end to a story, only the closing of a chapter.
The Smart Local rating: 3.5/5
Image credit: Giraffe Pictures
Yes, there are parts of the film where I did question the choices made, such as how the young couple fell in love, but these are also reminders of how unexpected life is. If you’re looking for a new lens in which to appreciate Singapore’s beauty, this is the film for you.
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Cover image adapted from: Giraffe Pictures
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