The Vibe Check
Looks like Cole Sprouse is officially entering his main character era at the Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF). The festival just dropped the news that its 37th edition will wrap up on Nov. 1 with the Asian premiere of Vintage Violence, a high-stakes crime caper from director Eugene Kotlyarenko.
After a ten-year hiatus, the festival is bringing back a dedicated closing night ceremony to go out with a bang, and frankly, it’s giving cinema. The flick is set to screen at Singapore’s iconic Capitol Theatre, with Sprouse and co-star Mizuhara Kiko confirmed to make an appearance. Real talk, the cast and director are also hosting an “In Conversation With” session at the National Museum of Singapore on Oct. 31 to deep-dive into how they tackle screen acting in the digital age.
The Plot Thickens
If you’re wondering what the movie is actually about, it’s lowkey chaotic in the best way. Sprouse plays Carter, a livestreamer exploring an abandoned Colorado mine who strikes gold when he finds a pair of vintage 19th-century Levi’s. Things go south real quick when his Japanese viewer, Izumi, convinces him the denim is worth a fortune. The scheme spirals when an indebted boyfriend, a denim-obsessed criminal, and an exiled yakuza with a cybernetic finger that shoots drug mist all get involved. The whole movie uses split screens to track texts and live chats, keeping the internet aesthetic front and center.
Kotlyarenko, known for his work on Spree (2020), clearly has a knack for capturing the weirdness of online culture. The festival itself kicks off on Oct. 21 with The Assassin(s), despite some political pushback from South Korea.
Why it matters
Bringing back a standalone closing night after a decade is a major move for SGIFF, and choosing a film so deeply rooted in modern internet culture shows the festival is looking to stay relevant to younger audiences. Catching Sprouse and Mizuhara on the ground in Singapore is a certified W for film buffs.
