Singapore Dreaming

Poh Huat works as a clerk for a lawyer and shares a modest family life with Siew Luan. He regularly buys Toto tickets hoping for a better life and keeps newspaper cuttings about cars and condos in a box in his room. These habits hint at his yearning for upward mobility.

Mei is pregnant and due in two months, adding pressure to the household. Seng returns from the United States, and the family’s overt favoritism toward him strains the relationship with Mei. The siblings' rivalry and the parents’ bias threaten the family’s harmony.

Seng goes for several job interviews but remains unsuccessful. He grows despondent and quietly fabricates optimism about his prospects to spare his family further disappointment. The atmosphere at home tightens as his career stalls.

Poh Huat wins S$2 million in the Toto lottery, triggering ecstatic reactions from the whole family. The windfall raises expectations for Seng’s future and changes how relatives relate to the Lohs. The mood shifts to one of possibility, even as unspoken tensions simmer.

With his father’s approval, Seng gains access to funds via a credit card and starts spending aggressively. He buys a car without Irene’s knowledge, signaling a leap into a wealthier lifestyle. Irene is furious when she learns about the overspending and lack of steady work.

Shortly after the windfall, Poh Huat collapses and dies of a heart attack at a country club during a membership interview. The sudden loss shocks the family and abruptly shifts the focus to inheritance and unresolved tensions. The incident foreshadows the conflicts to come.

At Poh Huat’s funeral, Seng quarrels with Mei over funeral expenses, exposing deep rifts in the family. Mei lashes out at Chin Keong, who reacts with displeasure and storms off. The wake becomes a tense arena where money and loyalties collide.

Mei is unexpectedly called back to work during the funeral to photocopy documents and brew coffee for her boss. The demand reveals how little room there is for personal priorities in Singapore’s service culture. Mei’s frustration boils over as the trivial task underscores her exhaustion.

During the wake, S$500 goes missing from the pek kim and Mei wrongly accuses Pinky, the Filipino maid, of stealing it. Chin Keong quickly reveals that the money is actually with him, but the accusation leaves a bitter stain. Pinky spits at Mei, heightening the tension among the mourners.

Chin Keong sits in a coffee shop discussing life with a beer girl, venting his worries about life and money. The girl notes that many Singaporeans feel their life is hard and challenges his assumptions. The scene adds another layer of strain to the family's already fragile dynamics.

During the funeral wake, Seng reveals to his family that he did not graduate. Irene, who is nearby, overhears the confession and is deeply disappointed. She resolves to leave him, marking a turning point in their relationship.

A few months later, a lawyer informs the family of Poh Huat’s will. He had left all his assets to his wife, Siew Luan, but the family had already accumulated debt from Seng’s overseas education. Within the remaining S$1,200,000, Mei receives S$300,000 and Seng receives S$1,000,000, while Siew Luan’s absence is noted in the meeting.

In a final gesture, Siew Luan hands some money to Poh Huat’s mistress and their illegitimate son, then leaves Seng. The act underscores lingering loyalties and unresolved ties within the family. Her departure seals a new dynamic in the inherited wealth.

Irene decides to go abroad to pursue a degree in photography, seeking new opportunities away from Seng and Singapore. The decision caps the film’s arc of shifting loyalties and changing fortunes. Her departure marks the final turning point for the family’s future.