We Are All Strangers Review [MIFF 2026]

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The anti-capitalist rhetoric bleeds through the film.

Family values and societal differences mix in the charming We Are All Strangers from writer-director Anthony Chen. These are some of the most endearing characters I’ve watched in a film this year, all brought to life with stellar performances.

The film introduces Bee Hwa (Yann Yann Yeo), who works at a bar-restaurant for Boon Kiat (Andi Lim), who doesn’t want to raise prices to look after his regulars and is, unfortunately, doing himself a disservice. Bee Hwa is a Malaysian immigrant to Singapore and, much like much of this film, is highly critical of Singapore’s adopted Western ideologies and relationships, and of its priority on the affluent: the rich-get-richer and the poor-get-poorer. The anti-capitalist rhetoric bleeds through the film.

Boon’s son, Junyang (Jia Ler Koh), is finishing his military service but has no interest in following in his father’s footsteps and entering the family business. His sights are set on lofty, dreamlike ideas of getting rich quick, widely circulated and influenced by his TikTok scrolling. “Let me tell you guys how I made $300k in just a month” is the hook for these videos. Junyang is dating Lydia (Regene Lim), an all-around A-grade student and piano player whose mother has set her sights early on higher education.

We Are All Strangers shows two different sides of romantic relationships and stages of life as Lydia gets pregnant and a rushed, ultra-expensive wedding is arranged for her and Junyang. The blossoming feelings between Boon Kiat and Bee Hwa are sparked by a rent crisis, with Bee Hwa needing a new place to stay and Boon Kiat offering marriage as the solution. One wedding is to save face with a baby on the way, and features a champagne tower and a dance sequence mostly because of Lydia’s mother’s expectations. The other wedding is at the family business and features nothing but toasts, karaoke and plenty of cheap beer. Both are born of societal needs and trying to appear, but the decisions of these characters come from completely different life points and needs.

The four, well, five when the baby arrives, then have to start living under the same roof. Somehow they must start to make it work, but there are failings: Junyang’s job prospects, job losses, and not being prepared to be a father are showing. There’s a sales job amongst his, as well as an attempt at being a TikTok influencer, which felt like it could have served as the plotline of its own film, given what it has to say about regulation and our seek-and-need for shortcuts to success. The constant dribble our social media feeds throw up, and how easy it is to buy into these ideas.

The cast and characters are all very sweet and feel real and well-rounded, though some get more attention than others. Lydia in particular feels like she’s shoved to the side after she gives birth and is saved for shouting matches with her young and often dumb husband rather than anything else in particular.

Anthony Chen seems to let the characters on his page guide the film’s direction. It’s rooted in these societal and class differences, and at two-and-a-half hours, he’s happy to let them reach their own conclusions on their own time. At times meandering, which may not be for some viewers, but I enjoyed every moment with this cast.

[Dylan attended a screening thanks to the Melbourne International Film Festival]