Primed for the chop: 9 films that didn’t make the cut in Malaysia

Malaysian moviegoers hoping to catch Robert Pattinson’s latest film, “Primetime”, received disappointing news this week when its local distributor announced that the psychological thriller had been banned by the Film Censorship Board (LPF).

Originally due in cinemas this month, the A24 film casts Pattinson as a fictionalised version of American television journalist Chris Hansen, whose controversial “To Catch a Predator” series used sting operations to confront men seeking sexual encounters with minors.

Local distributor Antenna Entertainments confirmed the ban on Monday, although no official reason has yet been publicly given. So, for now, viewers are left with the familiar Malaysian pastime of wondering exactly which part crossed the line.

Malaysia has a long history of films being denied theatrical releases for reasons ranging from sexuality and language to politics, religion and the portrayal of local institutions. Here are eight other notable examples, starting with two local ones.

1. ‘Mentega Terbang’ (2021)

Khairi Anwar’s Malaysian indie drama follows a teenage Muslim girl exploring different religions while confronting her mother’s illness and questions about the afterlife.

After attracting controversy online, the film was formally prohibited in 2023 under the Film Censorship Act, with the government saying its exhibition was “contrary to public interest”. Earlier this year, the Court of Appeal upheld its ban.

Critics had accused it of challenging Islamic beliefs, and the ban covers the film as well as related publicity material.

2. ‘Babi’ (2020)

Namewee’s drama, inspired by a real-life school riot, explored racial tensions through its deliberately provocative title.

The film was never submitted for a conventional Malaysian theatrical release, with the controversial artiste saying from the outset that he expected it would not be shown locally.

“Babi” later drew police reports alleging racist content and damage to Malaysia’s image, while its producer faced a separate charge over production and promotional licensing.

3. ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ (2022)

Chris Hemsworth returned as Marvel’s hammer-wielding superhero alongside Natalie Portman, Christian Bale and Tessa Thompson – just not on Malaysian cinema screens.

After delays, Disney cancelled the local theatrical release. Then deputy communications and multimedia minister Zahidi Zainul Abidin later confirmed that the censorship board had not approved the film because of LGBT elements.

Thor eventually made it here via Disney+ Hotstar, proving that even gods sometimes have to settle for streaming.

4. ‘Lightyear’ (2022)

Pixar’s “Toy Story” spin-off, featuring Chris Evans as the voice of Buzz Lightyear, became another casualty of disagreement over LGBT content.

Technically, LPF did approve the film, but only with cuts and muted dialogue relating to a same-sex relationship. Disney declined to make the changes and withdrew the Malaysian cinema release.

As it turned out, “infinity” was fine. “Beyond” was where things got complicated.

5. ‘Kadaram Kondan’ (2019)

This Tamil action thriller starring Vikram was particularly notable because around 90% of it was filmed in Malaysia – only for Malaysian audiences to be denied a theatrical release.

Its title roughly translates as “Conqueror of Kadaram”, with Kadaram being an ancient Tamil name associated with Kedah, giving the film an additional historical and controversial connection to the country.

None of that was what landed it in trouble, though: LPF refused approval because the storyline was considered damaging to the image of the Malaysian police.

Then chairman Zamberi Abdul Aziz said the problem ran throughout the film, making a few strategic snips unlikely to save it.

6. ‘Noah’ (2014)

Darren Aronofsky’s biblical epic was certainly not short on star power, with Russell Crowe playing Noah alongside Jennifer Connelly, Emma Watson and Anthony Hopkins.

But its fate in Malaysia was essentially sealed by the premise itself. Islam prohibits visual depictions of prophets, meaning Crowe’s portrayal of Noah placed the film on the wrong side of local religious guidelines before questions of violence, dialogue or editing even entered the picture.

LPF said such a depiction could cause “anger and distress” – perhaps a great flood of it.

7. ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ (2013)

Martin Scorsese’s riotous account of disgraced stockbroker Jordan Belfort earned Leonardo DiCaprio an Oscar nomination – along with notoriety for its sex, drugs, nudity and truly heroic quantities of profanity (never mind the eventual 1MDB embroilment).

The writing was apparently on the wall long before the censors reached for their pens: the film’s Malaysian distributor removed it from the release schedule, saying it did not believe the movie would pass local censorship because of its “excessive” content.

Points for self-awareness: there are only so many F-bombs one can expect a censorship board to navigate.

8. ‘Zoolander’ (2001)

Ben Stiller’s fashion-industry satire sounds harmless enough until its gloriously ridiculous plot reaches Malaysia. Derek Zoolander is brainwashed by fashion executives to kill a fictional Malaysian prime minister whose proposed minimum-wage reforms threaten cheap labour.

The combination of attempted political assassination and a depiction of Malaysia as an impoverished nation reliant on sweatshops ensured the comedy never reached local cinemas.

Yup, even Blue Steel could apparently trigger a real-life diplomatic incident.

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