Crazy Rich Asians (2018)

Imagine falling in love with a seemingly normal guy, and then discovering that his family is rich. Crazy rich. A dream come true, right? Not for New Yorker Rachel, who’s an economics professor and the hard-working, self-made daughter of a single mom. When she travels with her boyfriend, Nick, to his native Singapore for his best friend’s wedding, she’s confronted with a world of excess and backstabbing that’s totally out of her realm of experience. Can Rachel and Nick overcome their clash of cultures?

Crazy Rich Asians was the first Hollywood movie in 25 years to feature an all-Asian cast, and it was hailed as ground-breaking. Its diversity credentials are important, of course, but it’s more than a vehicle for Asian actors. It’s brilliantly fun and fantastically acted – props especially to Michelle Yeoh as the steely, regal matriarch and Awkwafina as Rachel’s off-the-wall college friend who gives her insight into this strange world.

The film is worth watching for the outfits and sets alone – it’s a riot of gorgeous colour, jewel tones and lashings of gold that bring home the message: these people are seriously, seriously wealthy.

It’s scored a magnificent 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, and The Guardian called it a “good-natured and spectacular comedy“.