WORLD PREMIERE
The Assistant
Malaysia, 2022, 124’, Malay, English, Chinese
Directed by: Adrian Teh
Screenplay: Adrian Teh, Chi-Ren Choong
Photography (color): Choon Lin Yong
Production Design: Ho Chee Siang
Editing: Pai Seang Lee
Music: Jackey Yow
Producers: Dr. Raymond Ang, Teck Lim, Tee Yee Peng, Carla Soong, Adrian Teh
Cast: Hairul Azreen Idris (Feroz), Iedil Dzuhrie Alaudin (Zafik)
Date of First Release in Territory: May 19th, 2022
Malaysia has become an emerging region for Southeast Asian action following the well established footsteps of Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, and most recently, Cambodia (Jailbreak). The Assistant from Malaysian director Adrian Teh (Paskal: The Movie, Wira), is his latest action thriller starring emerging action stars Iedil Dzuhrie and Hairul Azreen. The former plays Zafik, who is just released from prison, serving a decade long sentence for a crime he did not commit. During his prison tenure, he loses everything, as his wife and child are mysteriously murdered. Destitute and at his lowest of lows, he vows to seek revenge for the people who framed him, including finding the culprit who murdered his family.
After getting back on his feet by getting a job as a lowly loan shark from his childhood friend, who is now a successful businessman, Zafik gets ambushed by a bunch of thugs on the street. Conveniently, he is saved by Feroz (Azreen), who has an unhinged, “shoot first, ask questions later” attitude. Zafik soon learns that Feroz is his deceased wife’s cousin, who offers to help him to reveal the murderers involved and serve the street justice that they deserve. But Zafik questions the “street justice” enforced by his new assistant, for where is the moral line drawn?
With a worthy track record of action hits locally, Sony Pictures Malaysia came onboard to invest and distribute The Assistant. With a budget of RM6 million, the film has more impressive technical action scenes than any other of the director’s previous films. This is also the rare Malaysian film to earn an 18PL rating, which is the equivalent of an R rating. The film showcases Malaysia as a new player in the action genre, as both Dzuhrie and Azreen have the action chops, and charisma, to be the next Tony Jaa or Iko Uwais.
Adrian Teh
Adrian Teh is a renowned Malaysian filmmaker whose directorial debut was in 2010 with Lelio Popo. With films that vary in genres from military action to romantic comedy, Teh is a versatile creator who produces and directs, and is thriving in both theatrical films as well as series. After founding the Chinese Film Association of Malaysia in 2012, he organized the Golden Wau Awards, Malaysia’s first Chinese film awards ceremony, in 2013. In 2016, he was named one of Top-10 Outstanding Youths of Malaysia as well as 100 Most Influential Young Entrepreneurs.
FILMOGRAPHY
2010 – Lelio Popo
2012 – The Wedding Diary
2013 – The Wedding Diary 2
2015 – The Noise
2016 – King of Mahjong
2017 – Goodbye Mr. Loser
2018 – Paskal: The Movie
2019 – Wira
2020 – Model Family
2020 – All Because of You
2022 – The Assistant
Anderson Le