S'pore influencer Mayiduo's debut film 'Follow Aunty La': bold take on influencer culture that lacks depth

Influencers are one thing, but an auntie turned influencer?

That was my exact reaction when I first heard about "Follow Aunty La", a new local film that dives headfirst into the world of influencer culture with fishballs, drama, and cancel culture in the mix.

About the film

"Follow Aunty La" is a satirical dramedy that explores online fame and cancel culture in Singapore - all through the unlikely lens of an auntie turned influencer.

The film marks Singaporean influencer Mayiduo's debut as a film producer and features a blend of rising stars and well-known faces in the influencer scene.

The story follows Ah Hua (Charlene Huang), a humble fishball stall owner whose world is turned upside down when popular influencer BBGirl (Regina Lim), takes away everything she holds dear.

Determined to reclaim what she’s lost, Ah Hua sets out to reinvent herself as an influencer and take back her life with the help of her best friend CC (Xixi Lim) and short-tempered cinematographer Hock (Mayiduo).

Here's the trailer:

Warning: Lots of spoilers ahead.

Bold take on influencer culture in Singapore

I’ll admit — local productions aren’t typically on my watchlist.

So when I sat down to watch "Follow Aunty Lah", I wasn’t expecting much beyond a light-hearted social media parody.

But I was genuinely surprised by how effectively the film weaves elements of influencer culture with a uniquely local twist.

At its core, “Follow Aunty Lah” is about finding self-worth in a world obsessed with validation.

The film is set in a flashy influencer world that feels just like ours — full of perfect posts, viral fame, and drama hiding behind the filters.

This theme comes into focus when Ah Hua is pulled into a social media live stream competition in an attempt to reclaim her fishball business.

It was interesting to see how an ordinary Singaporean auntie with zero online presence would adopt the influencer lifestyle.

The film showcases Ah Hua’s hilarious attempts to learn the ropes — from awkwardly trying to keep up with Tiktok dance trends to fumbling through sponsored product placements.

There were also many interesting parallels drawn between selling fishballs and selling an online persona — both require performance, persuasion, and a certain kind of hustle to win people over.

However, the film doesn’t quite go beyond its surface-level satire of the influencer world.

While it sets up some meaningful themes, it eventually leans too much on gags and viral moments, missing the chance to explore its characters or message in greater depth.

Underdeveloped character arcs

One of the film's weaknesses lies in its pacing. With a hefty runtime of 127 minutes, you'd expect some time focused on fleshing out its ensemble of characters.

That depth was however lacking.

Certain scenes felt unnecessarily drawn out, while others rushed through crucial plot points that needed more buildup or emotional weight for a satisfying resolution.

Take for instance, the backstory that explains Ah Hua and BBGirl's feud.

While it served as an important exposition for BBGirl's bitterness towards Ah Hua, there were still pieces of the puzzle I wished could have been developed more.

It would have made BBGirl's character appear more layered, even sympathetic to audiences despite her later descent into villainy.

Instead, the movie diverts into moments that add little to its overarching plot. A recurring example is the sporadic use of fourth-wall breaks throughout the movie.

What started as a clever stylistic touch quickly became distracting, breaking the film’s rhythm and undermining its emotional pacing.

As a result, side characters like Hock and Ah Hua's husband Leonard (Sai) were left underdeveloped and came off as rather one-dimensional.

Even Ah Hua’s own character arc felt muddled by the end — lacking the clarity and payoff needed to fully land her transformation from hawker auntie to viral sensation.

Humour hits the mark

Fortunately, the humour manages to hit the mark (for the most part).

While it takes a while to hit the right note, there are certainly some funny moments you can expect in the movie.

One standout example is Ah Hua’s visions of the ancient founders of her fishball business (Caydences), who appear to give her motivational pep talks throughout the movie.

This surreal and unexpected blend of local culture and absurdity adds a unique comedic flavour that keeps the film entertaining and enjoyable for a wider audience.

Final thoughts

While "Follow Aunty Lah" has its flaws, it deserves credit for taking a bold, locally grounded swing at the world of influencer culture.

While the film struggles with pacing and underdeveloped characters, it still delivers plenty of laughs and memorable moments.

The film is a fun watch for those who enjoy light-hearted comedies, social media satire, and a uniquely Singaporean twist.

It’s not groundbreaking cinema, but it’s sincere in its chaos — and sometimes, that’s more than enough.

"Follow Aunty La" will be released in cinemas on Jun. 27, 2025, in Singapore.