FILM REVIEW Watching the film Ophilia is like being thrust into the heart of the thumping sounds of an oi! song.

Opening in gritty tones, Ophilia ’s rhythm steadies into a beat and just as the audience start to sway, the tempo surges to a climax.

It is only after you catch your breath that you hear the lyrics emerge from the cacophony – it is a sentimental tale of friendship.

At the core of it, Ophilia is a story of camaraderie. The skinhead culture widely promoted as the central theme of the story is only an avenue for a much large narrative.

It is true that the skinhead element is crucial to who the characters are – why they are on the fringes of society, their fierce loyalty to each other and why they find themselves in the conundrum that drives the plot.

But this is a story that can be transposed into any subculture, be it the otaku culture, hipster culture or as the film’s director Raja Mukhriz himself suggests, the mat rempit culture.

Mukhriz’s debut offering is one revolving around a subculture he grew up with, thus lending a strong sense of realism although he admits that he was never a skinhead himself.

Skinhead code

The relationship between the three main characters Uji (Pekin Ibrahim), Ozi Gandum (Que Haidar) and Totoi (Kodi Rasheed) was played out to a tee. We believe that they are friends, who spend time together and in the end, are willing to die for one another.

Released in an era when Malay films are laden with morals, sometimes deemed so mandatory that they outweigh the story itself, Ophilia is a breath of fresh air.

Mukhriz and screenwriter Ellyna Ahmad show deft skill when taking a neutral stance on the skinhead phenomenon once described in local newspapers as the scourge of society.

In the film they are anarchists who refuse to bow down to society, relegated to the margins of society – and yet in their defiance, they are relatable to the average viewer.

Mukhriz and Ellyna clearly revere the 'skinhead code' but the film does not treat it with rose-tinted glasses.

It is a difficult balance, but I believe even skinheads will be happy with the duo’s careful treatment of the subject.

Almost half of the film was dedicated to character-building and the skinhead culture – and it must be said that this almost killed its narrative.

But like a good oi! song, the film takes an abrupt turn that finally explains its evocative title.From an airy tale of friendship, the film turns into a thriller.

Even so, the characters’ predicaments are explained clearly and sincerely without hyperbole.

They are complex human beings, navigating life based on desire and fear and the filmmaker want us to see what happens when both these senses collide.

Best local film of 2014

The tension at the climax is so strong that viewers may feel a sense of claustrophobia. Afiq Mohsin’s cinematography gets under the skin of the characters, creating a sense of urgency.

Sadly, despite unfurling its narrative with such dexterity throughout the fim, Ophilia fell short of perfect landing. The ending felt rushed – perhaps still, like the abrupt end of an oi! song – failing to deliver the desired cinematic satisfaction.

The film is wrapped up in such a nihilistic fashion, ripping apart all sense of hope. After watching Liew Seng Tat’s Lelaki Harapa Dunia , I had hoped for something a bit more optimistic here.

But my disappointment with the ending may not be so important after all. In the final analysis, this is a miracle of a Malay film.

This film manages to capture the underlying friction between class, ideology, power structures and ultimately, the lives caught in between.

If Mukhriz maintains the same spirit and gumption he showed in this film in his future endeavours, Malaysia has found its next big filmmaker.

In Ophilia , he not only produced a stellar debut film, but the best local film of 2014.

NAZIM MASNAWI is a writer and film enthusiast.