Could ‘Imaginur’ Be M’sia’s Answer To Our Best Romance Film of All Time? Let’s Look At The Reviews…

By Ameera Rosli  •  21 Feb 2023 in Features

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It’s been awhile since a film has garnered this much praise and attention even before its official theatrical release…

Back in the days of Yasmin Ahmad’s reign on local films, Malaysians would impatiently anticipate the next release, knowing they were in for a poignant and swoon-worthy film that entwined the subject of race with romance and coming-of-age.

Films of impeccable quality have since been released after her passing, but none has received such unanimous praise like Imaginur.

This upcoming release stars Beto Kusyairi (of Instanbul Aku Datang fame) and Diana Danielle (Gol & Gincu Vol 2) as our two main leads as they navigate what seems like a merging of realities after our protagonist undergoes a mysterious hypnosis procedure.

Our protagonist, Zuhal, played by Beto, sees a woman in his imagination but after his procedure, he meets this woman in real life. She turns out to be Nur, who is played by Diana.

Blending elements of philosophy, sci-fi and familial tensions with a bittersweet romance, Imaginur has had its audiences sobbing in theatres and praising its beautiful cinematography and unparalleled storytelling.

Those who received an early viewing were wowed by the performances of the two leads and even deemed the film Malaysia’s new crowning glory.

Directed by Nik Amir Mustapha (Kil and Terbaik Dari Langit) who also wrote the film alongside Redza Minhat (Kil and Pisau Cukur), the film has serious potential in solidifying itself as a local cult classic.

Watch the trailer below:

While JUICE has not seen the film yet, we trust the opinions of netizens who have. It even has the seal of approval from our Minister of Communications and Multimedia, Fahmi Fadzil.

Check out their glowing reviews below:

IMAGINUR opens Thurs 23rd Feb. Jom sapot filem Malaysia! pic.twitter.com/LjLJ7nvF94

— Fahmi Fadzil 🇲🇾 (@fahmi_fadzil) February 20, 2023

Kalau masih belum confident untuk tengok IMAGINUR, this might help. Reaksi during pra-tonton. Aku tak berharap that this will break banks, in fact masa aku tulis ni, aku tak ada harap apa apa. Me and Nik just wanted to tell you a story. Help me spread this small film. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/h2EwfxZ2L9

— morello (@rdzaminhat) February 19, 2023

Korang, drop everything and catch ImagiNur at your nearest cinema is out! #ImagiNur blends love and memories with time loop and sci-fi elements, resulting in a top tier magical film that 10/10 would tug at your heartstrings many times over.

Power @_nikamir @rdzaminhat ❤️❤️ https://t.co/Gjs3wU4Z2L pic.twitter.com/XuLroY4oUP

— Puteri N. Balqis (@puteriarchy) February 21, 2023

#Imaginur reminds me of these four great films. It is a film that, if you like it, you will like it a lot. I’m happy to see a Malaysian film giving serious treatment to matters of the heart, avoiding the cliche emotions commonly found and espoused in our cinemas. pic.twitter.com/ovfmWQtl4n

— Daniel Teoh | 赵汝勇 (@thedanielteoh) February 20, 2023

#imaginur movie yg patut kita semua raikan! Terlalu power! Rasa dia menusuk ke dalam jiwa, pastu dia robek jiwa kau, pastu dia tikam lagi. Terduduk jugak la lepas tengok movie ni. Salute kepada semua yang membikin filem ni. Please pergi tengok kat cinema geng, tak rugi langsung!

— Razaisyam Rashid 🇲🇾🌺 (@Razaisyam) February 20, 2023

If you’re wondering how those cool looking headgears were made, the creator even shared a Twitter thread on the process:

#imaginur – Hypnotica’s headgear design.

1. Initial sketch after i read the script and briefing from the director.

2. Main ref – Photo-Bio-Modulation treatment. Inspired by the position of the 3 devices where the infra red (NIR) takes place.

Source: https://t.co/aRrU0TT7rT pic.twitter.com/PlBAVEiAOE

— Rabbani Sujak (@rabbanisujak) February 19, 2023

From what we can tell by the trailer, the film is reminiscent of our favourite romance films, Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind, Ruby Sparks and Stranger Than Fiction, so if you like any of those – you might enjoy Imaginur.

The film will hit theatres on February 23 and you can expect us to be seated when it does!